Within the last few years there’s been a resurgence of park skiing in Western New York. Just outside of Rochester, you’ll find Northampton Park (NHP), a small but mighty setup featuring a lodge, rentals, a rope tow, 100 feet of vertical, and a surprisingly deep lineup of terrain park features.
The first time I came here nearly 10 years ago, there were maybe one or two features, enough to session for a bit, but nothing like what stands today. Now, the park stretches top to bottom, stacked with rails, jibs, and creative builds that let you take a completely different line every single lap. Watching the progression of their park builds over the last few seasons has been impressive.
The crew has been pushing hard, and it shows. They compiled a massive snow base early on and used it to build something that feels intentional and thoughtfully designed.
The park crew was putting the finishing touches on the setup for their first event of the season (2.2.26), one that aligns perfectly with what this place represents. The “Tell A Friend Tour” features pro skiers — including two from Rochester — traveling across North America hosting free rail jams, giveaways, and meet-ups. TAFT is about sharing the stoke and keeping skiing inclusive. The same energy lives at NHP. It’s low pressure, welcoming, and built around community.
The park was completely built heading into the weekend, and since I couldn’t make the TAFT event itself, I swung by Sunday to see what they had put together. I popped into the lodge, grabbed my ticket ($20 weekday, $23 weekend), and headed for the rope.
This was the most features I’ve ever seen packed into such a small footprint. Every lap felt different. Instead of just lapping one rail over and over, you could link multiple hits together, get creative, and actually build a flow.
I spent the afternoon taking laps with Cooper and Kyle, which made the day that much better. Riding a rope tow park solo can feel repetitive, but when you’ve got friends lapping features, calling each other out (in a good way), and hyping up landings, the place comes alive.
We weren’t out there throwing anything crazy, but that wasn’t the point. It was about stacking laps, getting a little better each run, laughing off sketchy attempts, and feeding off each other’s momentum. There’s something about small parks like this; you see the same faces every lap, you clap for strangers, you end up talking about tricks on the rope ride back up. It feels less like a ski area and more like a session spot.
By the end of the afternoon, my legs were cooked in that specific rope-tow way, forearms tired, and just enough soreness to know you had a proper day. It reminded me why terrain parks used to be such a big part of my winters when I was younger. Even if I’m riding park less these days, spots like NHP make it hard not to get pulled back in.
If you missed the Tell A Friend Tour, don’t worry, the momentum isn’t slowing down. The next event on the calendar is the Scott Delforte Park Jam on March 7th, and if the current park build is any indication, it’s going to be a proper session.
These local park jams are where the real culture lives. No massive corporate stage, no intimidating contest vibe, just riders of all ages showing up, throwing down what they’ve got, and hyping each other up. Whether you’re there to compete, land a new trick, or just stand on the sidelines and soak in the energy, it’s the kind of day that reminds you why small-hill skiing hits different.
With the rope tow spinning, music playing, and a stacked feature setup already in place, expect a full afternoon of creative lines, close calls, stomped landings, and plenty of cheers from the rope line. Events like this are how parks grow, they give younger skiers something to aim for and give the community a reason to show up.
March 7th will be a great day to be there, but honestly, you don’t need an event as an excuse. Come anytime for a good time. That’s the beauty of places like NHP.
Support your local rope tow! Register for the next park jam!
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Mulligans Hollow Grand Haven Mich
Their adage,” rope tows forever”!
Little lost Pando Mi was “ the birthplace of competitive snowboarding”. Jake Burton Carpenter( rip) came to battle the snurfers in Grand Rapids Mi in 1979 with a waterski snowboard prototype.
Park rats rule!
By the way looking to maybe buy Atomic Bent chentler 82’s, any good for an old gramps?
Nice report. Small places are where most of us started.
And much more affordable than Vail resorts for beginners who would look at their prices and walk away.
Excellent write up Evan.
This is real snowboarding (and skiing). No corporate BS. Real people, putting in real effort, to make the community better. The folks at NHP should be proud.