Heavenly at Lake Tahoe to open halfpipe after a 5-year hiatus

At noon on Saturday, Jan. 19, Heavenly Mountain Resort at Lake Tahoe will celebrate the return of the halfpipe after a five-year hiatus. With the help of Heavenly’s High Roller Freeride Team, the high-energy ribbon cutting ceremony will feature a DJ, giveaways, EpicMix Photos with the lovely Heavenly Angels, and free swag from Red Bull and Nature Valley.

The halfpipe can be accessed via Canyon Express Chairlift on the California side of the mountain inside High Roller Terrain Park, which will also be opening for the first time this season on Saturday. It is currently the only halfpipe on Lake Tahoe’s South Shore.

“With Lake Tahoe as a backdrop, this halfpipe will feature, hands-down, the best views from any halfpipe in the U.S.,” said Pete Sonntag, Heavenly’s general manager. “Heavenly is committed to providing the most high-energy atmosphere possible, and the return of the halfpipe and the attention we’re putting into our parks really shows Heavenly’s ‘All In’ attitude.”

Heavenly High Roller Team member Kyle Smaine will kick it all off with a short exhibition and ribbon cutting at noon, and then guests will get the opportunity to show their stuff. Additional members of Heavenly’s High Roller Freeride Team, local pro skiers and snowboarders, will be meeting with guests and signing posters. The team members will include Brent Whipple, Natalie Vitalie, Nick Geisen and Chris Geisen.

Heavenly has teamed with Snow Park Technologies to create the 18-foot-tall and 450-foot-long halfpipe that is designed to accommodate a variety of ability levels and encourage a learning environment. The 16.5-degree angle of the slope provides an ideal amount of boost out of the pipe for all types of skiers and riders. The halfpipe’s location and north-facing orientation creates a uniform consistency between both sides of the pipe, meaning one side won’t melt faster than the other.

“This is easily the best pipe we’ve ever had here, and we built it in record time – just nine days,” said Heavenly Terrain Park manager Mike Thomas. “The collaboration between the Heavenly Terrain Park Crew, SPT, snowmaking and grooming was really impressive.”

Of Heavenly’s three High Roller-branded terrain parks, High Roller Park is the premier park. It has been re-designed this season to include rails, boxes, jumps, and other fun jib features, both above and below the location of the halfpipe. This layout creates the ultimate mix of park and pipe, all in one run.

For more information on Heavenly’s High Roller Terrain Parks, or the halfpipe, visit www.skiheavenly.com.