I can think of a group of 6 people from Greenville who would drive up to Laurel every weekend if it opened.
If you could build a Bike park at a Ski Resort in the South?
- Thread starter FCLinder
- Start date
Hopefully Wolf will really go "all-out" on their bike park... but after talking to one guy there.. Josh... a ski patroller and avid freerider that will be one of the first to have a year round job there, i was left a little worried.. for instance, they do not plan on utilizing the main bottom to top quad the first season so the max gradient will not be used.. Also, they have hired a guy named Ryan Taylor to head up the show.. I've heard that he is a good rider and nationaly ranked
DHer.. so that is good news.. hopefully he's been to Whistler and Snowshoe... and I really hope that they can find a place for some shore type stunts.. Maybe i can get job there? I'll be back from Moab in three weeks! can't wait! Bo
DHer.. so that is good news.. hopefully he's been to Whistler and Snowshoe... and I really hope that they can find a place for some shore type stunts.. Maybe i can get job there? I'll be back from Moab in three weeks! can't wait! Bo
I think you should definately try to get a job there.........would be awesome to have your building influence on that mountain!!
Give me a call with some Moab updates you lucky behatch!!!
Ryan said he's not been officially hired yet. And I just got a call last night canceling their meeting with me for today?
That doesn't sound to good.
They said to just come snowboarding this week and swing in and talk to them as time permits.
Would love to, but I am going to the ATL Super Cross race. Maybe the next weekend. I haven't even got on the Board this year. I am dieing to go ride it though.
Not slamming here but it wasn't an invite. Just me is all they want to talk to for now.
Butch
well then, could you put in a word for a broke carpenter that would love to get paid to do what they love.... ride my bike! and build ****!
Well state that next time then.... I am cool with that.Not slamming here but it wasn't an invite. Just me is all they want to talk to for now.
Butch
Oh..don;t think I won't be making a list of personnel hopefuls if they say they're going ahead. I'd post the HR information on every site I know.. ha hah!
So you landed the "liason" job? You sure are a popular fella...........
Hopefully you can negotiate some sweet trails for the DH community!
Seriously ...........get Bo in there! That would be a PERFECT job for him! And we would all be rewarded with "the goods!"
I second that!!!!
^^^
Wtf?
Wtf?
Ok, they really need to think of a way to get rid of the Spammers.
I hope that guy goes to prison for spamming, and his cell mate Big Bubba has a pocketful of Viagra and a broomstick.
I really don't know why this thread is such a spam magnet. We've deleted 10 spam posts from it.
No I didn't say I was any sort of liason. I said "if"
Oops.........my bad. I thought you were the "liason" after reading this:
Not slamming here but it wasn't an invite. Just me is all they want to talk to for now.
Butch
Anyways, hopefully something will work out there. Would be sweet to have lift access only 1.5 hours from the house!!!
Just didn't want people to think that my appointment, which I found out had to be cancelled due to everyone working massive amounts of overtime during that brief cold spurtin the 20's (now 60+), was an open invitation for all others to show up at Wolf with me.
I have alway thought Wolfs quad was just as slow as Sugars. Sugar has almost twice the vert that Wolf has so you will ride longer. I would love to see some trails and such at Wolf because it is closer, however, I hope they manage it better than their snow. They have some of the best skiing terrain in NC but do a crappy management job of it. and their double lift is painfully slow.
there are two big differences with Wolf's lift.
1. You stand there and hold your bike and it politely sweeps you off your feet, bike in hand...no hanging it on the next one...so the line drains instantly..no wait. You hop off and trot to the side with your bike
2. It's on electric and they DO run it faster. Sugar runs the double on a diesel in the summer at a snails pace regardless of who's on it for sightseeing. If it's got no spectator folk on it..they won't speed it up.
Wolf will pin that sucker to get you to the top.
Easily 20 runs in a 3 hour practice session. That's 700 ft vertical x 20 14,000 of vertical in 3 hours.
Sugar you can get in 9-10 runs from 10am-5pm...1000ft vertical x 10 runs is 10,000 of vertical in 7 hours?
1. You stand there and hold your bike and it politely sweeps you off your feet, bike in hand...no hanging it on the next one...so the line drains instantly..no wait. You hop off and trot to the side with your bike
2. It's on electric and they DO run it faster. Sugar runs the double on a diesel in the summer at a snails pace regardless of who's on it for sightseeing. If it's got no spectator folk on it..they won't speed it up.
Wolf will pin that sucker to get you to the top.
Easily 20 runs in a 3 hour practice session. That's 700 ft vertical x 20 14,000 of vertical in 3 hours.
Sugar you can get in 9-10 runs from 10am-5pm...1000ft vertical x 10 runs is 10,000 of vertical in 7 hours?
If they can speed it up Wolf would be great. I have never ridden there, only skiied. They do have better terrain than Sugar and the new lodge is nice. I would also like to see biking at Cataloochee. However either Cat or Wolf is 1.5 hours closer to me than Banner Elk.
Except that wolf has no intentions of using the lift that Butch is talking about!
dang Bo...clue me in. I'm going up there this week...don't want to be blindsided.
I have been informed that Wolf only wants to run their new quad for biking this year. This is a nice new lift over by the "new lodge" It will only service about three quarters of the available gradient. Hopefully someone can help them understand that they really need to get riders to the top of the hill. One trail on the new side only?... could be lame. I hope they have more sense than that!
just one of the many obstacles to overcome when you're dealing with non-bikers.
i hope they can be pursuaded not to hamstring themselves before the even get started.
How much pushing after getting off that lift,to make it to the top?
To do it right, they should have both sides open. I do understand this means they will need more people to work the lifts and the cost of operations will be more, but it needs to be done. They need to have the old side for just DH runs and build all the Free Ride stuff on the new side. You know, set it up like Snow Shoe. There is already 3 fun DH runs cut in on the old side. They could have that side up in running in two weekends if they get enough of us riders up there for some work days. That is all they need for the first season on that side. They need to understand it will take them all summer to build the new side up and they will not make any money the first year. Having the old side up and running first will help them make money the first year and at the same time keep people coming back the next week to ride while the new side is being built. This would be the ideal way to make things happen.
Butch you should suggest this when you go up.
Butch you should suggest this when you go up.
Too much!!!!!!
right.
they'll need to understand that it may not take off like gangbusters right away.
but if and when word gets out through the grapevine that they're doin it right.
they'll have no problem drawing the riders.
but if they soon get the rep. that sugar has with a slow lift and no desire to maintain nor expand.
they'll be wasting all the time and effort.
Are you prepared for plan B?
After reading all this. I hope you have a Plan B. What would it take to make something worth riding using the lift that they are planning on using?
At a minimum be prepared to discuss that. Be prepared to show them/speak inteligently about how it will be more costly to build trail that will draw people in on that side then it will to run the other/additional lift. Maybe it will sway them.
Knowing what I know about employee costs in general I can't imagine it would be financially feasible on the short term.
After reading all this. I hope you have a Plan B. What would it take to make something worth riding using the lift that they are planning on using?
At a minimum be prepared to discuss that. Be prepared to show them/speak inteligently about how it will be more costly to build trail that will draw people in on that side then it will to run the other/additional lift. Maybe it will sway them.
Knowing what I know about employee costs in general I can't imagine it would be financially feasible on the short term.
The new majority owner is financially savvy and thinks long term. He's not shortsighted. He and Orville compliment one another well.
In terms of using the new lift, it might not be as bad as you think. They have plans to open another lift on that side that will be longer and have a little shallower grade to it...which will make for longer runs and have alot more terrain to access.
They do have a master building plan now so that things built won't be destroyed without notice. I'm headed up this week.
PEACE.
oh, and Bo...feel free to call me and give me some heads up. It's always helpful to know more than 1 side of the story.
In terms of using the new lift, it might not be as bad as you think. They have plans to open another lift on that side that will be longer and have a little shallower grade to it...which will make for longer runs and have alot more terrain to access.
They do have a master building plan now so that things built won't be destroyed without notice. I'm headed up this week.
PEACE.
oh, and Bo...feel free to call me and give me some heads up. It's always helpful to know more than 1 side of the story.
Its all in your hands now. Good luck!!!
Butch, do you have an update on this and did this info get shared with the owners?