NHTS: NH's Teen Scene
I used to scoff at fellow skiing parents that
said, “Just wait till your kids are teens!” How hard could it be, I
thought? Worse than terrible twos? Now that mine are in the midst of
these tumultuous years, I see how “teen” is a four letter word
implying: difficult to please, moody, distant. I could go on – but
those of you with teens know the symptoms. Let’s focus on winter
ways to keep our teenagers occupied, active, perhaps even happy OMG!
(oh my gosh) this ski season.
Teens need stuff to do – and a certain “cool” factor is key. Teens
want to get out from under mom and dad’s radar, while parents want
to know they’re chillin’ in a safe environment. Snow sports can be
just the ticket - an outdoor outlet for those oozing hormones, and
there is an obvious “chill” factor given the winter temps.
The trick to tricking your teens into having fun is finding critical
mass – enough other teens participating so that your sluggish
sleepyhead will want to join in. This is no small task when every
teen comes plugged with ear buds, equipped with a cell phone more
conducive to texting their BFF’s at home than participating in some
“lamo” event Mom and Dad endorse.
Well, New Hampshire’s ski areas are ramping up their teen offerings,
targeting your YouTube-streaming, iPod-toting, GenY surfers. The
White Mountain state is an alpine amusement park for mid-adolescents
to slide and ride with a groundswell of youth-inspired terrain
features, teen zones and game rooms as hang out spots. Several on
snow events geared toward this finicky bunch are gaining momentum,
approaching righteous status from the slouchy set (ages 13-19).
Resort operators and parents are in the same boat – trying to retain
this awkward adolescent audience for the sake of harmonious family
vacations. ‘Cause if the kids aren’t happy, and they don’t want to
be there…. you know the drill.
Here are 13- teen pleasing places to scope out this winter:
1. Teens love music and Sunapee will be cranking
the tunes on a brand new $20,000 sound system (surely that buys a
lot of decibels) in the SoBe Freeride Zone. We’re talking speakers
every 100-feet on two 2,000-foot long trails of terrain with a
triple chair overhead for scoping the jibs between sessions. Sunapee
is wagering that music will bridge the proverbial gap and band kids
together for some serious hang time.
2. Attitash is amping up their Fly Zones, which
they deem ATP (hip teen-text for Attitash Terrain Parks - which
sounds so beat in comparison). Attitash, under new ownership this
winter, is expected to have their ATP dialed from opening day, with
new rails to augment the 24-foot rainbow kicker box that drew a
crowd last season. Attitash will host their own ATP Freeride Series
of Big Air, Slopestyle and Ridercross events throughout the winter
plus a New Year’s Eve Rail Jam to pump kids out on the slopes
whether they compete or to just want to see and be seen around the
snowbanks.
3. Your teens can be King of the Hill at King Pine
on Tuesday nights. King Pine Ski Area hosts the Twisted Ten Big Air
event for skiers and riders ages 10-22 sponsored by Joe Jones Ski
and Sport. Points are tallied all season, culminating with the
coronation of the King of “TPTP” (code for the Twisted Pine Terrain
Park) to the top performer. Imagine your son or daughter’s bragging
rights with that title! King Pine is part of Purity Springs
Resort, so the whole family can enjoy the getaway by
lodging on Purity Lake. The kids will love the indoor heated pool,
and parents will like the 5th generation hospitality and
all-inclusive pricing.
4. Bretton Woods is luring teens for “Friday Night
Freestyle Frenzy.” The Lumber Yard Terrain Park is the site of an
open show format under the lights every Friday, not your regular
rail jam. When we are skiing Bretton Woods, my teens love staying at
the Mount Washington Hotel (yes, they’re spoiled, aren’t yours?).
Teens can roam the rambling 1902 reportedly-haunted hotel, hit the
indoor and outdoor swimming pool, and the game room in the bowels of
the grand hotel. New Year’s Eve, Bretton Woods Resort hosts a
teen-only party with a DJ, videos, pizza and a midnight countdown.
Meanwhile parents can dine and dance in the Hotel’s elegant grand
ballroom – that’s a win/win.
5. Waterville Valley debuted a Burton Progressional
Snowboard Park last season – and it was a huge hit. Building on
that, Waterville Valley will continue their all day Snowboard Camp
for entry level riders geared towards tweens and teens on Saturdays,
Sundays and holiday weeks. Your kids can’t claim boredom if they’re
learning to board. To encourage slope safety, kids that watch a
30-minute Smartstyle video receive a free midweek lift ticket as a
reward. Waterville Valley hosts Big Slam and Littler Slam events for
kids 16 and under to try their skills out in low key competitions
all season long.
6. Loon Mountain has five terrain parks for your
teens to keep it real and rad. February vacation week would be a
festive time to hit Loon, as they host Fluorescent Nights February
21-23, 2008 with a lit up Superpipe. Teens will find staying in
Lincoln is a jackpot of shops and movie theatres.
7. Pats Peak attracts teens with “POP”s on Saturday
night. No, this is not an orchestra from Boston, its Pay One Price
for skiing and riding from 3pm-10pm including rentals, snowtubing,
lessons tips and entertainment. Teens gravitate toward the
Turbulence Terrain Park at Pats Peak – which is “refreshed” like a
website with new elements each week. Pats Peak also continues its
racing heritage with NASTAR and the Mountain Dew Vertical Challenge
for competitive teens that like to chase sticks or humble their
parents in dual gates.
8. Wildcat is known for its core terrain, and if
you have a wild child that yearns to turn “off the beaten path,” on
natural snow and native stumps and bumps – then Wildcat will satisfy
their wild side. Laps on the high-speed quad will tire your teen,
even if they sleep late and catch first chair at 11, they’ll still
bag plenty of vertical. Wildcat also has a long-standing racing
tradition for school teams with a designated training hill if your
teen likes bashing bamboo over park stomping.
9. Gunstock is celebrating 70 years in the frozen
family fun business this season. They’ve come along way since the
anti-social single chair – with their teen tempting 12-acre
Blundersmoke Terrain Park. “Gunstock Rocks Saturday Night” will
continue this season with 4-10pm skiing, riding, teen themed
activities, tunes, and fireworks, plus NH’s largest tubing hill all
under the lights, all for one price. Check out Gunstock’s “Sick
Trick” camp - a great forum for kids to learn to stick one key
trick.
10. Crotched will continue to push the envelope,
and the teenager curfew, with Midnight Madness on Friday and
Saturday nights when 100% of the terrain is open and lit from 9pm to
3am. Kids can ski and ride, enjoy a blazing bonfire and snow
volleyball. To think, my mom said “nothing good happens after
midnight.”
11. The new owners at Ragged Mountain, in addition
to tending to some much needed sprucing, are aiming to offer
something for everyone in the family – from SkiWee to terrain park
features and teen events. Stay tuned…
12. Cranmore has a vertical version of a teenage
happy hour on snow. “Cranapalooza” is a fall line festival held
Saturdays from 2pm – 9pm including lift tickets for twilight skiing
and riding, races and games, live music, fireworks and a visit from
“C-more the penguin” (cynical teens can skip the magical mascot
scene - whatever). Tubing at the Artic Blast Tubing Park or session-ing
at the Darkside Terrain Park is probably more their speed.
13. Finally, studies show that shopping is a top teen activity. The
oasis of outlets lining the ski corridor of North Conway
is a young spender’s dream after hitting the slopes at nearby Black,
Cranmore, King Pine, and Attitash. All the hip clothiers are here,
at discount prices – 2GTBT (too good to be true)!
Teens like adrenaline-inducing activities, inviting nature’s rush
when they push the limits. Terrain parks definitely get the teen
scene seal of approval as cool places to skirt the edge or chill
with your peeps. Just don’t tell the kids it “healthy” and ruin
their rebellion.
It’s worth blogging that today’s youth has an abbreviated attention
span, many teens can’t manage complete sentences IMHO (in my humble
opinion) – so you have to hit the refresh key frequently. New
Hampshire is home to over a dozen winter sports venues – switching
it up keeps the adventure pumping. Taking your teens to the slopes,
even if they’re out of sight and won’t ride the quad with you, is
far healthier than crawling the mall or watching the tube and eating
trans-fats all weekend.
SLAP( sounds like a plan)!
All Stories by Heather Burke
All Photography by Greg Burke
