The ParkScapers Team
Shawn Letton
Park Labs
Hi, I’m Shawn and am very happy to be working with ParkScapers again. I have been involved with ParkScapers since its inception in the early 2000’s. I moved into helping to manage the program in 2012. I have been in the industry on a full-time basis since 1997 with a focus on programs. I spent my first four seasons as an instructor. From there, I moved onto managing both freestyle and recreational programs in various different roles until 2022. In 2022, I began working for the three Provincial sport organizations (Ontario Snowboard, Freestyle Ontario, Alpine Ontario) doing club development work which wrapped up in the spring of 2023. I currently work for the Senders freestyle programs in both a coaching and administration role.
Throughout most of my career, I have done club development and event work for Freestyle Ontario and started the Provincial slopestyle series for them. I have sat on the Ontario Snowboard board of directors as the freestyle rep in the past. Since 2011, I’ve been working on the Groms series. Groms host grassroots freestyle events for both freestyle ski and snowboard in the Collingwood area and host between 140 – 200 athletes per event.
ParkScapers has been one of my favourite projects to be involved with because without terrain that is safe, stage appropriate and innovative, the sports I love wouldn’t have a venue. I really enjoy being on hill and learning from the expert builders, insurance brokers and operations managers on the ParkScapers team. With the support of the National sport organizations behind us and the amazing skill set of our committee members from across the country I can see the new ParkScapers offering some exciting, new content to help support terrain from learning terrain to parks and cross tracks across the country.
Brian Edwards
Edwards Insurance Brokers
Brian has been involved in the ski industry for over 25 years. His career began at Blue Mountain in 1989 where he started as a ski patroller. After completing university Brian took a position as a financial advisor with a major bank before an opportunity to get back into the ski industry on a full-time basis became available. In 1999, Brian assumed the role of Assistant Director of Patrol Services at Blue Mountain. This position grew into the role of Director of Resort Safety, which involved overseeing the ski and courtesy patrols, emergency procedures and planning, employee health and safety, and risk management.
In August 2006, Brian left Blue Mountain to take on a new position as a commercial insurance broker in Barrie. This allowed him to be active in the ski industry as this firm represented the MountainGuard Insurance program.
In Dec 2020, Brian launched his re-branded firm, Edwards Insurance Brokers while continuing to partner with MountainGuard as their provider in Ontario and the East Coast. In this role, he is responsible for providing guidance and support to existing customers along with new client development in the ski industry.
Brian is a current member and past Chair of the Ontario Snow Resorts Association’s Risk Management committee and is a past member and Treasurer of the OSRA Board of Directors. Brian also sits on the TSSA Lift advisory Committee, and was a member of the CSA Helmet Standard Committee.
Flynn Seddon
Big White Ski Resort
As a world cup snowboarder from 1989 to 1995, Flynn began his career developing freestyle terrain. Throughout his more than 35 years in the industry, he has been a major contributor to the freestyle world of skiing and snowboarding having played a major role in more than 200 events at all levels from grass roots right up to the Olympics.
Previous experience also includes work as a level 2 builder and level 2 technical supervisor for ISF, technical representative for the sport of snowboarding for the Canada Winter Games in 2007, 2015, 2017 and 2019, and 2010 Olympic Games snowboard cross chief of course and ski cross assistant chief of course.
Currently, and since 1995, Flynn has taken on the role of Director of Terrain Parks and Outdoor Events for Big White Ski Resort. He also does work as a private contractor designing terrain parks for other ski resorts. While fulfilling his resort and contracting duties, he finds time to contribute to winter freestyle sports as a member of the Terrain Park Panel for CWSAA, as the president of the BC Snowboard Association, and as an FIS technical delegate.
Among his many career achievements, Flynn has also received recognition from CWSAA as a recipient of the Larrs Fosberg award for outstanding achievement and has been the recipient of the BC Sport President’s award. In 2013 Flynn was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal in recognition for outstanding contribution to the Country of Canada in Sport.
Flynn has been with ParkScapers since 2004 and continues with the program as a valued contributor.
Matt Konings
Horseshoe Resort
I have always had a passion for building, whether it's been a jump at the local toboggan hill, making a rail to session or building ramps and dirt jumps to hit on the bike.
I have been working in terrain parks since 2003 when I started off as a park ranger. In 2014, I started operating a cat and helped build the Sony Snow Crown with Ryan Neptune from Planet Snow who taught me how to build parks and half pipe. In 2016 I was selected to help build the World Snowboard Championship course in Yabuli, China alongside Ryan Neptune and Charles Beckinsale. In September of 2016 I began working for Horseshoe Resort where I became the Manager and builder of their terrain park.
Other past event builds include the Sony Snow Crown (Blue Mountain 2014 & 2015), Air Nation Big Air and Slopestyle (Horseshoe 2017 & 2023), Burton Qualifiers (Horseshoe 2018), Vans High Standards (Horseshoe 2019 & 2020), FSO Canada Cup (Horseshoe 2022 & 2023) and the Timber Tour (Horseshoe 2022 & 2023).
Matt Burke
Lakeridge Resort
Matt began his freestyle career almost 30 years ago as a mogul skier. From the mid 90’s to early 2000’s he was a competitive freestyle mogul athlete. From there he moved on to coaching moguls, park and half pipe for the Southern Alberta Freestyle Club. From there he would move on to become head coach for Osler Bluff's freestyle program.
For the past 15 years Matt has designed and managed terrain parks. He is currently a Supervisor of Outdoor Operations with Lakeridge Resort where he also builds and manages the terrain park.
Brian Gittens
Dagmar Resort
I got my start in the ski industry 25 years ago as a volunteer ski patroller. In 2000, after deciding that I loved the work environment, I quickly moved into an operations role as a lift supervisor. While working in the lift department, I was able to gain experience in all other outdoor departments including snowmaking, grooming and maintenance. In 2010 I became certified as a ski lift mechanic. The experience that I’ve gained over the years while being involved in all aspects of operations has led to a strong background in risk management.
In the Fall of 2022, I was asked to participate on a terrain park panel at the OSRA fall education seminar. With my background, I was able to contribute my experience with how a successful terrain park ties into all other aspects of resort operations. There was overwhelming demand for the information that we offered and it was this discussion which identified the need for a program like ParkScapers to be brought back. I’m happy to be supporting the ParkScapers program in any way that I can and I look forward to working with our team of terrain park experts!
Caleb Bosse
Bosse Contracting
Erika Wright
Beaver Valley
Steve Morrison
Canada Snowboard
Wade Cose
Align Terrain and Events
Clovis Lettre Racine
Le Massif