A decade or more ago, ski bums would scribble sketches for jumps on bar napkins. Now, professional terrain parks, such as the one used at the X Games in Aspen this past weekend, go through months of planning, 3D renderings, and are shaped using lasers.
Technology has vastly reduced the risk of failure at the X Games, where the slightest edge or imperfection could lead to a major wipeout and serious injury in sports such as big air skiing and the snowboard superpipe. It has also aided in performance by allowing athletes to safely push limits and encouraging them to be creative.