So one might think with all the cool spots in the West Coast region of North America that if you took a trip to the mid Atlantic region of east coast you may leave your board at home, being all jaded from the west coast shredding all. Well if you did you may be missing out on a whole different and positive snowboard experience because the mid Atlantic region aint dead. If you doubt me go ask Danny Kass, Keir Dillon, Nate Sheehan, Louie Vito, Eddie Wall; all these people grew up in or near the keystone state of Pennsylvania. Western PA is the home of Seven Springs and if you never thought about going there, maybe you should.
The riding is fun with a 750 foot vertical drop served by 40 trails over an area of 285 acres. While that is small compared to say Vail, the nooks and crannies of east coast resorts and the people that ride there make trips to the hills fun times. Ten chairs and 5 surface lifts get people up the hill and with a proximity to cities such as Pittsburgh and Washington DC, all the lifts get their share of use. The front slopes are short and fun while the North Face/Giant Steps area has the longer more wide-open slopes with the greatest vertical. On the slopes there are always people drinking and having fun but they take their snow sliding serious in PA. They also take nothing for granted; appreciating every chance to ride, rather it is pow, ice or even raining. The only thing that slows people down is if the Steelers are playing. The resort complex is huge, almost like a mini-Vegas without the gambling. Most of the fascilities were recently overhauled or in the process of so you will find nice comfy rooms should you decide to stay.
While the natural terrain has not changed to much at Seven Springs, one of the first resorts outside of Vermont, the terrain parks have gotten a serious boost in the past few years. The long time owners recently sold the resort to Robert Nutting who also owns the Pittsburgh Pirates and various publications. He decided if he was going to own a resort he was going to do it right and brought on SPT to manage the terrain parks. SPT is headed up by Chris Gunnarson and a crew does the parks at Northstar, Copper, Snoqualmie, The X Games, US Open and so on. Joel Rerko came out from Keystone to run the park program. Joel has experience at Keystone and even helped with Superpark and the US Open. I asked Joel if he was bummed to go from Keystone Colorado to the Keystone state and he said no, he likes it there. Joel has gone right to work and improved things drastically. They now have 5 parks and 2 pipes. New for 2009 is a top to bottom park on the North Face which required a massive amount re-grading since the North Face is so steep. So you could say they moved mountains to make a new terrain park this year. Heck, for the first day of the 08-09 season they had 11 features up already and had a Rome premature jibulation contest the second day with 160 entrants, holy crap. I told you the kids are passionate about snowboarding there. Thanks to Joel for hooking up some guys to ride with while there too, had a blast.
So whether you go back east to shred, visit family, do business or whatever don’t write the region off – go ride
How many kids, since the place opened in the 1930’s, came through these gates to start their snow sliding career?
Jeremy Anderson hucks over some debris under the North Face Lift
Matt Guess in the terrain park, photo by Evan Sanders
Think there is never pow on the east coast?
Kevin Kabosa bonks up the pole
OG rider John Krammer in the pipe, photo by Evan Sanders
They brought in Frank Wells to help build the pipe last year. Yea, the same Frank Wells that does the Olympics, X Games and so on. Apparently it worked because Seven Springs got rated by Transworld as having the 5th best pipe in the east. Photo by Evan Sanders
The guys asked me “what do you want to shoot” I said the log and they said “That is the hardest thing to ride” I said “exactly” Chris Lengle stepped it up in the little session that followed the conversation
Avalanche awaits your tracks. Of course this gets to be a bit bumpy and icy at times - try that on Friday night after some beers and see if you really have board control down
Ryan Sable gets creative on the 3rd day of the season
Ryan Sable – front board
Chuck Lengle – up over nose manny
Ryan Sable – early season “out of bounds” carve on the North Face, The North Face was not open but these little ice/snow mounds were fun, photo by Joel Rerko
Ryan Sable
Chris Lengle – 180
Jeremy Anderson – Method
The front face slopes (l-r), Goosebumps, Avalanche, Tyrol, Stowe, Wagner
For more info visit 7springs.com.
By the way, if you are in the nearby town of Pittsburgh, is the best spot.
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