The halfpipe looks like fun and doesn’t require a mountain, just snow. I’ve spent very little time in ski areas and almost none of it during ski season.
Is this one of the sports rarely seen outside of the Olympics or is there a decent number of recreational skiers who enjoy skiing the halfpipe?
They have it at Steamboat Springs. My skateboarding son did it the first day he ever put skis on his feet. I can’t believe anyone can do it!
Quite a few resorts have a half pipe, or at least a 1/4 pipe, but fewer than it used to be. Parks seem to be what people want more than pipes, but pipes are still out there.
Nearly all ski areas have terrain parks with many features. A full half pipe or a superpipe are rarer because they just aren’t used by most recreational skiers/riders. They’re wicked difficult to ski safely and typically need a modicum of traffic control.
Also, a pipe requires a lot of snowmaking, a specialized pipe dragon goomer, and lots of time/effort. And regular maintenance to keep it in working order. Plus you need a sizeable hill and typically some type of lift.
When there is enough snow, Heavenly makes a big-ass one on what used to be … shit… anyway, its off Canyon chair.
Alpine Meadows has a natural one down Scott’s Chute. We used to fly outta that thing back in the day. Haven’t been there in years…