The Nordic center is located in Canmore Alberta and catered successfully to Olympic cross country skiing and Biathlon winter sports.  Through summer and shoulder seasons the center remains open for sightseeing, frisbee golf and cross country mountain biking on established skiing trail infrastructure. 
 
With overwhelming pressure from the Canmore community to have authorized dirt jumping and freeride opportunities, Nordic Center management got together with the Town of Canmore to develop dialogue regarding possible partner solutions.  Saddled with the speed of bureaucracy from the town, the Nordic center  brought in Hoots directly, working with the local community to develop a plan for a Skills Park hosted by the Nordic center itself.
 
 Members of the community came out in full force to help build in wet, snowy conditions and even more showed up for the weekend  build when the sun came out!  Details on some features were left to the local riders and the Nordic center took responsibility for maintenance while trying to encourage the local riders to stay active in the park with shovels.
 
The Nordic center had complexities and required some creative thinking in order to meet challenges like constrained budgets and working through rigid Provincial Parks process. Determination matched with community support paved the way for a positive and effective (heavily used) Skills park while inspiring the Town of Canmore to look into two separate future park opportunities.