CHAMPION, Pennsylvania — Seven Springs Mountain Resort announced today that it will open a new terrain park and “Superpipe” for the upcoming ski and snowboarding season. Excavating has already begun on the new attraction that will further enhance the experience of the mid-Atlantic’s number one ranked ski resort and help attract even more visitors to the region.

The Superpipe at Seven Springs will be much larger than the resort’s current halfpipe. The walls of the Superpipe will be as much as 18 feet high and full competition length of 450 feet, allowing snowboarders and skiers to traverse from side-to-side jumping well above the lip of the Superpipe and landing on the side wall allowing the rider to re-enter and cross the pipe again.

The terrain park, which will be located immediately above the superpipe, will feature various riding elements that will be fixed into the ground allowing riders to “hit” or ride them while skiing or snowboarding down the mountain. Elements will include numerous straight stairway style railings, various curved railings, numerous ramps, tabletops, and other snow formed features.

To ensure the absolute best quality of the new attractions, Seven Springs has obtained the services of Planet Snow Design, the same design company that has been responsible for designing many of the industries top event venues such as the U.S. Open and 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Superpipes. The resort has also purchased a second Zaugg grooming machine to allow for the extensive grooming of the new Superpipe, making it the only resort in the mid-Atlantic and one of only two in the East to make this significant investment to operate two Zaugg grooming machines.

“Snowboarders and extreme or advanced skiers are looking for an enhanced riding experience. The addition of the new Superpipe and terrain park, along with the commitment to maintain the quality of the new features, will give those visitors an experience that can not be found anywhere else in the region,” said Scott Bender, Chief Executive Officer of Seven Springs. “This is a great example of our new owner’s commitment to improving the resort experience for our guests to ensure they return to the region again and again.”

The Nutting family, who purchased the resort in July, is focused on enhancing the resort’s reputation as the premier four-season, family-friendly destination, according to Robert Nutting, Chief Executive Officer of the Nutting family-operated Ogden Newspapers.

“We will continue to improve the overall experience by adding additional amenities in order to continue to attract new customers and continue the dynamic growth of Seven Springs,” said Nutting. “The new Superpipe and terrain park are great examples of that. These continued improvements will allow us to realize the resort’s true potential as a year-round economic driver for the region. We will continue to embrace the hottest trends to ensure Seven Springs stays on the cutting edge.”

Consistent with the national trend, Seven Springs Mountain Resort has seen the number of snowboarders and freestyle skiers dramatically increase during the past few years. The sport of snowboarding has grown in popularity since the inception of the ESPN X-Games and, more recently, its recognition as an official Olympic sport in 2002. The same is true with the latest craze of freestyle skiing where skiers utilize “twin tip” skis to perform extreme tricks. It is a trend that can be seen in the increase in sales of twin tip style skis, which has increased by 230% over the past year, according to Bender.

“The demand for the new Superpipe and terrain park is there. They are the hottest commodity to which freestyle skiers and snowboarders look for in a resort,” said Bender. “This is a way of giving those customers an area to enjoy their craft, while not impeding the experience of our other customers looking for a more traditional skiing experience.”

The new Superpipe and terrain park will be situated on the front side of the mountain near the Alpine Meadows slope in full view of the Main Lodge. This will allow guests the opportunity to observe the excitement of extreme snowboarding and skiing while enjoying the resorts other amenities.

In addition to the existing halfpipe, Seven Springs Mountain Resort currently has two smaller existing terrain parks and a children’s skills park.