Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort hosted two major film projects last spring for industry powerhouse TransWorld SNOWboarding magazine. They came to us for one simple reason: you just can’t beat Sierra’s parks.

When it comes to snowboarding, our park builders are among the best in the country. Sierra works with Snow Park Technologies to keep fresh freestyle features appearing all over the mountain – and these two projects highlight just how creative we can get when we put our minds to it.

The first project was the first ever TWS Team Shoot Out – a secret competition between four of the best teams in snowboarding hosted by four of the elite resorts in the west. The innovative project focused on creativity – challenging the teams “to produce the ultimate terrain park shoot and document it in video and photos to showcase the visual possibility in snowboarding.” – from TWS.

Forum team riders Pat Moore, Cameron Pierce and Nic Suave chill out on the dry ice wall ride

Don't try this at home! Forum team rider Cameron Pierce blazes a trail of glory through the burning trees

Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort worked with Forum Snowboarding’s team riders, TWS and local South Shore photographer Ian Ruhter, and Snow Park Technologies to conceptualize and build the actual features.

It’s pretty amazing what you can come up with when you have no limits. The appliance jib was made of more than 30 laundry machines, dishwashers and dryers scavenged from dumps and people’s trash piles. 45 blocks of ice, each weighing over 300 pounds, were stacked up and carved out into the wall ride. The burning trees were leftover Christmas trees (also scavenged from South Shore locals) which were doused in gasoline and then lit – with firefighters standing by. And then, of course, it snowed the entire week of filming, which provided the filmers and riders with an extra challenge.  Don’t try this at home folks! We are trained professionals!

The final video is off-the-hook. Check out our segment, Environmental Awakening.

The September issue of TransWorld SNOWboarding includes an 8-page photo spread produced during the Team Shoot Out. The shots are pretty sick. But then, Ian Ruhter is a pretty sick photographer. And he’s calling this project his “greatest contribution to snowboarding”. Check out his blog post.

Or you can check out some behind-the-scenes shots by Forum photographer Tim Peare, who was live on the scene for the entire shoot.

Sierra Resort also hosted TWS’s 20 Tricks Volume 3: Progression Sessions – a video with professional riders that teaches 10 basic freestyle snowboarding tricks and offers 10 more advanced maneuvers.

Why is this cool you might be asking yourself? Because TWS only selects the top terrain parks in the country to shoot this video. Features have to be perfectly dialed so the trick can be shot again and again and again until the echo sequence looks perfect.

The full video comes out with the October issue of TransWorld SNOWboarding. But here’s a little taste:

Think of it as a resume of sorts. Two huge projects that capture what Sierra is all about for park riders.

Kirstin