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Jon had this to say about my "Jumps and Jump Building" article:

With much respect for the Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol, there are two points (plus some) that seriously suggest that properly trained skiers should be able to build in-bound jumps:  1.) Most states have passed multiple bills that clearly state that nobody can "sign away her or his rights"...meaning that corporations cannot be held accountable for negligent actions by consumers.   2,) By forcing jumps into the less-safe backcountry regions the risk for danger and unwanted rescue by patrollers seems to be increased beyond practicality.

Thanks, Jon.  I'm glad to be able to have a discussion of this that's NOT in-the-heat-of-the-moment when tempers run high, as is often the case when I'm at work and have to ask kids to take down jumps they've built.  It seems that humans just LOVE building jumps.  Ski and snowboard jumps, skateboard jumps, bike jumps, you name it!  Maybe it's because we wish we could fly.  The other day I was watching a TV story about Native American Fancy Dancing from different parts of the country, and MAN there were a lot of feathers on some of the clothing.  No antlers, no hooves, no moulted snake skins or shedded hair.  But lots and lots of feathers.  It made me wonder about our special affinity for birds.  Maybe we subconsciously remember a time when we were angels or something.  Kind of makes ya' think, huh?

Anyway, back to your comment...I don't disagree with your point #2.  Like I said in my article, I would never "recommend" backcountry jump building because of the things (injuries!) that can go wrong.  But Crystal Mountain doesn't have rules controlling what you do when you're elsewhere.  And no one's forcing anyone to jump anywhere!  You're welcome to keep your feet on the ground, and there are all sorts of natural terrain features that you can jump off at Crystal as long as you do it in a safe manner.  We just don't allow you to alter our ski area because a) we like it the way it is and b) we have no way of knowing if you know what you're doing!

I hear your point #1 all the time, but attorneys I talk to seem to have a different opinion.  I want to keep an open mind, though.  If you can find me some Washington law indicating that "corporations cannot be held accountable for negligent actions by consumers" in situations like ski area jump building, I'll be all over that!    But remember...we don't prohibit jump-building because we want to avoid accountability; we prohibit jump-building because we don't want to see our guests getting hurt!

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Andy wrote in with this comment:

Part of the mini-golf freeride trend involves building jumps in the backcountry. If Crystal is unwilling to cater to the younger generation by building a park, can we at least be able to build jumps in the BC? If Crystal is actually aiming to be a "serious riders'" mountain, management should acknowledge that a huge part of serious freeriding means means hitting BC booters.  It's not a playground if you can’t play on the swings.

This gives me a great opportunity to address something commonly confusing: 

Yes, you can build jumps in the BC.  But inside Crystal's boundaries, the areas known as “Northway” (formerly “North Country” and “North Backcountry”) and “South Backcountry” (aka “South Country” and "Southback”) are formal names--they are not true backcountry, as Kim detailed in her January 7, 2009 post on this blog.  They are parts of the managed ski area that are managed a bit differently than the rest.  Southback might better be called “side country”. It’s within the ski area boundary and receives regular avalanche control by the ski patrol, but receives less avalanche-mitigating skier/boarder compaction so should usually be considered avalanche prone.  The place names are for reference only and none of the terrain should be considered “designated trails”.  It's only for expert skiers & boarders who are looking for the fun of a little higher degree of risk and adventure.

Outside Crystal's boundaries, the only “rules” (see exception footnotes 1 & 2, below) that prevent you from building jumps are the rules of common sense: Don’t build unwise jumps with unwise landings in unwise places and do unwise maneuvers off of them. The Ski Patrol doesn't PROMOTE amateur jump-building in the backcountry because we don’t like the odds of kids getting hurt due to the inherent un-wise-ness of youth which lacks life experience by definition.  (And like the signs and web pages say, “…you will be billed for rescue,” yada, yada, yada.)

"But why can't I just build jumps everywhere?"

Two reasons:

1. People get hurt when they accidently ski/board into, or off of, jumps they don't see.  Maybe they're lost in thick fog, scared and disoriented.  We don't want our guests to get hurt.
2. People get hurt when they can't manuever or land properly off of jumps which are improperly shaped or constructed.  Maybe they "found" a jump and went off thinking it's safe, not knowing it's shape has been changed by the effects of sun and wind and rain.  We don't want our guests to get hurt.

The point is, the two things (typical ski area traffic and jumps built willy-nilly) don't go together well.  People get hurt.  That's why ski areas don't allow jump building within their boundaries, except by professionals who build them to established specifications.

Outside ski area boundaries?  Just make sure you tell someone reliable where you're going and arrange for survival if you or one of your buddies gets hurt!

Footnote 1.  OK, I lied...there are some other rules.  But they're not Crystal Mountain's rules.  In 1986 the portion of the Park adjacent to Crystal Mountain was designated a “Pristine Wilderness Management Zone” which carries with it certain criteria regarding how the area must be managed. These criteria include providing opportunities for solitude, infrequent encounters with other visitors, few campsites, no designated or marked trails, or other evidence of human activity. Park Law Enforcement Rangers patrol this area and don't want Crystal Mountain’s commercial operation slopping over into the Park's wilderness.  Hootin’ & hollerin’, playing music, littering, and damaging tree branches are all “bad neighbor” behaviors that violate Park rules and can earn you a gen-u-ine U.S. Government citation and fine.

Footnote 2.  This part applies only to Crystal Mountain, Washington.  Different Ski Areas’ obligation to their respective governmental land management agencies (if not on private land) vary by location. Some areas are required to have “closed” boundaries. Other areas, including Crystal, are prevented from having “closed” boundaries except in rare circumstances such as our Permanently Closed Area at the Kemper’s avalanche path in Mount Rainier National Park.  (Building jumps in Kempers will get you in a heap o' trouble, if you're still alive afterward!) 

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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!

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