Industry News
Every freestyler’s favorite European alpine playground is opening this week in Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland. Schilthorn’s Pända Snowpark (formerly Skyline Snowpark) reopens for special early freestyle sessions starting Saturday, September 27, with its “Pända Weeks” season kick-off. From this date, riders can take advantage of a pre-season terrain park in the Engetal zone, featuring snow preserved via summer snow farming to build early jumps and jib features. The Pända Weeks will run until October 26.
What to Expect This Weekend
- The park opens at Engetal for limited freestyle use, with snow from stored piles that has been shaped into terrain features.
- There will be two sized jumps: approximately 8 meters and 16 meters, as well as a varied jib setup for rails, boxes and more.
- Capacity is limited: riders must book in advance via Pända Snowpark sessions online.
- Ticket prices for the Pända Weeks opening are CHF 55 for adults (20+), CHF 32 for teens (16-19), and CHF 32 for younger children (6-15).
- Please note that you need to reserve your spot—no walk ins possible.
About Pända Snowpark & Schilthorn
The snowpark was formerly known as Skyline Snowpark but has now been rebranded as Pända Snowpark in collaboration with Pända Freestyle AG, a company founded by former freeski athletes Jonas and Cyrill Hunziker. The rebrand reflects a push to bring new energy and visibility to freestyle skiing and snowboarding in the Bernese Oberland.
The Schilthorn-Piz Gloria ski area offers 54 kilometers (34 miles) of groomed runs serviced by 17 ski lifts. With a peak elevation of 2,970 meters (9,744 feet), Schilthorn-Piz Gloria is the highest ski resort in the Bernese Oberland. From the peak at Piz Gloria, visitors can enjoy spectacular panorama views to the world-famous peaks Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. The revolving restaurant at the peak of the Schilthorn is named Piz Gloria after the fictive peak in James Bond’s “On her Majesty’s Secret Service.” The restaurant was built for the filming of the James Bond movie featuring George Lazenby, while the novel’s peak is actually in the St. Moritz ski region. “Piz” is the Rumantsch word for peak, while Swiss-German is spoken in the Bernese Oberland.Perched above Mürren and rising to 2,970 meters (9,744 feet) at the summit, the resort offers sweeping views of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. The Pända Snowpark sits in the Engetal sector, an area prized for its altitude and snow reliability. The full Schilthorn-Piz Gloria ski area will not open until early November.
- Related: Schilthorn-Piz Gloria, Switzerland, Launches the World’s Steepest Aerial Tramway This December
The park itself is designed to cater to a wide range of freestyle riders. Jib lines, rails, and boxes provide creative options, while carefully shaped kicker lines challenge more advanced athletes. Its setup evolves throughout the season, ensuring fresh features for repeat visitors. Beyond the slopes, Pända Freestyle has been expanding its reach with youth camps and even a freestyle training hall in the valley, a sign of the sport’s growing infrastructure and appeal in the region.
Launching the park this weekend is no small feat—but thanks to reliable snow farming, Schilthorn is able to enable some of the earliest freestyle sessions in the Northern Hemisphere. For athletes eager to train and fans ready to watch, the Pända Weeks opening brings the action back to the mountains in late September.
