March 2022 Big Bear Today Magazine

Page 4—March 2022
Resorts have your place to Park
Twenty different parks between Bear
Mountain and Snow Summit, combining
to total 278 separate features
at press time.
Truly the Big Bear resorts are your
place to Park. From longtime standards like
Westridge at Snow Summit, featured
heavily during the inaugural 1997 Winter
X Games 25 years ago and sporting 73 features
in itself, to reconfigured Red Bull
Plaza at Bear Mountain, there’s all kinds
of places to Park in Big Bear.
Jibs and jumps abound at the two resorts,
including boxes, rails and snow features
in all shapes and sizes, for all ability
levels. Along with jumps from itty bitty
hitties to sick massive jump line down the
Park Run at Bear, there’s something to
challenge every skier and snowboarder,
from newbie to seasoned pro.
With late February’s foot-plus snowfall
adding to impressive base depths totalling
over 60 inches, conditions are go-
Red Bull Plaza Parties
Bear Mountain is showing off its
revamped setup in Red Bull Plaza with
free on-hill parties on March 3 and 24.
On those Thursdays from 9 a.m.-3
p.m. skiers and snowboarders can check
out the unique urban-style setup on
Lower Park Run under Chair 9 while
enjoying live DJ. There’s prize and product
giveaways, plus appearances by Red
Bull athletes including famed
snowboarder Benny Milam.
Milam was born and raised in the
Midwest but is a snowboarding natural,
taking the top spot at last year’s renowned
Rock-A-Rail Jam and nabbing
third at the 2020 Winter Dew Tour
Streetstyle. He’s also filmed mind-bending
video parts for Snowboarder Magazine
the past two years.
Red Bull Plaza parties are free with
a lift ticket or season pass. Prize and produce
giveaways available on a first come,
first serve basis while supplies last.
Visit BigBearMountainResort.com
ing off as spring approaches. Almost all
runs and chairs are open as March arrives,
including favorites like Chairs 3, 9, 7 and
11 plus the Bowl Runs at Snow Summit
and all four peaks at Bear, most notably
Silver Mountain and Geronimo.
There’s easy places to Park, none
easier than Easy Street at Bear Mountain,
with six foot long Skill Builder box just
one foot off the snow and two feet wide.
It’s hardly the only spot for novice fun
though; other beginner Parks are found on
Learning Curve and Amusement Park, with
nearly 40 features between the two.
Snow Summit also Parks for learners
on Sundown and Cruiser, be it rollers on
the former to Skill Builder boxes, rails and
jumps on the latter. In all there’s 18 features
for beginners on the two runs.
Once your Park legs are under you
both resorts are ready for the next transition.
Venerable Westridge for instance at
Summit has dozens of features on its 1-1/
3 mile length, boxes, tubes, jumps and
more, many for intermediates. Skill Builder
jump, rollers, table tops and more are featured,
including the famous Wise Man hip
and lots of stuff to bang off, like propane
tank, hydrant cover, hitching post and
more.
Virtually all of Bear’s incredible 13
Parks within The Park have features for
better riders. The Park Run, both upper and
lower sections, is littered with jibs and
jumps top to bottom. Hips, rainbow rails
and boxes, even a van to hit are among the
29 features between the two.
Red Bull Plaza is one of the most
unique, innovative setups found at any resort.
Bear’s award-winning Park staff
partnered with Red Bull to create a downtown
epicenter of urban-inspired features
in a nod to skateboarding’s influence on
the slopes. Some of the hits debuted at the
annual Hot Dawgz and Hand Rails winter
kickoff event.
Located on Lower Park Run below
Chair 9, Red Bull Plaza offers a variety of
features, starting with the ride through container
riders slide in and out of. Then
there’s the 20’ stairs with down rail, corrugated
rail of similar length, bank wall and
city center with urban design. Plus much
more, including a cop car!
The Scene is also unique, a collection
of hike-to hits right above Bear’s 13,000
sq. ft. deck. Session all day on boxes and
rails that rotate frequently so the setup is
always fresh.
From Powderbowl to The Gulch, Hidden
Valley to Gambler, Bear Mountain has
your place to Park. Central Park has an assortment
of tubes and jumps plus the famous
24’ Tex rail. Plus a 10’ Skill Builder
box.
Rounding out Park offerings are
Southern California’s only halfpipes located
right above the deck, allowing riders
to showcase their skills for all to see.
The standard 13’ pipe is next to bigger 18”
version filled with a series of turns for a
different challenge More features are
nearby too, like rollers and table top jump.
Both resorts have plenty for those who
don’t Park too. Bear’s four mountain peaks
serve up a variety of terrain for intermediate
and above skiers and snowboarders.
Silver Mountain for instance is known for
blue square favorites Exhibition and Rip
Cord while Bear Peak, sixth’s highest ski
Big Bear Today
Check out the revamped Red Bull Plaza at Bear, one of 20 parks between the
Big Bear resorts —Photo courtesy Big Bear Mountain Resort
peak in California, is home to Geronimo,
the region’s longest, steepest groomed
double black diamond. Sporting over 1,100
feet of vertical in itself, more than some
resorts.
Yet on the flip side, Bear also sports
the largest beginner area around, serviced
by Magic Carpets, fixed grip chairs and
even high-speed quad Access Express..
Yes, there’s low level Park here too, on Inspiration
and Tenderfoot.
Snow Summit’s famed green circle
and blue square runs are also going off,
like Chair 10 faves Perfect Pitches and
Sugarpine along with nearby Timber Ridge
and 7-Down. Plus Chair 3’s Ego Trip and
Zzyzx—with Park—plus Chair 9’s popular
lower level runs Cruiser, Sundown and
Mainstream. On the other side of the spectrum,
Chair 6 bowl runs are open as well
including The Wall and Olympic, as steep
as any groomed run in the region.
Guests continue to enjoy the free
shuttle running between Snow Summit and
Bear Mountain every half-hour with their
tickets and passes valid at both resorts.
Visit bigbearmountainresort.com for
tickets and information.
Photo courtesy Big Bear Mountain Resort
Features abound at more than a dozen parks within The Park at Bear Mountain; when it’s time for a break park next to a fire pit on the 13,000 sq. ft. deck