This change carried an element of risk. In Southern California, snowboarding comprises 65 percent or more of the customer base, and these riders demand a superior product—and Snow Summit was the one recognized for its progressive terrain parks. The only way to avoid any potential customer fallout from the change of venue was to build a park system and youth-oriented environment, for skiers as well, at Bear Mountain that would simply blow away anything that had ever been done before.
With approximately 150 total terrain features on as many as 20 different runs, the All-Mountain Park is the most extensive and intricate freestyle-park ever built. At the peak of the 2002-03 season, it included:
- about 100 snow features, including all sizes of tabletops, step-ups, step-downs, Vader-tables, transfers, rollers, banks, spines, hips, quarter-pipes, volcanoes, a standard sized halfpipe and the only Superpipe in southern California
- 50 jibbing structures, from beginner hits to advanced rails and boxes.
With the elements in place, Bear Mountain played host to both amateur and world-class events and the reviews were excellent.
The next challenge is coming with even more creative ways to keep the clients happy for next season.
Photo captions (clockwise from top left): Looking down Boot Hill and Gambler runs where the largest features can be found. The right side of Bear Mountain, which holds many of the features, including the Superpipe and halfpipe. “The Scene”, located at the base area, is designed with three or four progressive hike-to jibs so riders can master them before they go out on the hill. Warning signage is posted at the top and bottom of every lift on the mountain. When you get on a lift, you are entering the park.
Bear Mountain’s beginner program uses designated “Smart Terrain” when teaching first-timers.
The park layout and feature placement constantly changes to keep it fresh and exciting.
Bear Mountain’s 2002-03 Jib Inventory
- 1 — Single Barrel Rainbow rail
- 1 — 30 ft Single Barrel Tex rail
- 1 — 33 ft Double Down Single Barrel rail
- 1 — 24 ft Curved Single Barrel rail
- 1 — Camel Toe Single Barrel rail
- 1 — 14 ft Triple Barrel rail
- 1 — Nixon Flat box
- 1 — 30 ft Flat Down box
- 1 — 30 ft Gateway box
- 1 — 30 ft Flat box
- 1 — 20 ft Flat box
- 1 — 20 ft Pandora’s Box
- 1 — 20 ft Nixon Step-up box
- 1 — 14 ft Flat rail
- 2 — 10 ft Flat rails
- 7 — 20 ft Flat rails
- 1 — 20 ft Ledge rail
- 1 — 30 ft Ledge rail
- 1 — 20 ft Freedom rail
- 1 — 20 ft Stair rail
- 1 — 20 ft 45 Angle rail
- 1 — 10 ft A-Frame rail
- 1 — 15 ft Gateway rail
- 1 — 15 ft Flat Down Flat rail
- 1 — 14 ft A-Frame rail
- 1 — 36 ft Flat Down rail
- 1 — 33 ft Kenobi Kink rail
- 1 — Super Gateway rail
- 1 — 25 ft A-Frame Rainbow rail
- 1 — Rainbow to Flat rail
- 1 — Flat to Up to Flat rail
- 1 — 32 ft Double Down rail
- 1 — 10 ft Double Barrel rail
- 1 — 20 ft Double Barrel rail
- 1 — 15 ft Double Barrel A-Frame rail
- 1 — Double Barrel Rainbow rail
- 1 — Double Barrel Waterfall rail
- 1 — 40 ft Double Barrel S-rail
- 1 — 10 ft Rainbow box
- 1 — Bear Mountain Wall Ride
- 1 — 8 x 16 ft Wall Ride box
