Top 3 Pipes
Mason Aguirre. Buttermilk, Colorado. PHOTO: DARCY BACHA
Buttermilk
Even after X Games pack up, the park staff keep the walls of this beast groomed like it was finals day. The only downside is that the X Park, where the pipe is located, shuts down in preparation for X Games from January 8. This year Buttermilk plans to re-open the pipe February 1. Lift tickets are good at any of Aspen’s four mountains so if you’re in Aspen and pipe is closed there’s always the 12-foot and 22-foots pipes at Snowmass’s Park.
Stats
Length: 560 feet
Pitch: 18 degrees
Mammoth
Built on a solid foundation of dirt work, Mammoth’s 22-foot Superpipe was the first in the nation to open last season—a point of pride for the Mammoth park staff. Feedback about the condition of the pipe is key to this crew who work hard all winter to keep the transitions kink-free. That’s part of why you’ll Danny Davis, the Mitrani bros and members of the US Snowboard team using this pipe to keep their game on point. There’s also an 18-footer that’s cut nightly if you want to take things a little mellower.
Stats
Length: 550 feet
Pitch: 18.5 degrees
Breckenridge
Breck added its 22-foot Freeway Superpipe back in 2010 and since then they’ve kept it in prime form. This winter Breck hosts the first major competition of the season, The Dew Tour, from December 13–16. The walls are cut nightly so you know they’ll be holding their shape from then until the lifts close.
Stats
Length: 585 feet
Pitch: 17.5 degrees
TAGS: breckenridge, Buttermilk, Mammoth, resort poll, Resort Poll 2013, top 3 pipes
