Actually: as a way to keep young impressionable minds from reaching for gates with their outside hand when their shoulder axis isn't anywhere close, bamboo is still useful.
That said: stubby/HERO gates are more useful these days to keep the technical underpinnings more relevant to modern skis and technique. But I've been known to break out bamboo when U14 and U16 athletes whose lines aren't conducive to outside hand gate clearing need a reminder not to reach for the gate. I'll also do "jungle slaloms" with 'boo as a way to force things like hop turns and the like.
But these days the bamboo is primarily used for stringing ropes, timing cables, and the like.