Park Etiquette — Don't Get Yelled at on Your First Lap

Snowboard parks have unwritten rules. Break them and you'll get yelled at, run into, or — worst case — hurt. Every park rider expects newcomers to know these.

The Cardinal Rules

1. Call your drop. Before you go, shout "dropping" so people behind know. Wait for a clear acknowledgment from anyone above you.
2. Don't stop in the landing zone. The bottom of every jump and the off-end of every box is a no-go zone. Stop to the side.
3. One feature at a time, one rider at a time. Don't enter a feature while the previous rider is still riding it out.
4. If you eat it, get out of the way fast. Crawl off the landing, don't sit there.
5. Don't poach. Don't drop in on someone else's run unless you're sure they're done.

The Park Hierarchy

• Park lifties are in charge. If they tell you to wait, wait.
• Riders who built a session get priority. If a group is hitting one feature repeatedly, give them the lap.
• Beginners use the smallest features. Don't go straight to the medium jumps to "try it once."

Walking the Park

The first lap of any new park, hike up the side and look at every feature. Three minutes of walking saves you 20 minutes of arguing about why a jump is bigger than it looked from above.

Be the rider who knows the rules. Park culture rewards it instantly.