Big Mountain's superpipe axed

Resort to redirect resources to other terrain park features

Whitefish Mountain Resort announced Monday that it will no longer offer a regulation superpipe for the 2008-2009 winter season. The resort will focus instead on other features in the Fishbowl Terrain Park.

In the area formerly occupied by the superpipe, the resort will add an expert jump, a quarterpipe and a permanent boarder- and skier-cross course, with more additions planned in other areas for future seasons.

"Overall, we're coming off the most successful season the terrain park has ever had," Winter Sports Inc. president Dan Graves said. "We felt like we did a good job of building it, and we were definitely excited about its popularity. The idea is to continue to expand and improve upon that success, but to be more efficient about it."

Officials at the resort cited naturally-imposed limitations, as well as time and resources, as the main reasons for the decision.

"We have realized that if there are any limiting factors at all, such as insufficient snow-making temperatures or early season snow, it is impossible for us to construct and open a superpipe that meets our standards at a reasonable point in the season," Graves said. "So we've made a conscious decision that we're not going to plan on offering something, knowing ahead of time that it may not live up to our standards and public expectations."

Graves said the resort has the ability to make a small amount of man-made snow compared to other resorts, and building the superpipe each year required a large majority of the resort's snowmaking ability.

The resort first offered the superpipe, a 450-foot long, 65-foot wide U-shaped feature, during the 2005-2006 ski season. Graves said that after a considerable initial investment and three years of building and maintaining the pipe, the feature's weather dependency became clear.

"Last winter, the resort got 426 inches of natural snow," said Graves. "It was a best-case scenario season, and it took us until early January to open the pipe."

During the 2006-2007 season, Whitefish's pipe opened in mid-February. In the 2005-2006 season, it wasn't opened until March. Ridership was another factor in the decision.

"Of course, there are many people, including almost everyone who works here, who enjoyed skiing and riding the pipe," Graves said. "But when you consider the electricity, the millions of gallons of water and hundreds of gallons of diesel that go into building a superpipe, it really matters how many of our guests are using it. In our case, the demand didn't stack up against the time, water and fuel being used. It was a hard decision to make, but in the end it seemed like an irresponsible thing to continue doing."

Whitefish Mountain Resort has endorsed the National Ski Areas Association's Sustainable Slopes Charter.

The removal of the super pipe is not an indication that the resort is downgrading the terrain park's importance.

"The pipe was difficult to deliver and demand was light, but the Fishbowl overall was by far the largest, busiest and most polished it's ever been," said Josh Knight, who heads the Fishbowl Terrain Park.

The resort is plans to add two permanent skier- and boarder-cross courses — one in the Fishbowl aimed at intermediate users and one in the Chair 6 area aimed at beginners, especially children. Cross courses include banked turns and undulating terrain.

"These won't be used primarily for competition," Knight said. "They'll be for everyday fun. Our competition boarder-cross courses are closed to the public when we build them, so it'll be exciting to offer something similar to everyone."

The resort will also offer a true quarterpipe for the first time. A large grooming implement known as a Zaugg was purchased and used to cut the superpipe. Groomers will use the same implement to shape the new quarterpipe, which will be 40-to-60 feet wide and have a wall height similar to the superpipe.

"The quarter pipe will give riders an opportunity to do the same kinds of tricks you see done in a half pipe," said Knight. "But we'll be able to build and maintain it much more consistently."

Overall, resort officials are excited about the direction the terrain park is taking.

"It's sad to lose something we've all worked so hard on the last few years," Knight said. "That being said, it really is the right decision, and it will allow us to do an even better job of making the Fishbowl a world-class terrain park experience. I'm looking forward to the future."