The world's first transitional
snowboarding halfpipe cutter. The Pipe Dragon was invented in 1990 by Doug Waugh (1943-1999). Before the Dragon, halfpipes were constructed by hand with shovels, rakes, and lots of manpower. The Dragon made it possible for
ski resorts to groom halfpipes quickly, consistently, and daily.
The Dragon uses a huge, quarter circle shaped arm attached to a snowcat and fitted with lots of small augers. The Dragon is driven down the pipe twice, cutting a fresh transition on each side.
Riding at resorts with dragons is awesome. The pipe is always fresh every morning and that nasty icy overhang that makes you fall so consistently never gets a chance to build up. Most resorts that have world-class halfpipes and nearly all halfpipe competitions use dragon-cut halfpipes.