Blog Crystal Ski Patrol Crystal Mountain Washington

Like Van Halen says: Go ahead & JUMP!

By Corey on Posted in Jumps & Jump Building

Over the weekend somebody wrote in asking if we allow jumping yet.  First, let me apologize for the confusion over the years–though I’m pretty sure none of it was my fault.

Apparently, back in the 1980′s, jumping on designated runs was prohibited for a while.  I think it had something to do with insurance or something.  In any case, cooler heads prevailed and the big cheeses realized that gravity research is part of what makes skiing & boarding such kick-ass fun.  We still ask that you not do nutty stuff that sets a bad example for others, that you not scare the bejesus out of other guests passing by, and that you obey Washington’s law that says you’re not to smack in to objects or other people.

Like most american resorts, we don’t allow inverted aerials (tricks where your feet go above your head) except at some events that make special arrangements for catastrophic injuries.  And we don’t allow kicker-building except by pro’s who do it for those events. 

Why, you ask?  (c’mon, somebody ask!)

Those choosing to come to Crystal mutually exchange access to our services & facilities for agreement to be responsible for their own safety in terms of the inherent risks of skiing & boarding.  But the average doof builds a badly-shaped jump in a badly-placed location  that’s just not natural, Man!    If they don’t hurt themselves they may hurt the next skier/boarder passing by who whacks into what they can’t see in the fog or under some new snow–and we can’t allow that!

So don’t bother going to all the trouble!  Crystal’s acreage has plenty of natural terrain that lends itself to all sort of hucks and jibs and tricks.  Just keep a partner in sight and remember that natural features aren’t engineered like parks are.  Look before you leap to I.D. the "zones" and have a plan for your Approach, Take-off, Manuever, and Landing.

Happy Hucking!   -Seacrest Out!

  • steve

    Love the ski blog, corey! getting local beta is an extremely valuable tool for all of us, let it snow!

  • Peter

    Just whatever you do don’t build a terrain park to avoid people from making unofficial jumps. You’re probably one of the largest areas around that doesn’t have one and that’s fine with me. Also fine with me that the in ground half pipe that was put in only a few years ago was bulldozed this summer. Was this to avoid liability associated with man-made features? Seemed like a strange move, but I’m all for the natural terrain that Crystal has to offer.

  • James

    Peter, I bet it was more due to the purchase of Snoqualmie by Boyne. Meaning, there is a Boyne terrain park less than 90 minutes away…

  • Mingus

    I patrolled at Crystal one season at the end of the 80′s. There was this guy named John Barker on the patrol — a total river kook from Idaho — and he used to take me out to spot for him while he hucked all sorts of cliffs. The biggest jump I witnessed was a 40+ footer in the “Rock Face” area. He slammed the landing, his hat flew off, and in one impossible motion he grabbed his hat out of mid-air and kept up mach speed outta there with 20 paying customers watching. It was magnificent. He also did a straight 11 down “Brain Damage”. He was something else — must of been all that raw venison he ate.

  • sarah

    I didn’t realize you don’t have a terrain park…that’s awesome! Mtn jibbing and knowing how to use natural features is where it’s at. Looking forward to being out there at the end of Feb!! Until then- peace, blessings and lots of pow

  • Kyle C

    I’ll agree with Sarah that it’s way cooler to see people throw tricks in natural lines, but urging Crystal not to build a park is absurd. Whether you would ride it or not, resorts should encourage the progession of the sport, which is super dependent on terrain parks. Learning tricks in the controlled environment of a park is much safer then hucking your first D-Spin or Rodeo 5 off a 20 foot cliff. Whistler, Mammoth, and Squaw all do a great job of encouraging this…and I think that is good for the sport.

  • Xsnoq

    Last I knew Barker was at Alpental

  • John

    I am the General Manager at Crystal Mountain and I also oversee the daily operations of four ski areas across the West. Alas the true reason for the recently removed half pipe was due to
    the fact that it sat on the mountain in a spot that we don’t get enough snow early on to keep it open consistently.
    Ihave a philosophy that people come to
    the mountains to get away from the city. Bringing it and its manufactured skate board parks to a place like Crystal just isn’t necessary. However, when we built one of the country’s first terrain parks in 1989 at Brighton, UT, we realized that in the future smaller mountains would need a helping human hand given the coming trend for urban hardware.
    Crystal has one of the most modern lift systems in America. How one negotiates all that fantastic
    terrain is up to them.
    John Kircher

  • 6/9 foreman

    I remember the ban on jumping well, as I was in my low teens and my friends and I were into hucking anything on the hill. The rollers on Queen’s, the road cuts on Lucky Shot and Chicken shot, anything we could jump off. We all got our passes pulled for launching over the slow barrier at the top of Little Portillo one year. I’m glad the ban’s off, but I’d have to agree with Corey that one should still use a modicum of common sense in this area.

  • Wolfy

    John,
    Good move on filling in the half pipe! That should also add some much needed, addition blue run area under chair four. As you know, the hills pack up with skiers after new years. Natural slope is much better use of that area. It’s a great hill for intermediates. I learned to ski on that hill, back in the sixties. There are plenty of natural jumps on the mountain without the half pipe, if someone wants to risk injury to them selves. They just need to remember to have someone spot their jump so no one else gets injured with them.
    We’ve all gotten spoiled with the newer, high speed lifts. Chair four was great years ago. We didn’t know what high speed was. Now I find it hard not to fall asleep while riding it to the top. I don’t think the hill would support a much faster lift, but I can always dream about it as I sleep on the way up……..
    Think Snow !

  • Kyle C

    Great pow day today! Chair 6 was totally going off:). Even got some nice turns in Pea Soup off of the top of the king.
    But to shift gears, I will help John with a little free market research.
    “Dude, it sucks that Crystal doesn’t have a park. We should have gone to Steven’s. Yeah,we’ll go to Steven’s tomorrow.”
    - 3 12 year olds on Forest Queen Chair.
    Be careful, your customers are not you. Be careful not to become Sun Valley (A mountain that markets only to movie stars and people over 50…not a lot of market potential).

  • brian

    crystal needs a terrain park or thyey need to let people build kickers on the ski runs. it’s your choice. all the mountains in washington have terrain arks. baker even has one so why doesnt crystal?

  • brian

    crystal needs to keep up with the times by either making a park or allowing skiers or snowboarders to build kickers. It’s bullshit that you cant build jumps. Its a persons choice to huck themselves off them. white pass even has a park.

  • Nick

    Frontside of queens would be a very nice place for a park! Right along side k2 face! Don’t get me wrong I love the natural hits as well… Actually I like them a lot more! However hitting the park is where I started along with a lot of other people I know. It is a controlled environment where people can decide if that sort of thing is for them or not. I like the idea of crystal having a park on the frontside of queens! I would ride it and I would have no need to ride anywhere else. Curious as to what others including upper level management thinks… Thanks for reading my post. Long time rider of crystal mt.

  • Brian N

    No terrain parks at crystal, Snoqualmie owned by the same company has it dialed in. You want big man made jumps go to snoqualmie. Crystal focus on what your doing making backcountry and sidecountry just a short hike from your lifts. Keep us safe from avi’s and let us explore our own way. Seriously Snoqualmie is cheaper so if you want jumps go there. Also Alpental has some amazing back country also. Crystal MT. Rocks now we just need 400 to 500 inches a year rather than 300 or 280…. any one else agree