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In the eyes of snowboarders, one of the most difficult structures to build
and maintain is a quality halfpipe. From the humble beginnings of snowboarding
(please read; A
Complete History of the Snowboard Halfpipe by Lee Crane), halfpipe rulers
have been doing battle with contest organizers, mountain operations, and
mother nature to assure that they at least have a meager place to practice
their craft. Stories are legion, even at the World Cup level, of pipes almost
unrideable, producing a contest which looks lame at best, and dangerous at
worst.
In the past, a significant amount of halfpipe anxiety was due to the learning
curve of a new sport, and educating resorts and pipe construction personnel
on how to prepare the best shapes with basic resort equipment. This mode
of operation is changing with the advent of new snowboard specific technology
both in machine and hand tools. As technology has made halfpipes better,
the standards have also been. Most halfpipe riders have a vision of what
an ideal pipe should look like, but shifting that vision into reality seems
to be a quantum leap.
The problem lies in the fact that too many people who control the decision
making process view the halfpipe as a fixed and static feature, and that
once built, a pipe is left to the forces of nature. A severe change of opinion
is needed, as the halfpipe needs to be thought of as an elastic form (almost
lifelike) that changes daily and which needs continual maintenance. Another
huge factor in developing consistent halfpipes is a set of standards. Over
the years the NASBA, OP, USASA, USSA, ISF, and FIS have given differing pipe
dimensions to resorts. All this help from various organizations has left
pipe building more of an art than a science. Both the ISF and the FIS are
now promoting similar versions of halfpipe dimensions. We hope this will
assist the construction process greatly.
Halfpipe Technical Information
The standards now being proposed by the ISF and FIS are as follows:
Technical Data
Inclination
Length
Width
Wall Height
Transition
Vertical*
Bottom Flat*
Drop in Area*
Banner fence from wall*
Outside fence from banners*
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Minimum
15 degrees
100m
13m
3m
4m
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Recommended
18 degrees
110m
15m
3.5m
4m
0.3m @ 85 degrees
5m maximum
2m
1.5m
0.5m
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Maximum
20 degrees
20m
17m
4m
6m
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*These measurements are given as only one value due to the fact that these
numbers should be consistent at every halfpipe contest.
The Foundation
There are four factors which will affect the outcome of any halfpipe. These
include: Site, Snow, Orientation and the Work/Expense involved. All must
be in harmony. Out of these four the most important is the site and the mechanics
that surround selecting the best location.
1.
The
Site
2.
Snow
3.
Orientation
of the Pipe
4.
Work/Expense
of Halfpipe Construction
The Construction
Construction should begin at the top and move to the bottom following the
fall-line using gravity to the advantage of the snowcats. Remember to give
yourself about a week to complete the project as all the halfpipe elements
take longer than expected. Listed below are the steps for constructing a
halfpipe.
1. Read the
recommended
pipe dimensions, and use it.
2. Pick the proper site.
3. Make enough snow to have a huge pile (roughly 4000 cubic meters).
4. Find an expert snowcat driver with experience shaping pipes.
5. Smooth the initial pile of snow to work with and block out initial
shape.
6. Stake out the width of the walls for the orientation of the pipe.
7. Remove material from the channel of the halfpipe with the snowcat.
8. Measure wall to wall distance and verify all dimensions.
9. Shape the roll out decks with the snowcat.
10. Shape the transition with a
Pipe Dragon,
other device, or by hand.
11. Shape the vertical by hand.
12. Remove excess material from the bottom of the halfpipe with the snow
cat.
13. Shape the start area.
14. Buff out the roll-out decks.
15. Place fencing if necessary.
16. Maintain the halfpipe as needed.
When building a halfpipe pay close attention to the initial shaping of the
snowcat. Do not remove too much material from the walls on the beginning
pass and try to cut down the channel in a V type formation with the snowcat.
This will leave enough snow for the Pipe Dragon, back hoe or humans to shape
in a smooth transition to the bottom of the halfpipe. If you remove too much
material from the walls you will have too much flat bottom, the walls will
be to vertical and the maintenance of the walls will be difficult because
the pipe will get wider and wider as the sun melts it out.
When shaping the vertical by hand remember to use stakes and string to keep
the line straight along the walls of the halfpipe. All shaping starts at
the top and shapes down from the vertical. After this is complete along both
walls the shapers go inside the pipe and pull down the loose material to
the bottom. The best tools for shaping a halfpipe are the Heine tools which
are a very specific vertical shaping shovel and a oversize rake that pulls
down material very effectively.
When dealing with difficult conditions i.e.; too icy or too soft, remember
the following: if the conditions are icy wait until the afternoon when the
pipe is at its warmest to start shaping and working the pipe. Using special
tools like chain saws, back hoes and other heavy implements might be your
only chance in altering pipe shape. If the pipe is too mushy salt must be
used in conjunction with patching the divots and chunks that get pulled from
the wall. Using some light plywood and compressing snow behind and packing
under pressure sometimes works in fixing holes in the halfpipe walls.
Things to avoid in Halfpipe Construction
1. Bad site selection and lack of halfpipe specifications.
2. Not enough snow in the formative pile.
3. No experienced snowcat drivers to push snow.
4. Halfpipe initial channel is flawed.
5. Walls are uneven.
6. The flat bottom to large.
7. The transition to small. (This is the worst)
8. Too much vertical.
9. Too little vertical.
10. Halfpipe wall are over vertical.
Maintenance
What makes or breaks a halfpipe in the course of a season is how well
it is maintained. It is essential to take care of the investment. The destroyers
of a halfpipe are the sun, fresh snow, and neglect. It is important to remove
fresh snow the day it happens and remove the excess of material from the
bottom of the pipe.
In spring conditions or when warm the pipe might need 1-3 snowcat hours every
other day, along with significant man hours to keep the pipe in shape. It
is better to maintain the pipe on a daily basis rather than risk trying to
salvage the halfpipe if things go bad.
During a competition the halfpipe will need to be maintained after training
runs and at the end of the competition day. Everything should be rechecked
as far as specifications and a staff should be available to assist in reshaping
the pipe.
Materials for Halfpipe Construction
Snowcats: Good snowcats that have experienced drivers and have the
ability and power to push big quantities of snow, a large blade to push snow
and a tiller buff out the bottom of the pipe.
Pipe Dragon, back hoe or lots of humans: One of these devices are
essential in forming the transition of the halfpipe. Since this is the most
important part of the pipe that usually gets screwed up the most it is imperative
that someone really knows what they are doing.
Shovels and rakes: Kurt Heine has made the best implements for halfpipe
shaping and maintenance. These shovels and rakes are specific to halfpipe
building and are constructed beefy to withstand abuse. The shovels are heavy,
flat bladed and have extra long reach. the rakes are oversized, well spaced
teeth and also have long handles. Buy them if you can find them as Kurt is
no longer making these great tools.
Other helpful materials:
1. 10 Stakes
2. Lots of String
3. Spray Paint
4. Inclinometer
5. Measuring Tape
6. Chain saw
7. Salt
8. Whiskey
These items will help in outlining the specifications of the halfpipe and
keep you on track when shaping the beast. Use the stakes and string and paint
to mark the top of the walls or edges when needed. The inclinometer is used
to make sure of the slope of the halfpipe channel. The salt is used when
the pipe is mushy from the sun. And the whiskey....well the whiskey is used
when the whole thing starts to fall apart, or to tempt the snowcat driver
into making one more pass at buffing out the roll-out decks. You get the
picture.
The Big Picture
The halfpipe is part of snowboarding's unique culture. Unlike skating which
has a complete, fixed and solid halfpipe, the snowboarder has to contend
with inconsistent pipes and the forces of nature. The perfect halfpipe has
yet to be built for snowboarders, but the time is close when all riders can
have the same consistency in pipe shape and design from site to site. As
the sport develops and better tools allow the building of halfpipes to become
more consistent, the range of tricks and the ability of riders will continue
to grow and halfpipe riding will attract more dedicated riders who enjoy
the sensation of floating and catching big air. We as riders have just scratched
the surface of what will be done in the halfpipe, it is up to all of us to
push the limits to see what we can build and accomplish in the halfpipe.
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