F.A.Q

For athletes in our weekend core programs competitions are included but are at the grassroots level to match the skill level of the athletes in the program.

Park Labs program fee only includes your coaching cost for the program days. Event fees and memberships to the Provincial/National sport organizations are not included.

Park Labs event schedule will be released in November with the goal of three events in Southern Ontario over the course of the season.

The key to doing well at events breaks down to how well you have built your foundation and skill set to hold up under pressure. Great competitors dedicate a lot of time to finding and fixing any weaknesses they have through practice, refinement, and also by building a great working relationship with their coaches and teammates.

We strive to maintain a 1 to 7 coach to athlete ratio or better in our upper programs. There may be days where we have coaches who are absent and no staff available due to unforeseen circumstances such as travel difficulties. Although these situations are rare, rather than send participants home we try to mix groups so that our participants can still participate on the day.

Our coaches vary in age and experience. All of our coaches are certified with the governing Ski and Snowboard sanctioning bodies and are passionate about coaching. Some of our Coaches have either a lot of experience as competitors and many are former team members who have come through one of our programs. All coaches receive regular training sessions weekly in-season from the Park Labs program leads to ensure a consistent product and message to all our teams at our multiple Labs locations.

One of the following mandatory memberships is required in order to be able to participate in our programs. All Ski team members require a membership with Freestyle Ski Ontario. require a Club Athlete Membership. All Snowboard team members require a Riders membership with Ontario Snowboard.

If you or your athlete can confidently control your speed and link turns down a blue run, you're already there! Previous park experience isn't necessary – just a desire to hit the park is all you need. To participate, athletes should be able to load and unload a chairlift. If your athlete meets the on-hill skill level but isn't tall enough to load a chairlift alone, don't worry – they're still welcome! A parent or guardian can accompany them on the chairlift to assist. However, please note that participation in the program alongside the athlete isn't an option for chair support parents or guardians. At Park Labs, we welcome aspiring freestyle skiers and snowboarders who are excited to learn and grow in the park.

At Park Labs, we welcome young athletes with a passion for skiing or snowboarding from as early as 5 years old. However, for safety reasons, athletes who are not tall enough to load a chairlift require adult supervision to assist them in loading and unloading the chairlift. Our program caters to athletes aged 5 to 16, all striving to develop the skills needed to progress to spinning 360’s over medium park jumps where they can advance to the Senders levels or potentially become a coach for the program.

Park Labs carefully groups athletes based on their age and skill level to ensure optimal learning and progression. When registering, please provide details about your athlete's abilities, including the runs they can confidently navigate (with blue being our minimum requirement), the size of features they can tackle, and any tricks they can perform, such as grabs, rotations, and slides.

If you're unsure about your athlete's skill level, feel free to send us video footage for assessment. Alternatively, if you don't have footage available, you can provide a contact number, and we'll be happy to discuss your athlete's abilities over the phone.

At Park Labs, we prioritize honing flat skiing and riding skills on terrain suitable for the team's abilities. When it comes to park sessions, our programs are tailored to the skill level of each group. Some teams may focus solely on small park features, while others may incorporate medium features. We emphasize proper technique on small to medium features, including stacking, loading, popping, grabs, and rotations. As athletes master these fundamental skills and complete the Park Labs Bunsen criteria, they're ready to progress to the advanced Senders programming.

We do not provide transport to our training locations. The geographical spread of our team members throughout the province makes it not logistically feasible for us to do so.

No, lift passes are not included in the price. With the number of days on snow for our programs, it makes more economical sense for participants to purchase a season pass. You will be responsible for ensuring you purchase your own pass before deadlines/pass sales finish for the season.

Unless you are attending an event at another resort, you will not need to purchase other lift passes. When you are at another resort for an event, there are usually discounted day passes provided by the resort for event participants.