Snow-decking craze glides into Fayette Resort
To his surprise, Tom Smith managed to quickly maneuver on snow decks – the latest craze to glide into the nation’s ever-changing ski industry. Smith, director of recreation at Mystic Mountain located at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and Spa near Farmington, explained that snow decks are very similar to skateboards, but they are mounted on mini skis.
“I was really surprised at how quickly I caught onto the snow decks, but I couldn’t do as many tricks in the park as the younger guys could do,” he said as he started to laugh. “It’s very challenging, but it’s a lot of fun.”
Mystic Mountain opened a new snow-deck park this season. It was patterned after a similar park, which was featured during the 2002 Olympic games in Salt Lake City.
Smith said the snow-deck park is probably one of the first that has been developed at a ski resort in southwestern Pennsylvania. The park features various terrain with obstacles and jumps for participants, including what Smith called “junk yards, rails and table tops.”
“It’s really a micro-park because it isn’t very large,” he said. “You glide over these obstacles. The park also features barrels and gap jumps. A gap jump is a rail that goes onto a small jump. There is a gap in between it, and participants fly through the air and then land on the opposite side.”
Snow decks are similar to snowboards, but Smith said they are a little harder to master because the participant’s feet actually ride on top of the board.
“It’s like a snowboard except there aren’t any bindings,” he said. “It takes a little bit more skill to stay on a snow deck than it does a snowboard because your feet are sitting on top of the board. It takes some skill to stay on the board.”
The snow-deck park is very popular with many teen-agers, who have already mastered snowboarding techniques and are now looking for another challenging winter activity, Smith said.
“The snow decks are huge with the teen-agers,” he said. “We actually had two families with teen-age boys at the resort recently, and the moms and dads were trying it right along with their kids. It was amazing because the moms and dads were actually doing pretty well with the snow decks.”
The resort is offering snow-deck lessons this season. Smith explained that ski instructors have been practicing the skill since November, so they would be ready to teach the new winter sport when the ski season arrived.
“Our ski instructors were heading out on the snow before we even had it groomed to get proficient on the snow decks,” he said.
“A lot of our instructors have skateboarding and snowboarding skills,” he continued. “It’s really a smooth transition to the snow deck if you already have those skills. It didn’t take the instructors a lot of practice time to learn how to do it.”
While snow decks are beginning to catch on with the teen-age crowd, Smith said snowboarding continues to grow in popularity.
“We doubled the size of our snowboard fleet because of the tremendous amount of participation,” he said. “What we’ve noticed is that the kids are actually learning at a younger age. A lot of the parents, who have skied for a long time, are changing over and learning how to snowboard. It’s not really that hard to make the transition.”
Mystic Mountain is one of the best places to learn how to ski, snowboard or snow deck because the resort is smaller than some of the other local ski resorts, according to Smith.
“But you do have to be very committed if you really want to learn,” he said. “I recommend taking skiing or snowboarding lessons for anyone, who is really serious about learning the skill. People come to our resort to take the lessons or brush up on their skills, and then they head out west to Colorado or up north to Canada on a skiing trip.”
Keith James, marketing consultant for Hidden Valley Resort in Somerset County, said the growth rate for snowboarding has slowed down somewhat since the winter sport was first introduced about 15 to 20 years ago. Hidden Valley offers a large half-pipe for snowboarders to use for various tricks and stunts.
Based on his own observations, James attributed about 25 to 30 percent of Hidden Valley’s business to snowboarding.
“Actually, the majority of snowboarders are teen-agers, but snowboarding has been around long enough that the original snowboarders are starting to push 40 years old,” James said. “Some people, who didn’t start snowboarding at 10 or 14 years old, are starting at 25 or 30 now. We’re seeing a broadening of snowboarding. But we really don’t know how long people will snowboard.”
However, James said the resort sees many skiers, who are well into their 70s and 80s and still enjoy the winter sport.
“We don’t know if snowboarders will continue into their 70s and 80s because it hasn’t been around that long,” he said.
“Skiing is a lifelong activity,” he added. “You can learn when you’re 3 or 4 years old. You can ski as long as you can stand up and move your knees and hips a little bit. Skiing is athletic, but it’s a skill more than anything else.”
Another popular feature at Hidden Valley is the Outback Park, which is a snow-tubing park that has operated at the resort for the last seven or eight years.
Last year, James said the park was expanded based on increasing demand and participation and moved to its current location along Route 31.
“The snow tubing has continued to grow in popularity because everyone can do it,” he said. “If you can sit on your butt, you can snow tube. Most of us are pretty good at sitting on our butts. The simplicity of it has been a huge attraction. It attracts everyone from age 3 to 93. The little ones can enjoy it just as much as mom and dad.”
For people who don’t participate in downhill skiing, James said Hidden Valley also offers an extensive cross-country trail system of up to 30 kilometers. The trail system relies on natural snow and has been open for several weeks. The resort’s trails connect with Kooser State Park and Forbes State Forest, which means that cross-country skiers can continue for many miles.
Visitors can also take a trip back in time at Hidden Valley where they can take horse-drawn sleigh rides. James said the horse-drawn sleigh rides are especially beautiful when fresh snow is falling and blanketing the ground.
“You can take a thermos of hot chocolate and cuddle up under a blanket,” he said. “The trails and trees are covered with snow, and the scenery is breathtaking. It’s very authentic, romantic and charming. In this high-tech world, it’s the most wonderful experience from a century ago. You get a feeling that you can’t get from the Internet or a video game.”
Seven Springs also expanded its snow-tubing park, added two new chutes and expanded the snow-tubing lodge, according to Bob Duppstadt, manager of public relations.
The resort also developed a new area for people, who are learning how to ski, which includes what is called a “magic carpet ride.”
“You slide on top of the magic carpet ride with your skis, and it takes you back to the top of the hill,” Duppstadt said. “This really enhances the learning experience for new skiers. We also added a beginner’s skiing area and conveyer lift, which is new this season. It’s for both skiers and snowboarders.”