The Fall Line: Intrawest To Build Village At Solitude

Intrawest has plans to develop an intimate, four-season destination resort village at the base of Solitude, Utah. It’s the corporation’s first entry into the Utah ski market. Through an agreement with Solitude Ski Corporation, Intrawest will acquire and convert land at the base of the mountain into a self-contained pedestrian village. Solitude will retain ownership of the mountain, all resort facilities, operations, and common areas. About 250 residential units and 40,000 square feet of commercial space will be developed. The first phase of the project is expected to be offered for sale in spring of 1999.

Intrawest is also adding its personal touch to Panorama Mountain Village. It has doubled the ski area and started a ten-year development plan for what it’s calling the ultimate Canadian mountain resort.

Boreal Changes Name

Long known as Boreal Ridge and then updated to Boreal Ski Area, the resort will now go by the name of Boreal Mountain Playground to reflect the diversity of activities it offers. The new name encompasses its passion for the acceptance of all snowsports and its development of summer activities.

Sugar Bowl And Santa Cruz Snowboards Promotion

Purchase a new Santa Cruz snowboard in Northern California and receive a free lift ticket to Sugar Bowl. If the warranty card is sent within fifteen days of purchase, a ticket comes back in the mail.

Sugar Bowl will be offering "How To" sessions with the Santa Cruz team on December 27 and January 16. Team riders Marisa Stoler, Darren Cingle, and Tracy Latzen all live in Truckee and ride almost exclusively at Sugar Bowl.

Sugar Bowl has also assembled its own team with new additions such as Jason Wordal, Tracy Latzen, Tara Zwink, Paul Laca, Jason Cockrum, Jason Toth, and Janna Meyen.

Crazy Eddie Builds Parks At The Canyons

Renowned halfpipe and terrain park guru Crazy Eddie from Sugarloaf, Maine, will work his magic in creating the largest terrain park in Utah. Snowboarders of all levels will get their adrenaline rush in this new park featuring tabletops, banks, and more. Crazy Eddie’s playground is located just above the Sun Lodge at Snow Canyon. Also located at Snow Canyon will be one of Utah’s largest halfpipes called the Launch Pad. It’s a competition size, USSA-certified halfpipe more than 425 feet in length.

The resort’s Perfect Turn snowboard clinics have the number-one rated P.S.I.A. Intermountain Division staff in Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming. This group directs the snowboard clinics that teach all the fundamental skills of snowboarding, from the basics to full-on free riding. The guaranteed learn-to-ride program includes a 75-minute lesson, top-of-the-line snowboard rentals, and a lift ticket for the new High Meadows Learning Area, which is accessed by the Flight of the Canyons Gondola.

Stowe Relocates Pipe

This season, the Stowe halfpipe will have a great new location and an exciting new addition. The pipe will be moved to the North Slope trail to make it steeper and longer. In addition, snowboarders will find a very different entry into the pipe in the form of the new Stowe "Yurt." The Stowe Yurt will be a 30-foot-diameter tent made of canvas and a wooden frame. Stowe’s home away from home for nomadic snowboarders will have skylights, lots of sunny windows, comfy couches, a snack bar, and a large sundeck for socializing and events. There will also be a stereo system providing the halfpipe with 900 watts of music power and video equipment including a 27-inch TV, VCR, and camcorder. To check for the upcoming events on the pipe take a look at: www.stowe.com

New Copper Mountain Snowboarding Programs

To meet the needs of riders of all ability levels Copper has two new terrain parks and two halfpipes on tap for this winter. The Expert Terrain Park will be under the Timberline Express high-speed quad chairlift. Copper again will construct its Intermediate Terrain Park and mini pipe on the Liberty trail under the American Flyer lift.

Instituted last winter, the overwhelming success of the Copper Team will see the program expanded this season. Pro-riders Chad Otterstrom, Kendall Whelpton, and Matt Peterson again have committed to ride for Copper.

The Swatch World Cup Boarder-X and Copper’s "Skate and Ride" event will return, and at least one additional, major snowboarding event will round out the schedule. Each year Copper also hosts its annual Snowboard Series.

New Terrain Park At Angel Fire

There’s a new terrain park being developed at the top of the Angel Fire Resort. The park has been designed with everyone in mind and is located on the Angel Food ski run next to the NASTAR race course. The new terrain park represents another phase of Angel Fire Resort’s ten-year, 40-million dollar master plan. More than ten-million dollars has been invested into the resort operations since November 1995.

New Mountain High Expands Snowboarding Commitment

The New Mountain High is building three top-to-bottom terrain parks with expanded beginner and intermediate sections, and two competition halfpipes this season. One terrain park will be located under the West Resort’s Conquest chairlift and the new competition pipe will be at the base of the East Resort. The halfpipes will be maintained by the resort’s Pipe Grinder, a 40,000-dollar snowcat attachment that precisely and consistently cuts top-quality pipes.

The resort is also offering the Guaranteed Learn to Snowboard Package. Provided daily, this package includes a two-hour lesson, snowboard-boot rental, and a lower-mountain lift ticket. The Guaranteed Learn to Snowboard Package is 45 dollars for adults and 35 dollars for children ages nine through twelve. The mountain also boasts a new 2,500-square-foot snowboard rental facility complete with ticket windows, group check-in, and a rental fleet of over 1,300 boards.

Mammoth Replacing Gondolas

The "Panorama" Gondola is the first installment in a two-year project to replace Mammoth’s gondola system. The cabins will whisk boarders from Mid-Chalet to Mammoth’s 11,053-foot summit in nearly half the time of the older system. The eight-passenger cabins feature cushioned seats, a quiet ride, and 360-degree views from one of the best vantage points in the Eastern Sierra.

Winter X-Games Return To Crested Butte

The third-annual ESPN Winter X-Games will be held January 14—18, as more than 200 of the world’s top extreme athletes compete for more than 200,000 dollars in cash and prizes. Among the events in this year’s Winter X-Games are snowboarding (including big air, boardercross, slopestyle, and halfpipe competitions), ice climbing, skiboarding, snowmobile snowcross, skiercross, and a freeskiing competition new to the Games.

The Fifth Annual Sector Sports Watches U.S. Extreme Boarderfest is set for March 28 to April 2, 1999, and will feature both classic extreme snowboarding competition on Crested Butte’s wild terrain, and halfpipe and boardercross competitions held near Crested Butte’s base area.

Squaw Valley A Mecca For Snowboard Fun

Squaw Valley offers some of the best riding facilities in the Sierra Nevada. Central Park East, below High Camp and off of the Riviera Chair, contains two halfpipes and terrain park accompanied by a sound system. Night lights are turned on evenings from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (conditions permitting). Each day, halfpipes are buffed by a state-of-the-art Pipe Dragon grooming machine.

Ski And Ride Utah: Merger Reflects Industry-Wide Change

Ski Utah has merged with the Utah Snowboard Association, creating the Utah Ski and Snowboard Association. The Snowboard Association formed when many Utah resorts didn’t allow snowboarders on their mountains. Through programs such as Snowboard Patrol–a resort peer policing group–and "Ride with a Naturalist"–an opportunity for boarders to learn more about the mountains–the Utah Snowboard Association focused on education and promoting the responsible and positive aspects of snowboarding. Ski Utah’s Eric Zerrenner, who initiated the merger, felt the timing was right. "I felt it was appropriate for Ski Utah to not only recognize and accept snowboarding, but to take an active role in promoting and selling the sport in conjunction with ‘The Greatest Snow on Earth’," said Zerrenner. Along with Ride Utah comes their Web site: rideutah.com It is now linked to Ski Utah’s site: skiutah.com

Brian Head Improves Snowboard Park

Moving toward offering an all-mountain experience, Brian Head has made improvements to its snowboard park. The new park features nearly two miles of big-air jumps, tabletops, hits, spines, gaps, and rails. It runs from the top of the Giant Steps chairlift and follows the lift line, ending at the Giant Steps Lodge.

Winter Park Creates Snowboard Friendly Atmosphere

Winter Park’s terrain, maps, and volunteer programs are attracting more riders every year. Knuckle Dragon, Winter Park’s halfpipe, was relocated allowing for better performance and more opportunities for less-experienced riders. The resort also works to accommodate all levels on its two playgrounds–Mountain Dew Mad Hatter and The Rolls. Ride Guides, signs that give snowboard-specific mountain information, have been added. Terrain Park Ambassadors will be patrolling parks, monitoring conditions, demonstrating techniques on obstacles, and using courtesy and awareness. The Rider Improvement Center creates special classes with a goal of helping adults and children enter the sport. And the Winter Park Snowboard series gives amateur riders the chance to compete in halfpipe and boardercross. Also available are three-day Women’s Snowboard Camps. Beginners learn together and more advanced riders form groups according to ability level. Packages include lodging, lift tickets, equipment, tuning, yoga, meals, and farewell party.

Snowmass/Aspen Complete Boarding Experience

Snowmass is showing dedication to freestyle snowboarders by constructing one of the largest collections of man-made terrain features in Colorado. Riders will find four new snowboard-specific terrain parks. There are also two new halfpipes serviced by a Pipe Dragon groomer. Located at the "Trenchtown" park/pipe area in Coney Glade, the premier pipe will be 400-feet long and constructed to competition specifications. Right next to it, a second pipe will provide a more mellow practice environment. Members of the halfpipe and terrain-park crews will serve as "ride guides." These local riders will give mountain tours between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. every day to point out the best hits and secret stashes on the mountain.

The resort will also offer Off-Piste Tours of Aspen Mountain Powder Tours. Led by pros from ski and snowboard schools of Aspen, Off-Piste Tours are based on the European guide system. The tours will explore off-piste steeps and glades at Snowmass and Aspen Highlands.

New this season, two-day, adult learn-to-snowboard camps will be offered at Buttermilk. Camps will be led by director of snowboarding Kevin Byford and will be offered: December 19—20; February 6—7; February 20—21; February 27—28; March 6—7; and March 13—14. The price of 595 dollars for the two-day program includes lift tickets, lessons, equipment, daily breakfast, lunch, post-ride, and T-shirt.

The new riders’ source Web site: rideaspensnowmass.com will provide everything snowboarders need to plan a winter vacation.

Attitude Meets Altitude At Snowbird

Snowbird is now offering a new terrain park with sculpted jumps, obstacles, hits, and a halfpipe located on Big Emma in Gad Valley. It offers a variety of challenges for all ability levels.

Women’s snowboard camps will be offered January 13—16, and March 3—6. There are also halfpipe camps offered February 13—15, April 2—4, and May 29—31 (conditions permitting). Both camp participants will receive five hours a day of on-hill coaching, continental breakfast daily, a welcome reception, closing banquet, and more. The price is 325 dollars (lifts not included).

Snowbird’s Mountain School offers both group and private snowboarding lessons. For more information on rates and clinics, or to make a reservation, call: (801) 933-2170.

Heavenly Rolls Out New Snowboard Game Plan

With a record high for snowboarding visits last year, plans for this season include two new parks, two new halfpipes, ride guides, and a new team at Heavenly. Both parks will be positioned near lifts for easy access with complete snowboard service stations located nearby. Events scheduled to date include Heavenly’s first boardercross, a halfpipe competition, and the continuation of the local’s favorite Sunday Huckfest Series.

Heavenly is spending ten-million dollars in improvements for the new season. Plans include the replacement of two existing lifts with new high-speed detachable quad chairs and a new 3,450-square-foot daycare facility and expanded 6,740-square-foot Perfect Turn Kid’s Center. Snowmaking will be added to two runs, a winch cat and Pipe Dragon will be added to the grooming fleet, and the resort will continue with its current erosion and slope stabilization program.

New England’s Cranmore Dedicated To "Snowplay"

Snowboarders can carve it up on all 38 trails at Cranmore Mountain, plus take hits off the new halfpipe, located in the Bad Dog Terrain Park. To guarantee riders take their snowplaying to new heights, Cranmore Mountain has purchased a Bombadier Halfpipe Grinder to develop and maintain the halfpipe.

Snow Summit Improves Amenities And Snowboarding

Snow Summit is continuing to improve its snowboarding operations by adding another freestyle park, making a total of six in addition to two halfpipes. Ego Trip has now become a dedicated park all season long. Westridge has over a mile of terrain that includes the famous Wise Man, Tex’s, and Pole Hip jumps. The East Why Supercross track is a permanent boardercross track of whoops, bank turns, rhythm sections, and jumps. Zzyzx has funboxes, a quaterpipe, and a full-size halfpipe with a twist. Little Air Lines mellow jumps, rollers, and bank turns are the perfect place to learn to jump. West Why is a world-class halfpipe serviced by its own surface hand-tow so riders don’t have to hike.

Other improvements include a Bombadier HPG that joined the snowcat fleet to maintain the halfpipes. Snow Summit doubled the size of its rental facility as well as its snowboard and boot inventory. Riders can get a current Park Report by logging onto www.snowsummit.com A toll-free, 24-hour snow report can now be reached at: 1-888-SUMMIT-1.

Shanty Creek Donates Chairlift To U.S. Olympic Education Center At Northern Michigan University

The Shanty Creek Resort has recently replaced four existing chairlifts with five new quad lifts as part of a multi-million dollar upgrade of its skiing facilities. As a result, the old yellow chairlift from Schuss Mountain will be donated to Northern Michigan University’s Superiorland Nordic Training and Recreation Complex (SUNTRAC) in Ishpeming. The lift will be used by the United States Olympic Education Center (USOEC) and members of the Ishpeming Ski Club.

Jackson Hole Adds Terrain

Jackson Hole has added some new terrain this season. It’s called The Track, an enhanced natural terrain park with a quaterpipe, big-air jumps, spines, berms, and table-tops. Mike Parillo is the consultant who will be helping them keep the flow. A halfpipe has also been added and groomed by a HPG Bombardier.

Telluride Offers Snowboard Camps And Clinics

The Telluride Triple Threat Snowboard Camp is an intensive training program designed to teach the specific skills necessary for riders to be comfortable in a wide range of terrain. The camp covers freeriding, carving, and freestyle providing confidence to go anywhere on the mountain. The dates are: January 25—28, February 8—11, and March 1—4.

The Slopestyle clinics focus on freestyle, park, and pipe riding in the SURGE Air Garden. It’s a continuos learning program that meets three days a month. Dates are: January 8, 15, 22, and February 5,19, and 26.

The Air Garden Freestyle Camp involves instructors teaching teens ages thirteen through eighteen the latest freestyle techniques. For five days students work with instructors in groups of similar age and ability. Dates are December 20—24, and March 8—12. For information call: 1-800-801-4832.

New Look For Loveland Terrain

Loveland’s terrain park takes on a new look this season with the help of the professionals. Representatives from Sims will be instrumental in designing places for freestyle riding. Tabletops, gap jumps, spines, are some of what the park will offer this winter. Loveland’s terrain park will be modified and redesigned periodically in order to maintain variety for regular riders.

Mount Bachelor Hosting Snowboard Series

Starting in January, Mount Bachelor will be hosting "The Enter the Dragon" Snowboard Series. Presented by High Cascade and Morrow Snowboards, the dates are: January 17, February 28, and March 14.

Mount Bachelor keeps on improving its terrain. All enhancements have been designed by professional snowboarders for snowboarders. They appreciate input and want riders to stop by and tell them what they think.