SNOWSHOE, West Virginia — Snowshoe Mountain’s annual freestyle competition, The West Virginia Open, will take place this Saturday, January 26, with the region’s richest rail jam. Skiers and snowboarders of all ages and genders are invited to compete for the $4000 cash purse. The top skier and snowboarder will each walk away with $2000. Hard and soft good prizes will also be awarded. The region’s best freestyle riders compete annually in The West Virginia Open, which is now in its 3rd year at Snowshoe.

The event will take place Saturday evening at 5:30p.m. on Skidder Slope, the mountain’s beginner teaching area just outside the Shavers Center and central Village. The event is extremely spectator friendly, and a killer atmosphere will be set by a DJ spinning tunes slopeside. Immediately following the event, an awards presentation will take place.

Registration will take place from noon-3p.m. Saturday at the Depot, located in the Village at Snowshoe. Participants may also pre-register by calling 1-877-441-4FUN. Warm-ups will take place on Skidder beginning as the slopes close at 4:30p.m., with the event starting an hour later.

Participates will have plenty of opportunity to prepare for the event this week at Snowshoe. The resort received 16″ of fresh powder last week and up to 5″ of snow is forecasted for this week. Conditions are among the best of the season at Snowshoe, with 53 trails open and more expected to make their season debut before the weekend. All the new snow has also had Snowshoe’s Terrain Park Crew hard at work. New and improved features have been built and added in all four of Snowshoe’s freestyle areas; Spruce Glades Terrain Park and Powder Monkey Terrain Garden at Snowshoe and Mountaineer Terrain Park and Timberjack Terrain Garden at Silver Creek.

For more information on Snowshoe’s 34th winter season, please visit our homepage, http://www.snowshoemtn.com. Daily snow and condition reports can be found at www.snowshoemtn.com/mountain/win-mountain/snowreport.htm.