In snowboarding, progression has always been tied to access. Access to snow, to features, to time, and most importantly to each other. In recent years, one of the most powerful yet overlooked tools for rider progression and community building has quietly re-emerged. The local rope tow. Few places outside of the mid-west illustrate its impact better than the Frisco Railpark, home to the only public rope tow terrain park in Colorado.
At the center of this project is Haydn Deane, one of the key minds behind bringing the Frisco rope tow from concept to reality. What started as a summer idea has grown into a year-round hub for riders, reshaping how Summit County snowboards, and offering a blueprint for why more local rope tows are desperately needed. Haydn was cool enough to give us his time for a quick conversation about this passion project that has turned into a promising reality.
Boardslide Mag: Haydn, what role have you played in setting up the only public tow rope in Colorado?
Haydn Deane: In the summer of 2023 I came to my boss at the time and suggested the idea of a rope tow serviced terrain park. I spent the first part of that summer measuring the grade of the hill, getting quotes from a few different companies including TowPro Lifts, and then creating a pitch for the GM of the park to get it going. The rope tow project got approved in that summer and shortly after I took the Recreation Lead position for the Frisco Adventure Park. That winter I brought back the winter hike park at the Adventure Park along with getting all the materials from TowPro in preparation for a grand opening in the spring of 2024. We had a lot of trouble with the tramway and had to modify the set up a couple times, but we opened the rope tow that spring in May 2024. At that point my good friend, Taylor Hovis, joined the crew and we put in permanent towers where the rope tow now resides as well as building a deck, lift shack, concrete anchors for the top and bottom terminals, and a whole lot of feature fabrication. Currently I manage the Frisco Railpark operations and maintenance full time year-round.
Boardslide Mag: What effects on the community have you already seen first hand?
Haydn: The effects on the community is one of the coolest and most welcoming things I have ever experienced being in a terrain park. It’s just different because everyone is riding together and hanging out. There’s no chairlifts that split up the group and there’s no waiting to hit a feature, you just get to the top and go. Between the local riders that come everyday to the events like No Thanks: Galentine's Day Jam and Goon Gear's Goon Jam Tour, seeing the camaraderie that comes out of all those sessions is so fun to watch and be a part of.
Boardslide Mag: What effect on riders progress have you seen in the short time the tow rope has been open?
Haydn: Riders progression is the most notable thing about having this rope tow here in Summit County. We have so many good riders that have come through and spent a lot of time at the rope tow that have gotten so much better and been able to stack so many clips. Having a space that allows you to do a trick 100 times in a row and still have half the day left has allowed these people to unlock their true potential in the park. Some boarders I think of immediately when I hear the word “progression” are the Lynch brothers. All of them were already pretty good riders but it seemed like once they started coming to the rope tow they started getting locked in on all these insane switch ups and combos on rails so dialed every time. The beauty of the rope tow is being able to take a trick and do it so many times to the point that it’s second nature to you.
Boardslide Mag: What long term goals for the Frisco Railpark are you dedicated to achieving?
Haydn: First off my main goal for the rope tow would be to make sure it stays for the long term by keeping it a fun place to be and something the town sees as a good installation to the community. I would also love to host some bigger events and rail jams as well as acquiring and/or fabricating a more diverse array of features for the park. Lastly, in my original proposal for the terrain park I wanted to keep it open until 8pm everyday so that is definitely something I’m working towards in the future. Having somewhere to ride at night after work and mountains close is what Summit county riders need.
The Frisco Railpark isn’t just a success story. It’s living proof. Rope tows are cost-effective compared to chairlifts, require smaller footprints, and serve a clear purpose: progression-focused riding. They provide accessible terrain parks for locals, reduce reliance on large resorts, and foster tight knit communities.
In an era where lift tickets and major season passes are increasingly expensive and terrain parks are often an afterthought, rope tow parks offer an alternative path. They give riders ownership over their space and their progression. They keep snowboarding moving forward.
The Frisco Railpark shows what’s possible when progression, accessibility, and community are placed at the center. If snowboarding’s future is local, creative, and rider-driven, then rope tows aren’t just nice to have—they’re essential.
