Superpipe, terrain park offer plenty of freestyle fun

There's a serious buzz going on the west flank of Big Mountain.

It's been going on like that since the freestyle terrain park opened this year under Chair 3, but last weekend it kicked up a notch with the opening of the new Superpipe, a 450-foot-long, 57-foot wide halfpipe carved into the snow.

You could feel the energy of the people enjoying the Superpipe. From dads on telemark skis to kids on snowboards, everyone wanted to get a feel of what it's like to ride up an 18-foot wall, then kick around and dive down into the pipe.

It was easy to see who was good at this art, made popular in the Olympics and on ESPN.

Matt Sadler, 23, a snowboarder sponsored by Big Mountain and Spirit Skate Shop, was one of the top performers on Sunday.

"Dropping in!" Sadler announced - as is protocol - then he would jump off one side of the face and shoot up the other side. Sadler worked on this move over and over again - shooting down one side, up to the other, then back, only 50 feet or so from where he started. He'd kick off his snowboard and make the short hike back up, then do it again, dropping in, nailing a trick like an off-axis, nearly inverted 360 or the simpler big-air Method.

The Superpipe, while popular among snowboarders and freestyle skiers, obviously isn't for everyone. That's why nearby under Chair 3 is the Fishbowl terrain park.

Littered with jumps from 3 feet tall to 40 feet high, the terrain park has a place for almost anyone to grab some air in a relatively safe environment.

Music pumps from a set of speakers at the top of the Fishbowl, laying down a beat that keeps your toes tapping inside your ski boots all the way back up the chairlift. At the top of the park, riders and skiers queue up, waiting their turn down the series of jumps, boxes, tables and rails. One group of riders sported "XS Energy" jerseys - reflecting their sponsorship from the national energy drink company and hoping to capture a few looks from the young folks in the park.

While there are plenty of big tricks happening over on the Superpipe, the Fishbowl has its own allure. The Team XS riders were going big off Tabletop, the 40-foot jump in the middle of the park. For Dan Holguin, Team XS's captain, the terrain park is where it's at.

Each week Big Mountain groomers switch the jumps and rails around, spicing things up a bit.

"I don't ride the pipe," Holguin said. "That's a whole different ballgame over there. A whole different skill level. On the terrain park, there's something for almost every skill." It helps that the terrain park action is viewable from the chairlift. "So when you've got your team out there, everybody's checking you out," Holguin said.

ANOTHER team of snowboarders rides for Spirit Skate shop in Kalispell. You'll find these guys in the terrain park and on the Superpipe.

Spirit owner Mark Delorme Jr. said the addition of the Superpipe has infused local snowboarders - many of whom are skateboarders also - with a new enthusiasm.

"It's a big pipe, and kids are really killing it," Delorme said. "The pipe is really cool. It's good for the young kids in the valley to be able to progress in."

One of Spirit's top riders is Sadler, well-known locally for his big tricks.

The Superpipe replaces a smaller version that Big Mountain had a few years ago. Bigger is now better, riders say.

"There are better transitions to land in," Delorme said.

Delorme, 24, didn't have amenities like the Superpipe and terrain park when he was growing up, but he's psyched that freestyle skiers and snowboarders now have a place to play. It just helps the whole snowboard/skateboard scene," he said. "Having both the park and the pipe is really good. It's an all-around awesome thing."

Chance Cooke, Big Mountain advertising and communications representative, said the Superpipe became a hit the day it opened. "Response so far has been great," Cooke said. "We've gotten a wide range of people who are utilizing it."