(Press Release)
Verdi, NV – June 11, 2013 – Unlike many of Snow Park Technologies’ (SPT) projects which are constructed specifically for competitions and use by professional snowboarders and skiers, the Red Bull Urban Plaza that the crew built at Bear Mountain this season was an incredibly complex, custom design specifically created for resort guests of all ability levels to ride. Recognized as one of the first mountains to allow terrain parks and support freestyle snowboarding, Bear Mountain in Southern California has a special place in the crew’s heart – it’s where SPT got its start.
“We’re really psyched to have this SPT project here. Even though we probably have one of the best parks in the country and really embrace that whole culture, we’ve really never done anything of this magnitude,” said Brent Tregaskis, general manager of Bear Mountain.
The build will include features that fill two tractor trailers, including a signature GoPro up-flat-down feature that is 40-feet long, 8-feet wide and 12-feet tall with a box on one side and a rail on the other. Upon completion, this one-of-a-kind feature will house GoPro cameras that will film snowboarders and skiers as they ride over it. The second component is a “park-in-a-box” – a shortened shipping container that is built to mimic an urban street skate spot, where every surface is rideable.
“One thing that’s super cool about this build at Bear; almost all of the other stuff we do is all for professional athletes, whether it’s competitions or end of season photo shoots for magazines,” said Aaron Dettling, designer and project manager at Snow Park Technologies. “This one here at Bear – this is for the public.”
“Bear of a Job”
Thursday, June 13, at 8 p.m. ET/PT
Gunny heads back to Bear Mountain, Calif., the resort where SPT got its start 20 years prior. Here, with co-founder Mike Binnell, they’ll create a high-tech “mini city” on the last stop of the Red Bull Urban Plaza run. The plan is to start with a 40-foot long stairless feature that will lead to a shipping container that has been transformed to look like the facade of a police station, and is accompanied by a set of “fast-planters” jibs. A severed cop car will be attached to the side of the wall, which will stick out enough to create a rideable surface. SPT pairs with GoPro to install cameras to allow riders to watch the moves they have just performed at the plaza, a technology component that SPT hasn’t done before. Between the three features and the added technology component, SPT will have their work cut out trying to complete the project within their four-day build window.
Mountain Movers is produced by Good Clean Fun for the National Geographic Channel. For Good Clean Fun, Jason Carbone and Sarah Kane are executive producers. For National Geographic Channel, executive producer is Michael Mavretic, senior vice president of programming and development is Kevin Mohs, executive vice president of programming is Michael Cascio and president is Howard T. Owens. General Motors is a co-producing partner and Chevrolet is the lead media partner of Mountain Movers. For more information about Mountain Movers, visit www.snowparktech.com or National Geographic Channel.
