Mammoth Unbound is upping the ante for 2014. TJ Dawoud has taken over as Manager, and is living up to his rep as one of North America’s top terrain park builders by helping refine Mammoth’s already famous park. As the official training grounds of the US Olympic snow teams, Mammoth will maintain up-to-date Olympic training facilities and a 22′ halfpipe.

Additionally, Unbound Playgrounds, small parks geared towards beginners, will now be at each base lodge, while two new “Fun Zones” will make their debut, again targeting beginners looking to progress to the bigger parks.

For more info on Mammoth’s new digs, check out the press release below:

Mammoth Lakes, Calif. – Terrain park enthusiasts and riders looking for a more adventurous time on the slopes, as well as anyone who has ever wanted to try catching big air in a terrain park all have new reasons to visit Unbound at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area this winter. Unbound—which encompasses a collection of terrain parks and fun zones—is introducing updates and changes that will make Unbound a freestyle skier’s dream while helping beginners and kids feel more comfortable learning how to master the park features through the “Art of Progression” philosophy. Here is what’s on tap at Unbound this winter:

TJ Dawoud Takes Unbound Helm
TJ Dawoud is the new Unbound Manager. Dawoud grew up in Connecticut and lived in Vermont before moving to Mammoth in 2006, where he has garnered a reputation as one of North America’s top terrain park builders. His accomplishments include designing and constructing features and courses for Super Park, Grand Prix Slope Style courses, and numerous high profile photo shoots, including Burton, Volcom, and Armada. Dawoud’s precise and consistent attention to detail is one of the reasons top athletes from around the world continually choose Mammoth.

“The Unbound has a great tradition of bringing cutting edge thrills to our guests. TJ lives and breathes the Mammoth brand, and we are fortunate to have someone with his skills and experience leading such an important part of our company,” said Mark Brownlie, Managing Director of Athletics at Mammoth Mountain. “I am especially looking forward to seeing how TJ and his team engage a larger audience of our guests, by implementing innovative family friendly programming for the coming season.”

Dawoud will work closely with the cat crew to develop a more comprehensive training program, which will allow for more world-class builders to expand their skill set and further enhance Unbound’s offerings. He has managed every large-scale build at Mammoth for the last four years including Monster, Transworld, TGR, and U.S. team training facilities. Dawoud and his team will also oversee what are arguably North America’s most important halfpipe and slopestyle courses for the Mammoth Mountain Gran Prix, where the US Snowboard Team will be named for the Sochi Winter Olympics.

Olympic Freestyle Training Facilities
Olympic athletes have been training at Mammoth for years and will grow further as Mammoth becomes the Official Training Ground for the U.S. Ski & Snowboard teams. In addition, Mammoth Unbound will have a continued commitment to the Olympic Freestyle training facilities, keeping them in pristine condition for the athletes to train all season in preparation for the Olympic games in Sochi, February 2014.

Increased Commitment to Families and Beginners
Not just for elite skiers and snowboarders, Unbound has long had something to offer families and beginners alike. This winter will bring expansion of the “Unbound Playground” introduced last season, which will now include three individual offerings—one available at each base lodge. Unbound Playgrounds are progression parks that allow beginners to learn how to hit the features on a smaller scale before progressing to the larger parks. The Playgrounds will help guests elevate their skills as they descend through these progression parks. Features found here are the first introduction to terrain park features, with mini-boxes and jumps that get slightly bigger with each step.

In addition to the expansion of the Playgrounds, Mammoth will offer two new “Fun Zones” at Eagle and Main Lodges. The new family-friendly areas are the perfect introduction to all-natural enhanced terrain with features such as mellow rollers to small snow spines.

Not Your Typical Terrain Park
Also new this year: the creation of “Rhythm Ridge,” four acres of bowls, berms, banks and bumps inviting enough for beginners, but also full of hidden hits for advanced skiers and riders. Staying at the vanguard of park design means the Unbound architects keep a close eye on emerging trends within the realm of snowsports. They recognize that there is a sizable group of skiers and riders out there—from pros to parents and their kids—that has little interest in jumps and rails, but desires enhanced terrain more exciting than the average groomer. Rhythm Ridge enables riders of all abilities to create his or her own cadence, a truly unrivaled offering that provides fun for everyone.

Less Snow = A Better Half-Pipe
Crews were busy throughout the summer completing the 22’ halfpipe dirt work, which will decrease the amount of snow needed to build the pipe. This will allow it to be built faster and with more snow left to additional features, and ultimately open earlier.