The Boarder had an invite on 1st June to check out the new Snozone funpark. Not being known to turn down an offer of a free ride, we grabbed our deck and trusty Sony and dragged them onto the slopes.

What can we say? Well, it's a vast improvement on the previous slope and there's a few good hits for all levels of riders (and don't think we're any good 'cos we're not). Luckily perhaps, the huge monster table top was closed due to the problems with the piste bashers that weekend, so we've still to see anybody flying that one.

Let's take you down the slope and see what you think. On the top section there's a 2m long double metal rail. It is currently raised out of the snow a small amount, but they will be digging it out and placing some wood and a banner along the sides of the rail. Remember this can damage your equipment (gentlemen).

Just past the first flat section is a small kicker with a flat section topped with a 2m bit of pipe to create a mailbox. It can be used as a small jump with a tail tap perhaps or check your speed and slide the pipe.

On the other side of the slope is a smaller table top which can and will be changed around until they find a good shape. The version we rode was shaped by a skier and was pretty much demolished after three hours.

Then they have the table top. Landing has been made wider and so has the take off, but the flat section is only about 2m wide and because it's 2m high there's not much room for error if you don't intend to clear the gap. They've done well with the limited amount of space they had to play with, but would have liked to make the landing a lot wider. The take off is a lot mellower so you don't have to staight line it from the top.

Right at the bottom there's a 4m length of pipe at ground level that you can practice mailbox slides on.

So most of what you'd expect in a park they have, so it's all good practice for real life. They have a good progression through the park, so you start on the plastic pipe at the bottom, work up to the raised pipe slide and then to the metal rail. Same with the jumps working up to the monster table. The table is due to be open permanantly and they are getting a camera and monitor so that SnoPatrol can see the landing to keep Health and Safety happy.

Health and Safety are indeed being a bit of a pain (again). They've said the landing must be monitored by a member of staff when the jump is open to ensure the landing is always clear. So for now, it's sombody's job to stand yawning at the jump landing until they have the camera which they can then ignore (if I were them). It may be annoying for boarders who come a long way in the week to have go and the jump's shut, but they do have to comply with health and saftey all the times. Demand on Fridays will mean that the jump should always be manned.

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