No Half Pipe…..Tear down the walls!

[username]

Guess what the ski hill did today. Went up to the half pipe with a big hoe, you know the ones, with the tracks and big bucket with claw… And then guess what they did. They directed the hoe operator to knock down the walls and fill in the half pipe. Thats right, they are filling in the half pipe and tearing down the walls. They decided that half pipes are on their way out and people won’t want them anyways. Strange I know! So if you wondering why your season pass went up. And day passes went up. It was to pay for the hoe to tear down the half pipe. I would be mad if I were you!! When asked why they were tearing down the half pipe..they answered. “Now we’ll be able to spend all our time at making the snowboard/ski park even better.”

[captain clawfoot]

I have to say that the half pipe for the 2003/2004 season was a bit of a joke anyway, and if they really do sacrifice it for a better park then thats cool by me. The top lip of the pipe was a joke and the transition was all wrong as well. Lets hope they are better at designing parks than they arre at pipes.

[griz-boy]

It will be missed. I don’t understand even with the new school twin tip skiing in the pipe they decided to tear it down.

On the other hand it was a piece and equipment to make a good pipe would never be affordable by the resort.

Make another park in place of the pipe something lower on the mountain, saves you from the long slow traverse from Falling Star. With a huge quarter pipe 30 feet tall!

[uofregina]

they better make a DAMN good park

[username]

[quote:2d2qd0kp]On the other hand it was a piece and equipment to make a good pipe would never be affordable by the resort.[/quote:2d2qd0kp]

if the piece of equipment you are refering to is a Pipe Dragon then you are wrong. The ski hill has 2 of them. A front mount and a rear mount. It will now be used for making the take offs and landings in the park. Of course it was affordable by the ski hill. This summer they threw 3 million dollars into the ski hill. They’ve had a pipe dragon for 3 years.

[griz-boy]

Pipe Dragons are so 90’s. You need a Super Pipe Dragon for the huge trannies or a Super Pipe Grinder which the FIS uses.

But to be honest I never knew the resort even had 1 pipe dragon because I have never seen it used and the pipe looked like crap the few times I ventured into it.

So you think our passes went up because they paid someone to back hoe the half pipe or the 3 million invested this summer?

[mikee]

Yes that halfpipe was a joke , ive rode a way better one in Manitoba.

[billy_soup]

Where are they gonna have the dummy downhill now?? haha. great times

The pipe sucked, it had a bend in it. Not that i really cared about the pipe, I try to stay away from the lower mountain.

[bagpuss]

I’m a bit disappointed – I never dared try the halfpipe in Whistler because it was so damn busy with people who could ride it. Was looking forward to a reasonably quiet one to have a go. But hey, I’d rather ride the pow than a pipe.

[zack]

Its true that the pipe last year was horrible.

But if Fernie is trying to be a big-scale resort, where’s the super-pipe? And where are they getting the info that people won’t use it? Lots of people used it every day last year, even when it was in the worst of condition (most of the time).

Its crazy that they would do that… they should just make a better pipe instead of leveling it. Lots of people would use it.

[username]

You got to understand that all those people hanging out in the pipe are not spending any money at the ski hill. They want people skiing there that are buying lunch, new gloves and hat, dinner, etc. etc. etc. I bet that you and all your friends didn’t put more that $100 dollars (excluding your passes) into the ski hill last year. So for the cost of maintaining a good “Super Pipe” is way way more than the revenue the “Super Pipe” would generate. My suggestion to you would be to start skiiing.

[griz-boy]

Of course a pipe isn’t going to make money but its a feature that a mountain resort has as a desiding factor for tourists to come to Fernie. Not everybody is a powder skier and some perfer grooms. If we did have a Super pipe maybe we could get a FIS event in Fernie, create exposure, in turn new revenue and more tourism. Park rats need parents and the parents need a place to stay and eat and retreat $$$. While they order room service and rack up the rents Visa.

Look at Whistler, it has something for every flavour of tourist. You don’t have to be satified with what FAR decides to doze the pipe or feel like they are doing us a favour in opening later then last year or charging full price for 3/10 lifts.

Hey no snow is making me crabby!

[uofregina]

"Griz-Boy":289w0yt7 wrote:

Look at Whistler, it has something for every flavour of tourist. [/quote:289w0yt7]

And thats why it is Whistler Fernie is uncomparable, YET

[username]

Exactly!!!

[griz-boy]

Of course its comparable, as simple as this:

“Am I taking my family on a 7 day holiday to Whistler or Fernie?”

It can be compared on all levels, service, price, snow conditions, line-ups, parks and pipes etc. There you go comparison. Just because Whislter is the big dog doesn’t mean its judged on a level of its own.

[elsie]

Re: You got to understand that all those people hanging out in the pipe are not spending any money at the ski hill. They want people skiing there that are buying lunch, new gloves and hat, dinner, etc. etc. etc. I bet that you and all your friends didn’t put more that $100 dollars (excluding your passes) into the ski hill last year[

First of all, we’re all spending money at the ski hill if we’re going there.
Second, the purchase of a pass is nothing to sneeze at…we’re talking $1000 and that’s a big ticket purchase by any standards for the average person.
Thirdly, Fernie is quickly losing ground to all the other resorts in this region (BC Rockies/Purcells/Banff) in addition to Whistler, the Colorado group and everyone else in the world, and it’s primarily since they haven’t had a significant increase in services, expansion in terrain, or additional real estate development in a while. This is a bit off topic re the pipe, but the fact is, any subtraction in service is a bad thing. It’s one thing to remove the pipe and make the park twice as good as last year, it’s another to randomly reduce service and not increase it elsewhere.
Sorry, the “Kokanee Deck” just doesn’t cut it.

[username]

Well then your not going to like to hear this but.. every year they keep breaking records on skiier visits, day pass sales, bar and resturaunt revenue. Not to mention the the cost of running the ski hill is dropping very rapidly due to new management positions. If you think the ski hill is losing ground to other ski hills in B.C. your wrong. The ski hill increases its competative edge over other hills in B.C. every year. Also, there is more guest services at the ski hill now than there ever has bin in the history of the resort. “Service Without Boundries” is the title of the project.

[griz-boy]

I think elsie was talking about expansion and not skier visits. Resorts are opening up new or newer lifts and opening up new terrian at a faster rate then FAR can develop a Kokanee deck, restucture management, and doze a pipe.

But I sure hope FAR increase visits each year and I hope they don’t forcast a drop in visits if they do they are not in the right business.

With projected resorts in Revelstoke and this Jumbo and all the expansion in Whistler and Golden the goverment is pushing, there really is no edge. Damn even COP got a new lift this year I am sure they are breaking records in lift sales too.

[username]

I know how you feel but in the last 5 years…. we got White Pass…Timber Chair…..wich doubled the skiable terrian…. The Bear Chair….. New terrain park…… I’m sure it will slow down for a couple years in Fernie but other RCR groups get it instead…. Lake Louise ( new gondola)……Kimberly (highspeed)….. I predict a Highspeed Chair in Cedar Bowl with in 3 years…. And also predict the Elk Chair turned into a highspeed in the same time period. Those arn’t bad expansions are they?

[zack]

"username":2os4daru wrote:

… So if you wondering why your season pass went up. And day passes went up. It was to pay for the hoe to tear down the half pipe. I would be mad if I were you!! “[/quote:2os4daru]

What happened to that? Now we’re out promoting Service with no Boundaries and predicting high speed Elk chairs that have been talked about for eons?

Lots of different types of customers enjoyed the pipe last year. And they all spent money at the resort. And it is still something that people (not everyone, obviously) are still interested in, skiier and snowboarder alike.

I just think its a move in the wrong direction and I guess in the end I just don’t understand RCR’s reasoning. Instead of trying to improve things, they eliminate them. Closing other resorts, knocking down half pipes, promising new day lodges for 5 years and never delivering (although the fresh coat of orange paint is lovely)…

If one day down the road FAR stops pulling its weight, RCR may doze it too.

[username]

Well for me, personally, if I don’t like a service or agree with how they’re running it, I stop going there. I think no matter what RCR does, you won’t be happy. You have this pre-disposition to be angry with the resort. It’s the old “glass is half emty or the glass is half full” idea. I hear “Half the mountains closed” but I would be saying. ” At least half the mountains open” And it’s kind of funny that the part of the mountain that was closed that first week was horrible. Almost unskiable. What did you want? To go ski the Deer? Or Mighty Moose? THERE WAS NO SNOW. I admit that charging full price wasn’t the best but people have a choice. Buy a ticket or don’t. And if you have a season pass be glad that we’re even skiing. They have to be open by Dec.20. Opening before that date is more just advertising. “HEY WE”RE OPEN” And anyways it’s going to rain for 7 days and 7 nights, the entire mountain will be shut down and you will be eating your seasons pass.

[zack]

I guess the thing about the service at RCR is that it almost doesn’t matter. I think that mountain is so fantastic that I will ski it anyway, and I think a lot of people around here are the same. I think RCR does some terrible things but you’ll never catch me badmouth the mountain itself. Maybe the problem is that RCR knows it… people will come anyway, so they may as well just do whatever they want.

[slacklocal]

ha, just stumbled across this old thread.

Funny how when the tore the half pipe down they said it was to focus on the terrain park. Now today they have tore down the terrain park. To focus on what? their bottom line?

[murryedwards]

Hey punk, It’s all about money. Don’t kid yourself. The equity accumulation race is where life is at. You lowlife bottom-feeding snowboarders are mere fruit flies. Don’t interrupt my focus on the pursuit of perfection. MEddy.

[Author]

Posts