SAFETY
NSAA Releases New Terrain Park Signs
BY DAVE BYRD, RISK & REGULATORY
AFFAIRS DIRECTOR
N
SAA is unveiling two new terrain park signs for ski areas to consider using for entrance and access
to their terrain parks and freestyle terrain areas. The proposed signs, “Park Entry” and “Park Smart,”
represent a noticeable updating of the previous version of the NSAA terrain park signage, which
was last revised in 2008.
“The new signage is a significant revision to
the existing signs currently used by most ski
areas,” explained Mark Petrozzi, one of the
ski industry’s leading experts on terrain park
operations. Petrozzi led the committee that
developed the new signage, which included
resort personnel, terrain park designers and
builders, manufacturers, and legal and risk
management representatives from NSAA’s
Risk and Education Committee. “Since
the last update of the park signs, a lot has
changed in both park operations and in
how society in general communicates and
absorbs information. These two new signs
reflect these profound shifts.”
The previous signage conveyed
important information, but it was all on
one text-heavy sign with warnings as well
as safety information. While there was
nothing inherently “wrong” with the old
sign, the new approach is to use two separate signs: 1) the succinct, 16-word Park
Entry sign for placement at the immediate
entrance to a terrain park, and 2) the Park
Smart sign that may be posted in locations
within the terrain park, such as staging
areas, where guests gather or congregate.
“The entrance sign is more readable and easier to comprehend quickly,”
explained Petrozzi. “We know that when
many guests enter parks, most don’t stop
and read a lengthy sign. The same information, albeit more concise, can now be
absorbed immediately as someone rides by
into the park. For that matter, having the
Park Smart sign within the park itself, in
a location where people are more likely to
pause and read it, makes a lot of sense.”
The signage retains important
underlying concepts from the previous
been the caution that has been widely
version. Both signs feature the familiar
embraced throughout the United States
orange “pill-shaped” oval, which resorts
and Canada to encourage guests to make
have long used to represent freestyle tertheir own assessments before choosing a
rain and terrain parks. The entrance sign
feature or series of features in a park.
retains the use of information that indiThe Park Smart sign embraces the
cates the size of the features in a specific
same elements and concepts from the prepark—allowing users or parents to easily
vious “Smart Style” signage used throughdetermine if a park is appropriate for the
out the industry, but it is more concise
guest, based on his or her own experience
and easier to read. Also, the “SMART”
or ability level.
acrostic is a clever, short-hand way to conThe new entrance sign uses the imme- vey important safety messages.
diately recognizable initials XS, S, M, and
A key element of the Park Entry
L to help resorts characterize
the size of the features within
PARK ENTRY SIGN
PARK SMART SIGN
a specific terrain park. “The
NSAA sign committee felt
that these symbols are overwhelmingly understood as
short-hand abbreviations for
extra-small, small, medium,
and large,” Petrozzi said.
“Everyone has t-shirts with
these size representations on
them, so there’s little room
for confusion.”
Even with park size
features reflected on the
entrance sign, it still
remains the sole responsibility of park users to individually assess the features first,
watch others, and make
Artwork for the Park Entry sign includes multiple
their own determinations
versions (e.g., “THIS PARK CONTAINS M & L
about their own ability levFEATURES,” and “THIS PARK CONTAINS XS & S
FEATURES”) so resorts can describe the characterisels, Petrozzi stressed. Indeed,
tics of the features users might encounter within one
“Look Before You Drop”—
park. Also included are guidelines for the dimensions
one of the safety suggesof each sign (Note: the Park Smart sign is a different
size than the Park Entry sign.)
tions on the sign—has long
58 | NSAA Journal | EARLY WINTER 2014
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sign is its graphic depiction of a snowboarder properly jumping off a snow feature, catching air. NSAA’s committee felt
it was important to include the image to
help make guests immediately aware when
they are leaving a traditional green circle or
blue square trail and entering a terrain park
where users may encounter features where
they may catch air. One added benefit is
that this new graphic element will help
visitors without strong English language
comprehension to better understand the
difference between traditional ski slopes
and terrain parks before entering a park.
Overall, the committee’s goal was to
develop new signage to ensure ease of use
for resorts and quick, immediate comprehension for guests. “The explosive growth
of technology and smart phones has drastically cut everyone’s attention spans,”
Petrozzi said. “We are all conveying and
consuming information in shorter bursts.
How we consume information as a society
Terrain Resource Guide (formerly the
Freestyle Terrain Notebook), which is accessible through the NSAA website, under
the Safety heading. (Please note that you
must be logged into the site to view the
Freestyle Terrain Safety pages.) The new
material includes jump design considerations, jump measurement procedures, a
calculation tool, and a glossary of terms.
Each of these new components has been
developed collaboratively through identifying current generally accepted industry
practices and principles, with input from
park designers, builders, and managers as
well as risk managers and scientists. These
materials are intended for use at your area
to assist you in the planning and management of your freestyle terrain.
As new materials become available and updates are made to the existing Resource Guide content, NSAA will
continue to make announcements in the
Journal, via email, and on the website. n
Are your mountain systems balanced to optimize the
guest experience and control operational costs?
Plan for Efficiency.
Let’s Get Started.
credit: jackson hole mountain resort
WINTER.
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is profoundly different since we last revisited our terrain park signs six years ago.”
The safety concepts conveyed in the
Park Smart signage are supported through
an integrated system of communicating
to guests through additional materials
from NSAA, including posters and educational cards that resorts may order to reinforce the messaging out in the parks. The
art work, graphics, and language, which
resorts can easily upload onto the safety
pages on their websites, will provide additional opportunities for guest education.
NSAA is proposing that ski areas
consider adopting these new signs by the
2015-16 ski season. Resorts may order the
new signage through the NSAA’s sign manufacturer members (listed in the NSAA
Membership Directory), or, if your area produces its own signs, it may download artwork from the NSAA website, nsaa.org.
In addition to the new signage, new
materials are now available for the Freestyle
Strategy. Planning. Permitting. Design.
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EARLY WINTER 2014 | NSAA Journal | 59