Our Fun Slope is open, and our skiers and boarders are loving the new addition to the hill!  We held our grand opening on Friday, January 22nd.

Working with private contractors and city staff, the Chester Bowl Improvement Club was able to facilitate the addition of a new run- our “Fun Slope”. This newly skiable area is peppered with berms and waves of snow, creating a unique ski and snowboard experience that skiers and boarders of all ages are sure to love. We had another problem- this area was not adequately lit! Without new- and expensive- lighting, we would need to close this area off each day after darkness fell. This wasn’t a good option for us, so we sought out partners to make a lighting project happen.

I can’t overemphasize how much we rely on the generosity of individuals and businesses to help us accomplish projects like our FunSlope. As a very small non-profit with only 2 year-round staff, we could not make this happen otherwise.

Thank you to the following individuals and organizations who contributed to this project with a donation of time and/or materials:

For our lighting project: Scott Haedtke, Gausman and Moore, initial lighting plan; Brandon Smith, Holophane, donation of lighting materials; Jordan Oja, Corey Eye-lee, and Dale Tikka, Simco electrical work and materials; The Minnesota Power Foundation for a grant for the light pole and installation.

City Crews were also heavily involved in all aspects of this project: Joe Miller, overall planning and oversight; The entire Parks and Rec trails and trees crew, including Ben Sosnieki, Bob Bugbee, Bob Dunsmore, Billy Davis, Darrin Frankoviak (also our lead groomer who constructed the snow elements); Doug Rosas, Larry Abrahamson, Todd Halbakken.
The project also included a new lower lift building: Bryan Thoreson, Mark Kettelhut, Tony Livingston, Rick Hanson

As a volunteer driven organization, we also are indebted to our volunteer Board of Directors and Development Committee.  The idea began with recently retired Executive Director Thom Storm- Thank you for your vision, Thom

We appreciate all of the local media coverage we received.  You can see what everyone is saying about the Fun Slope at the links below.

http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/news/local/Fun-Slope-at-Chester-Bowl-opens-366317901.html

 http://www.wdio.com/article/stories/S4026103.shtml?cat=10335

 http://www.fox21online.com/news/local-news/a-beloved-duluth-park-gets-a-new-attraction/37590728

 http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/video/1yjstIXT