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Park Etiquette

124K views 150 replies 76 participants last post by  ridethecliche 
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#1 ·
I looked to see if I could find a thread dedicated to this but could not find one so I wanted to ask. As a newcomer to snowboarding and as one who ultimately hopes to spend a lot of time in the park, what are some things I should know so as not to piss people off or worse yet, hurt someone or myself? What is considered basic park etiquette?
 
#5 ·
Skiiers hitting skiiers. I could sit back and watch clips of that all day.
 
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#4 ·
nother thing to mention is to give a quick "DROPPING" shout before you drop into anything, be it a jump, rail, box, pipe, or hip whenever its crowded, it clears the way and if you see some douchebag keep coming you just keep shouting at him DROPPING DROPPING DROPPING and if he doesn't get out of the way then you have permission, this is kind of an unwritten rule, to shout at the guy and yell at him.
i've had this happen to me a couple times where i had to start farrrr back to clear a little roller that i was working on but these stupid skiers would get in my way everytime and just go ahead of me since i was so far back. i shouted dropping and most of the skiers got out of the way...but this one ignorant little bastard decided that it was his turn and that nothing was going to change that. so im going and im shouting at him and he "doesn't hear me" and ends up landing and sitting on the knuckle...moral of the story don't be a douche and be aware of your surroundings in the park!
 
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#6 ·
This is EXACTLY the stuff I was looking for. I just want to make sure that I am not the person that everyone is bitching about and pissing off others or looking like an idiot newbie. I generally don't hear people calling out stuff in the park I ride around and I know folks have mentioned that before so I wasn't exactly sure what we are supposed to call out or be doing. I also don't see many waiting till the person has cleared and is totally out of the way before going, so I just don't want to pick up bad habits by observing others. I also do ride around the park features and I really try not to get in the way of anyone and if I try and just go over a hill, I make sure no one is anywhere near as I occasionally do get stuck cause I'm not going fast enough. This is just great info, thank you guys!


Basic rules of road in the park:

Communication is the key to happy park riding..talk to people and find out what their intent is!

Wait your turn...allow the people ahead to drop first unless they are just chilling..ask if they are going to drop.

Call your drop...as you take off, let people know you are dropping.

Before going, allow the rider who dropped ahead of you to clear the first feature for sure and maybe the second if it`s not a busy day.

Be alert and have an escape route planned if someone snakes you.


If you fall, get out of the way ASAP and do not start again blind...move to a spot where you can see and can be seen before continuing through the park.

If someone is injured, assist and block the feature by laying your board across it so it is clearly visible from above.

Scope out the park with a gentle run through before you really hit features.

Progress safely and logically, start small and work your way up.

When new, if you and a group of riders who are obviously better than you are ready to drop...give them right of way, let them know you are new and not going to be going real fast.

Make sure you can clear a feature...no one cares how big or small you go off a feature, but it pisses people off when you can`t even roll over it so make sure to carry enough speed to at least ride up and over the feaure.

Never speed check on or carve across takeoff ramps on jumps...it reallt messes them up and makes them hard for other riders to hit.


Never stop where you can`t be seen and never block a feature. If you want to watch a friend or wait for someone stop on the top of a roller or table way to the right or left completly out of the way and only then if there is room to safely do this and people can see from far above.

In the pipe, all the above applies and some additional things to consider:

Allow the rider ahead to make 2 runs up the wall before dropping.

Never, ever drop into the pipe in the middle...always drop in at the upper entrance!

If you fall in the flats and riders are approaching, stay still...do not move untill they pass. It is much easier and safer to avoid a stationary object than a moving one. Also, as soon as its clear, get up and get going asap.


Its common sense and being courteous will go a long way to a good day in the park..also, ride defensively and keep an eye on fellow riders, realize that not everyone will follow good park ettiquette, so watch your back.
 
#7 ·
Have enough control that you don't hold yard sales at the bottom of jumps. Don't bleed on tables and boxes. Don't leave dislocated teeth laying next to a rail. If you get hurt, crawl off into the trees to clear the way for others. :cheeky4:

Actually, about half of the ski patrol stops I see are in terrain parks. I don't know what the injury stats are for park vs. total mountain, but it seems pretty high for an area that represents 1% of the terrain. Be careful.
 
#9 ·
Never stop where you...block ANYTHING. If you want to watch a friend or wait for someone stop on the top of a roller or table way to the right or left completly out of the way and only then if there is room to safely do this and people can see from far above.
NOTHING pisses me off more than this. If you want to have fucking pow-wow with your "crew" go sit on the sofa in your house. Don't do it anywhere there is snow that people are going to want / need to ride to get from point A to point B. If you do want to pow-wow, get your ass as FAR to the side of the park / trail as you possibly can.
 
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#11 · (Edited)
Also, if your mountain has a training session like Stratton and such, ACTUALLY pay attention to that movie. it has alot of really good things to keep in mind while riding. I always keep "Easy Styling" in my mind :D

oh oh, and do not tail gate people. I think there is an entire thread on that exact problem right now. If you follow too closely to people, it can really throw them off.
 
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#12 ·
What should you do if you fall and you really can't get out of the way? Like if you're seriously injured, can't move, or really need a couple of seconds to catch your breath or let the endorphins kick in and cover up the pain?
 
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#13 ·
It's always a tough decision. If it really hurts that bad im suspecting youd probably be screaming pretty loud, so hopefully people will hear you ;)

if it is not horrible crawl away, and to the left preferably.
 
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#14 ·
on my last trip one thing really bugged me, the people that would just ride into the park and go, completely bypassing tne group waiting their turns to go. we spent a few days just hiking the park. hit our 4 rails, unstrap, hike back up, do it all over again and always get in the back of the line, which was usually only 4 people long anyways, but every two or three hours, this group of 2-3 cats would bomb into the park, not even slow down at the first waiting area, and hit the rail line we were doing, worst part was they weren't even any better than we were, but you could tell they 'thought' they were by the way the entered the park.
 
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#15 ·
If on skis, make an X with them on the top. Never just ride by someone in this situation; as riders and skiers, we all should look out for one another just a little bit. Not only could you be saving someone`s life, but it might be your ass on the line someday and a little good Karma might come in handy!
QFT! i had a bad fall, broke some bones, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't unstrap or stand up, I was just stuck in the middle of a run. several people rode past without even looking my way. finally someone helped me unstrap and I was able to stand up barely and flag down a patrol on ski mobile. Now I always pay extra attention to others that have fallen, and have helped out a few.
 
#51 ·
Yea i had the same problem at chesnut in the midwest... I broke my ankle and couldnt stand up and people just kept riding by like nothing was wrong, i finally used my board as a sled and got within 20 ft of the lift, and STILL no help. I finally made it to the lift with people just staring at me... thankfully one of the dumb lift op's called a snow mobile to take me up. What ever happened to the friendly midwest people?? When I was learning at mammoth, id get swarms of people asking if I was OK when I fell... I too always ask people if their good that fall and don't get out of the way right away.
 
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#16 ·
I actually find hiking to be somewhat rude in some cases. Often when it comes to groups of 5 or so hiking they end up making it a steady stream even if you try to call a hit, so you usually have to snake to get your hit. Biggest problem among this however is hitting an obstacle with extra speed to do something extra special on it (gapping parts for example) when the hikers simply go the shortest distance possible. The specific instance I recall from this season would be the double rollercoaster box which I was trying to gap from one hump's top to the down of the next and there was about six kids just hiking it trying that lame ass thing where someone unstrapped spins them once they're on the box and none of them were landing anything. I figured it would be no biggie I was going to be there all day and they'd only keep it up for a few runs, well I was wrong, they were there until 4 hours or so before close. To end on a happy note however, in those four hours I got the gap.
 
#18 ·
Thanks for all the info.

I had no idea there was etiquette in the park, since I just started to ride it. The two major places here in SoCal are Bear Mountain and Mt. High, where the whole place is a park, and nobody hikes.

The one time I saw a small park section was in Alpine Meadows in Tahoe. I had no idea people hiked up to ride the 50-yard park they had. So the last run I did that day, I was just bombing down the mountain and rode right into the park. I managed to hit one box, then ate shit on a jump.

That was my bad, I didn't know there was a calling system and such. Do you fall in line?
 
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#22 ·
Thanks for all the info.

the last run I did that day, I was just bombing down the mountain and rode right into the park. I managed to hit one box, then ate shit on a jump.

That was my bad, I didn't know there was a calling system and such. Do you fall in line?

oh yeh theres a calling system u gotta watch out for that! if you keep doing it in the same park ull be noticed and gunned for! wait ur turn :p ull realise more when u get into it n someone else cuts u up ull wanna kill em lol
 
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#23 ·
If anyone has been riding in Quebec, you know how anoying the french skiiers in the park are. I usualy don't mind them but alot of them think there amazing at life and cut in line at the lift, cut in line at the park and just basicaly not make it fun. I was doing a boardslide on a box and some skiier just jumps on the box like I'm not there. Who does that. All I can say is if someones hiting something, wait you're turn.
 
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#24 ·
Couple things to add that will really help.

DO NOT go through the park unless you're gonna actually hit the jumps. You're just taking up space if you're just ridin' through.

While you're at the top, pick your line and stick to it. What I mean by line is the series of jumps and hits you'll be going off of consecutively. Most parks have a nice flow built into them with different lines. Try to stick with the parks actually lines and don't cross over from one to the other. For instance, you hit the jump on the right, then right away cut all the way over to the left for another hit. Somebody might be on the left and you cutting in front of the landing could ruin the day.

If you HAVE to hike, get out of the way and don't tromp around in the landing and run in areas.

Do NOT side slip up the jump or ANYWHERE in the run in. Decide what hit you're going for, commit and go for it. Otherwise, you're gonna mess up all the hard work the park crew puts in to those jumps and you're gonna piss off those that are hitting the stuff. This will also help you land jumps better. Second guessing your self makes you fall. Confidence makes you land.

Always look around, left, right, and behind you. You never know when somebody's comin' in hot.

And if there's a beginner park at your resort, stick to that until you're comfortable.

Last but not least... learn to ride a snowboard before you hit the park. Not just on easy groomers. Actually ride. It will help you temendously.
 
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#28 ·
DO NOT go through the park unless you're gonna actually hit the jumps. You're just taking up space if you're just ridin' through.
Now normally I'd agree with this, but wouldn't you agree that the first time at any unfamiliar park you should run through it first so you don't run into any nasty surprises?

Last but not least... learn to ride a snowboard before you hit the park. Not just on easy groomers. Actually ride. It will help you temendously.
Soooo true. I spent 90% of my first season pushing myself on the mountain before I even dared to hit the park. I can't tell you how many people I see almost kill themselves because after 2 hours on a board they think they're Shaun White. :laugh:
 
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#25 ·
Amen to that brother... I cannot tell you how much it pisses me off when people cut me off then fall in front of a jump.... You do that you are ASKING to get your @$$ chewed out. And if you want to get chewed out... its easier just to ask me to do it then to cut me off ;-). Last season I broke my arm on opening day because some asshole skier cut me off in front of a trash can. Needless to say I finished the day.
Chris
 
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#27 ·
i was cruising to the chair lift and some german fat aswhole of a skier moaws me down.
the guy was shouting at me that it was my fault.
i don't understand why some guys want to chase like 40mp/h when you have like 20 yards left to the skilift
 
#29 ·
I've found that, as in life, in the park you have to give respect to earn it. Everybody is there to have fun and progress. If you have been to any skate parks, treat it like that but on a downward slope; i.e. give a shout-out when someone lands something you notice they have been trying a couple times, be aware of other peoples' intents as far as their lines, and if you do screw somebody up, have the cajones to admit to it and apologize.
 
#30 ·
I only noticed it once when Snowwolf mentioned it, but I'd like to restate it: ALWAYS stop and ask someone if they need help if they wipe out. It may interfere with your run, but they could have seriously hurt themselves and don't know it yet. I cracked my head once in a bad fall and didn't realize I was hurt bad until I tried to keep going. I had blurred vision and I lost my balance completely. I had to crawl off the slope and behind some snow fencing and no one stopped and even ASKED if I was ok. I laid there on my back for 20 minutes and still no one stopped.

Even if it means stopping your awesome run, please, if you see someone take a nasty spill, just ride by and ask, "You ok?" Even if they say they are ok, make sure they can stand up and help them get their gear if they pitched a yard sale.

It may not be a rule, but it is common decency and if you can't show another person some common decency don't expect any in return. I'm sure most, if not all, of the people on this board would help because I haven't met anyone on here that seems like a total wanker, so I'm probably preaching to the choir. Still, if you're just browsing the board, this is one of the most important threads to read in my opinion. Snowboarding without knowing etiquette is like driving without knowing what all the signs mean.
 
#31 ·
DONT go in the park unless you can comfortably ride harder blues and some blacks. I see kids in the park all the time that cant even get down a black and they are trying to do shit in the park. This is probably the thing that pisses me off most, you have to learn to ride before you can do tricks.
 
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