Ski lift chairs on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024 (Miguel Mabalay/T•)
As global warming alters the landscape of winter sports, Ontario’s “park rats” face new challenges
Bruce Oldham cut through the snow in the terrain park with precision that only comes from previous failures. He skied down the mountain with smooth, graceful turns, as if painting on a canvas with a brush. Rails loomed here like skeletal limbs, and as he spun onto a feature, the metallic clink echoed a lonely tune. The snow, once pristine, now bore the scars of countless skiers, melting into a slushy mosaic beneath the warm afternoon sun.
The skier, now a silhouette against the mountain’s rugged slopes, launched off a jump into the ether, a fleeting moment of defiance before gravity reasserted its dominion. In mid-air, the world beneath blurred into a chaos of white and brown, a fleeting glimpse of melting snow giving way to patches of mud.
For many ski enthusiasts, the thrill of skiing is discovered in gracefully carving through vast blankets of snow, and skillfully navigating around obstacles along the way. For “park rats” such as Oldham, joy is found in the obstacles themselves and the culture surrounding freestyle skiing.
Freestyle skier rides feature on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024 (Miguel Mabalay/T•)
However, terrain parks are closing early and those that stay open often lack substantial features. This contributes to the overall challenges faced by ski and snowboard areas in southern Ontario due to climate change. As a whole, they have had trouble staying open the past few seasons due to high temperatures and these operational problems may escalate in future years. According to an assessment led by Environment and Climate Change Canada, southern Ontario is warming at twice the rate of the global average.
As global warming continues to affect the already dwindling ski season in southern Ontario, it raises the question, what will happen to park rats, the outcasts and rulebreakers of skiing? “We’re on the decline of terrain parks in the region. Events are cancelled due to lack of snow and for resorts, it doesn’t financially make sense. Local ski areas have realized that it makes more sense to cater to those who ski once or twice a month and build features for them instead,” said Oldham.
Like most freestyle skiers in southern Ontario, professional skier Bruce Oldham started his journey with an obsession from wanting more from the tiny slopes offered here. “We’re dedicated to progressing our skills on the slopes, it’s about pushing yourself and having fun with friends. People fall in love with the sport because they get addicted to finding out what they are capable of in a good environment,” he said.
His passion may have started with an obsession, but it was cemented by the tight-knit community that arose due to a lack of alternatives. “The community is stuck together as the park is the only scene for freestyle skiers in Ontario. We do the best we can to help out so that we can continue doing this sport. It’s a community revolving around friends and fun but we’re also trying to figure out how to make it to the next level,” said Oldham.
Freestyle skier rides feature on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024 (Miguel Mabalay/T•)
With the increase in temperatures, the operating days of local ski areas will shorten and begin to break down. Daniel Scott, a professor and University Research Chair in Climate and Society as well as the Executive Director of the Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change at the University of Waterloo stresses these challenges. “When we look under climate change, some of the more Southern, ski areas like Chicopee or Glen Eden are probably going to have the most struggles, whereas places that have more natural snow, and are further north with a colder climate to make snow are in better positions,” said Scott.
David Atkinson, an Associate Professor and Department Chair of Geography and Environmental Studies at Toronto Metropolitan University has a similar outlook. “Seasons are getting shorter and shorter and it’s draining revenue, the smaller resorts will be the ones suffering first. These smaller resorts might not have the snow or money to manufacture, and their operations might shut down,” said Atkinson.
The ability to address the urgent challenge of sustaining ski areas in southern Ontario has been somewhat limited. These ski areas play a pivotal role in the framework of winter culture, particularly for avid park skiers. The gradual disappearance of these ski areas foreshadows a potential shift in the regional culture, highlighting their significance in preserving the unique essence of the ski community as a whole.
With this in mind, park skiers find themselves confronted with the need to adapt their approach to the sport. The warming temperatures and fluctuating snow conditions demand a re-evaluation of their traditional non-traditional skiing practices. In the face of these challenges, park skiers are embracing new technologies to ensure their continued enjoyment of the slopes. “In the future, there’s a possibility to build a park run with less snow and use dirt work, build dry slopes to ride in the summer, and potentially use airbags. We need a solution and I really hope the community can rally together,” said Oldham.
Freestyle skier rides feature on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024 (Miguel Mabalay/T•)
Oldham says he has a deep determination to preserve the essence of the sport he loves, he hopes to carve a vibrant future for his beloved winter pastime. He stresses that the community must stick together as they adapt to challenges faced by global warming. “To move forward we have to keep the core values and portray it to others. Not a lot of other athletes see it like this or have to see it like this, it’s more of a job for them. For us, this is a sport we love and want to show others how important it is to us,” he said.
The terrain park at Mount St. Louis Moonstone located in Barrie, Ontario that Oldham was riding may not have been the biggest or most elaborate setup but, it was a reminder that sometimes it’s not about the size of the ski hill, but the passion and energy of the people involved. Oldham pointed out that the park set up at this ski area showcased the true spirit of this community. “We’re dedicated, resilient, and always ready to have a good time, no matter what the conditions are,” said Oldham
