What’s new for the 2019-20 Season at Bristol Mountain.
Snowmaking Upgrades
Bristol continues to be committed to investing in our snowmaking infrastructure each year as a part of our strategic goals. This year we are replacing the fan guns on Upper Rocket with fourteen new SMI Puma Fan Guns, which translates to more concentrated snowmaking on Upper Rocket. With 28 fans now from top to bottom, “You would think that we were in Virginia with that level of spacing”, said Paul Trippi, Bristol’s Mountain Manager.
What does this mean for guests? Greater concentration of snowmaking equipment allows us to make more snow during the same time period on Rocket than we were able to previously. “We do have to plan for shorter windows for snowmaking and to be able to take advantage of ideal snowmaking conditions when they happen so that we can provide great snow and consistent operations all winter long”, explains Dan Fuller, Bristol Mountain General Manager. Our entire team of snowmakers agree and can’t wait for the first round of snowmaking this fall.
Continued Work on the High Point Terrain Park Project
Remember the rainy spring that we had? It finally dried out enough in June for us to finish, grade, and seed Sunset and Lower Challenger where the new snowmaking was installed last fall. The finished grade on Lower Challenger created a larger finish area for Mikey’s Jump, establishing a better viewing area for special events.
This fall we will complete construction of a permanent judges building on Mikey’s Jump in the High Point Terrain Park. The building will be one of only three other permanent aerial judges’ buildings in the United States and will feature a unique deck that will overhang the landing providing judges and coaches with excellent viewing of the athletes. The addition of a judges building will allow for events and competitions to be held at the site, which is perfect timing as it has just been announced that Bristol Mountain has been awarded the bid to host the 2020 & 2021 U.S. Aerials Freestyle Championships. The four-day event will welcome the United States’ top athletes to compete for the National Championship at Bristol Mountain (the finals will be held on March 14, 2020 and March 13, 2021, respectively), providing spectators ample opportunity to watch athletes soar to heights over 50 feet in the Bristol Valley.
Widening of the Intersection of Eclipse and Infinity
This winter you will notice a significant change to Eclipse and Infinity with the installation of the new culvert, drainage, and the widening of the corner where Eclipse and Infinity meet. These changes will improve visibility by making the intersection wider and more visible from both points of entry.
New Comet Race Center for Bristol Mountain Race Club
The Comet Race Center has been completed and this season it will be the premier race center in our region. The Bristol Mountain Race Club is excited and ready to use it! The new building, located at the race start, features a video room that will allow the club to analyze their runs, providing a better training environment for athletes.
Summit Center Parking Improvements
We continued work on the parking area at the Summit Center making it more suitable for buses and guest parking. A new scenic walkway was constructed from the new parking lot to the Summit Center to facilitate easier guest access to the Nordic facilities. The path will eventually be lighted at night with lighting equipment ordered and planned to be installed.
It has been a busy summer and fall and we will continue to make improvements up until the snow finally starts to fly. We can’t wait to see you on the slopes this winter.
