Katal Innovations and Mammoth Mountain teamed up to bring the progressive invention to the slopes of California’s Eastern Sierra mountains over the past week and a half, allowing thousands of potential up-and-comers to practice everything from Indy Grabs to double-corks.
Katal Landing Pad's debut in Canada
The Landing Pad is probably the best and safest way to learn new tricks. Riders get to huck themselves into a big inflatable bar, but instead of just landing in marshmallow-like softness, the air bag extends past the deck of the jump and down the landing of whatever jump it sits on. This way…theoretically…if you spend enough time dialing your chosen trick, then you could ride away on the pad, giving you the ultimate confidence before you try it on snow.
The Landing Pad was brought to Mammoth from May 22- May 31 and became an instant hit. The locals were loving it every day, and since Mammoth is one of the few resorts that is still open in the states, a fair amount of pros were around to give the toy a try. Everyone who came up for late-season shredding on Memorial Day wanted to ride it too, and the line to drop in rivaled the gates at Six Flags.
This oughta speed up your learning curve
The Katal Landing Pad has made a few appearances in Canada, and one in Colorado, but this was the first time it made it to the west coast. So if you want to keep up with the aerial madness you see from the like of Travis Rice and Seb Toutant, start putting together a PowerPoint, giftbag, or healthy bribe in order to get your local mountain to bring the landing pad to you next season!
Mammoth Mountain is open until the 4th of July this year, so even though the Landing Pad is gone you can still get up there and jump into some soft, slushy snow before you’re forced to spend the rest of the summer watching teaser after teaser waiting for that first flake!
