An area of a
ski resort containing features like
jumps,
rails, and
boxes for using in
freestyle tricks. Normally these are
man made, though they may incorporate
natural features of the area chosen. In larger ski resorts, there may be a few terrain parks with features of varying levels of difficulty. Although primarily designed for
snowboarders, it's not uncommon to see freestyle
skiers taking advantage of the park, especially now that shorter and lighter freestyle
skis are more available.
Usually terrain parks consist of three or four table top or kicker jumps, a few straight and rainbow rails, and sometimes a box or two. Occasionally the park will run into (or outof) a halfpipe as well. There's very rarely a chairlift or rope tow that directly services the terrain park area, so you usually see riders walking or hiking back to the top after making a run. Most parks have a single entrance at the top, around which riders often sit around waiting for their turn and observing everyone else.
Good terrain park etiquette is to wait your turn, call your run so people know you're going and don't cut in on you, don't cut in on other people's runs, and clear the landings as soon as possible. Often the resort will put the terrain park near the chairlift path, which gives you something to watch as you go up.