Born on Mt. Hood, Oregon yet raised in Lake Tahoe, Precision Approach is 30 years in the making.  Just out of college in 1992, I experienced my first Terrain Park jump, and was immediately hooked. Surprised by both how high I flew and with such a smooth landing, it was perfect!  Equally surprising was the fact that ski resorts actually built these large features for public consumption.  I believed they would never last as resorts wrestled with the increase in liability created.
       
Yet today, 30 years later, I stand corrected. Jumps are every bit as large and growing in popularity, with almost 90% of US ski resorts hosting these parks for their guests.  Speaking with my son’s college age, Generation Z skiers, I ask them how they manage the constantly changing conditions that move the appropriate starting point day to day, or hour to hour? 

Responses vary, but all described the same scenario: “We Row-sham-bow to see who has to go first”, “Send a test dummy”, “On a jump I’m really familiar with at a mountain I work at, I’m still really nervous when I hit it for the first time each day.” In the end, they all say, “It’s sketch!” 

     
That was the “Ah-Ha” moment!  That nothing had been done in 30 years to help athletes manage these variables I was equally concerned with years ago.  This can be corrected.  Technology in these years has exploded, but action sports has largely been left behind.  Today, Precision Approach is introducing innovative technology that’s long overdue, providing a level of safety never before seen at ski resorts.  Injuries from unsuspecting Terrain Park users landing too short or too long will be a thing of the past. 

Patiently awaiting advancements in technology and an industry open to embrace it, we are finally ready to introduce Precision Approach to the action sports community.  Light detecting and ranging (LIDAR) positioned near ski jumps can improve safety and reduce jump injuries by providing critical real time information to an approaching athlete.  No skier or snowboarder approaches a terrain park jump with the intention of knuckling short or overshooting which can be the equivalent of falling from a 3-story building.  These jumps are built with a landing location in mind where the transition from air to snow is smooth. 

Today we can warn riders that they’re not going to reach this area.  With more information available, a better decision can be reached and applied for a safer outcome.  Our technology can produce less injuries, less head count in first aid, reduced liability for your resort, and a more positive mountain experience for your guests.  We’re Precision Approach, bringing high tech safety to your tech hungry Terrain Park customers.