Perisher Opens Super Pipe (01-Aug-10)

Perisher, Australia, August 1, 2010 - Australia's only superpipe

Australia's only Superpipe made its season debut on Front Valley at Perisher today. Measuring just under a 100 meters (328 feet) long, 16 meters (52 feet) wide and with walls over 5 meters (17 feet) high, it is the only halfpipe of its type in Australia.

It took a dedicated team of groomers over ten days and around 9000 cubic metres of snow to build the Superpipe complementing Australia's largest and best free-ride facilities.

Perisher's general manager of marketing, sales and hospitality Gary Grant said:  "The grooming team have worked hard all week and through the night to get the pipe finished. Opening the pipe testimony to the excellent snowmaking system Perisher has invested in over the past few years.

Building Halfpipes and Terrain Parks has become a specialised field in ski resorts worldwide due to the increasing popularity of free-riding. Perisher's specialised Terrain Park Cat (a specialised grooming machine) is used to shape and step out the transition.  Snow is pushed up the walls of the Pipe giving it strength and structure. A Half Pipe Grinder, the only one of its type in Australia, is then used to shape and finish the walls.

It is planned that Australia's Winter Olympic Halfpipe Gold Medallist Torah Bright will be in attendance at  the Superpipe during The 2010 Australian Junior Halfpipe event on Saturday 14 August and as an added opportunity Perisher has also launched a special promotion to "Board with Torah for a Day" via their website.  Intermediate or better snowboarders may enter to win the contest by filling out the form and answering a few simple questions.

The winner and two of their friends will each receive a lift ticket for the day and four hours on-snow with Torah on Saturday, 14 August from 9am to 1pm.  Entries must be submitted by 5pm on Wednesday, 11 August and the winner will be the first correct entry drawn on 12 August 2010.

The competition entry form and details of the promotion can be found at www.perisher.com.au/winter/torah_comp/index.php.

Further information on Perisher and the PlayStation Slopestyle Park which now includes the Superpipe and a massive 70ft jump, can be found at www.perisher.com.au.

Visit Perisher's Parks and Pipe Blog at www.perisher.com.au/blogfusion/ and view live streaming vision of the Superpipe and Front Valley action at http://www.perisher.com.au/winter/snowreport/front_valley.php

For further media information please contact: Neil Thew (Perisher) 02 6459 4526

For editorial images, please email pr@perisher.com.au