Those who are not quite able to follow in the footsteps of the Steele Spences of the world can take heart, because there are two other terrain parks on Buttermilk, geared for beginners and intermediates, respectively.

The S3 beginner terrain park (S3 stands for Ski and Snowboard Schools of Aspen) features box rails no higher than a couple of inches off the ground. As many as eight novice sliding features are located on the upper Spruce run, although a couple will be moved temporarily in mid-January to accommodate the X Games skiercross course.

On Midway Avenue is the Midway intermediate park. Here you'll find four box rails and three jumps, with nothing bigger than a 20-foot table.

Riders of all ability levels can play in Buttermilk's superpipe, which this year has been lengthened with 130 feet of dirt. That makes this monster, at 530 feet, one of the biggest in the industry (pipes are usually about 400 feet long).

The extra dirt also saves terrain park crews from relying completely on snowfall and helps the pipe stay open later in the season. After the X Games, a beginner halfpipe is planned for Panda Peak.

Many locals are discovering the joy of a new style of riding.

"It's really exciting; it's so different than everything we do around here," said Dina Bloom, an expert telemark skier who recently got hooked on Buttermilk's terrain parks. "It's the butterfly in the stomach - you don't know if you're going to make it or crash. It's getting over your fears."

Bloom said she likes the fact that Buttermilk's beginner rail yard is progressive, starting with the easiest box and gradually getting more challenging. The jumps, she said, are a little more difficult to master.

"It's not hard launching, but . . . good skiers are used to being close to the ground," she said.