This venerable, longtime Lake Tahoe ski resort will be bringing something new to the table for the 2024-25 season.
For more than 85 years, Sugar Bowl ski resort has been a destination for top-tier snowsports athletes. The resort, which opened Dec. 15, 1939, intends to continue that legacy this season with the launch of Sugar Bowl Parks, a fully reimagined park experience designed to deliver world-class athlete training for freestyle skiers and snowboarders.
Sugar Bowl Parks will offer a seamless progression, from junior development to elite-level performance, providing a foundation for athletes who are hoping to achieve their goals of competing in national and international competitions.
“Our vision is to offer a full-size progression facility that can bring young freestyle athletes onto the world stage,” said Bridget Legnavsky, CEO of Sugar Bowl.
Sugar Bowl is the closest ski resort to Sacramento, located off Interstate 80 at the Norden exit on Donner Summit.
LOCATION: Sugar Bowl Parks is positioned at the heart of the resort – Christmas Tree, at the base of Mount Lincoln.
With the Christmas Tree Express Lift, lap times are expected to be faster and the surrounding terrain provides ideal slope angles for freestyle training.
PROGRESSION VISION: The park features are built for athletes at every level, allowing them to develop skills that can take them from local competitions to the global stage. The new terrain park isn’t just about jumps and rails – it’s about creating a California-based training ground that allows athletes to reach their peak potential.
The full-sized progression facility includes:
- Golden Eagle: Large jump lines and rails (40-50-60)
- Peregrine Ridge: Medium jump lines and rails (25-30-35)
- The Condor: Big Air (70)
Sugar Bowl is the closest ski resort to Sacramento, located off Interstate 80 at the Norden exit on Donner Summit.
Skogan Sprang, Freeski Sport Director for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team, highlights the significance of ski resorts investing in terrain parks.
“Lake Tahoe has such a rich history of producing incredible freeskiers and snowboarders,” Sprang said. “As an athlete who grew up in Lake Tahoe during the golden era of park skiing, there’s nothing I want more than to see Tahoe back on the map as a hotspot for park skiing.”
DESIGN 7 EXPERTISE: Sugar Bowl has partnered with some of the industry’s top people, including veterans like Charles Beckinsale and Steve Petrie.
New Park Manager Mike Shipani and Head Designer Brandon Dodds bring more than four decades of combined experience in designing and building world-class terrain parks.
“I’ve been in terrain parks for 26 years and I’ve done a lot of high performance camps and training,” Dodds said. “I’m really excited to bring kids here (to Sugar Bowl) and provide a place for them to progress their skills.”
ATHLETIC LEGACY: Dating back to the resort’s early years, Sugar Bowl has been at the forefront of snowsports, hosting elite events from the original Silver Belt Classic in the 1940s to the modern Silver Belt freeride competition.
The new Sugar Bowl Parks could mark the next chapter, furthering its commitment to athlete development. The resort hosts ski racing on the Hannes Schroll Speed Venue, big mountain events like the Tahoe Junior Freeride Series, and now terrain park competitions.
For more information on Sugar Bowl Parks, visit www.sugarbowl.com/terrainpark.
