Big Bear Lake, CA – With the southern California weather cooling and winter just around the corner, Big Bear Mountain Resorts (BBMR) officials are putting the finishing touches on $1.7 million in improvements and features for the 2010-11 ski and snowboard season at Bear Mountain and Snow Summit, including new Skill Builder Parks and $500,000 in new snowmaking equipment.nBear Mountain will introduce new Skill Builder Parks this winter. Designed for beginning terrain park skiers and snowboarders, these areas offer snow features, rails, boxes and transitions to help guests test their skills and bring their skiing and riding to the next level in a comfortable, pressure-free environment. Each feature has a do-it-yourself instructional sign, offering a trick description and tips on getting started, polishing skills and even ski and snowboarding etiquette.

“We’re excited to introduce Skill Builder Parks at Bear Mountain this season,” said Chris Riddle, marketing director for BBMR. “As southern California’s learn to ski and ride headquarters, we listen to our guests and are constantly looking for ways to improve our parks and stay on the forefront of the industry. These new ‘parks within the Park’ are designed for beginning terrain park skiers and riders as a place to learn and improve their skills in a relaxed setting. We know this is something our guests are excited about and we’re just as excited to debut them this season.”

With nearly unlimited water from Big Bear Lake, BBMR has one of the most capable snowmaking systems in southern California, enhanced this winter with $500,000 worth of new fan guns added at both Snow Summit and Bear Mountain this winter. Staffers have expanded fan gun electrical distribution to several additional runs. Also new for 2010-11, Bear Mountain has purchased two new snowcats for faster, better trail and park grooming.

For the first time ever, BBMR is this winter introducing a special Senior ticket rate for guests 62 and older, an average savings of 20 percent per ticket. Snow Summit has also made improvements to its rental shop this season, and Bear Mountain has remodeled its learning center and combined snowboard and ski rentals in one central location.