See some of the world’s top freeskiers in action when the Big Bear Open returns on March 8-9, and get ready for some incredible air at Bear Mountain.

    Nearly 100 of the sport’s best freeskiers are expected to participate in the Big Bear Open, which has a history of attracting the best in the industry and is an athlete favorite thanks to the great weather and Bear’s innovative all-mountain freestyle park. At press time there were 66 snow features and 61 jibs spread around the mountain, not one but two pipes and quarterpipe, four mountain peaks...what else could a Freeski Tour need? And it’s all open to everyone with a lift ticket, every day in March!

    Big Bear Open is the second stop of the Paul Mitchell 2008 Opens Freeski Tour, which opened in February at Breckenridge, Colorado and is sanctioned by the U.S. Ski Association. That in itself is notable, because freeskiers for the first time now earn both USSA and FIS points toward World Cup qualifying for these events.

    Some of the world’s top freeskiers will be participating, including last year’s winner, Taylor Seaton, plus 16-year-old rising star Bobby Brown, a fourth place finisher at Breckenridge, and X Games participant Taylor Felton. A $20,000 purse awaits the top finishers.

    Halfpipe, Rail Jam and Slopestyle disciplines are featured in the event, and Bear Mountain is ideally suited to host all three. Pipe action is held in Southern California’s only competition-quality Superpipe with 17 ft. sidewalls, which allow the skiers to get some incredible air as they do flips and stick their landings switch (backward) on twin tip skis.

    Slopestyle is another Bear specialty, as last month’s course for the “Goofy versus Regular” snowboard competition as part of The Park Wide Open demonstrated with huge jumps and killer jibs up and down Central Park. And what better spot to host a freeski rail jam but in Bear’s renowned collection of hike-to hits in The Scene...and under the night lights, no less, for an apres party!

    Everyone’s invited to come up to Bear and see the show, most of which can be viewed with a front row seat from the 13,000 sq. ft. deck. Practice gets underway in the Superpipe at 8:30 a.m. Saturday before qualifying in a jam format that allows riders to make multiple runs from 9:30-11:30. Finals are from 1-3 p.m. and expect to see freeskiers soaring up to 20 feet or more out of the pipe, while sticking some incredible spins and rotations!

    Last year’s Superpipe was held after dark, with riders emerging out of smoke and lasers during a spectacular show. In 2008 it’s the rail jam’s turn to go under portable lights in The Scene on Saturday evening...again, the deck affords prime viewing and the base lodge is open too.

    Sunday, March 9 sees slopestyle competition in Central Park, one of freeskiing’s most exciting shows. The world’s best really air it out off 30 foot jumps, soaring like eagles before landing either forward or switch. Practice begins at 8:30 a.m. followed by more jam session qualifying from 9:30-11:30. Should be a great show, just like the finals at 1-3 p.m.! Many of the athletes called the Breckenridge event, hosted by world renowned freeskiers Jon Olsson and Simon Dumont, “the greatest open freeski contest in history.” The tour concludes with the third event at Mount Snow on March 22-23.

    Spectating is free and look for giveaways by sponsors including Paul Mitchell, which has been an avid supporter of freeskiing since 2004, Navy, Spyder, Fischer, POC Helmets, Armor, and Freeskier magazine. Fusion TV will tape a one hour television show at Big Bear Open that will broadcast on Versus (formerly Outdoor Life Network).

    Call Bear Mountain at (909) 585-2519.