Jerry Lopez Big Wave Challenge

Head up to Mt. Bachelor to celebrate the 12th year of the Big Wave Challenge hosted by legendary Big Wave surfer, Mt. Bachelor ambassador, and Bend local, Gerry Lopez. This event, inspired by Gerry’s passion for surf and snow, is a snowboard contest held on a custom-built course featuring a series of huge sweeping banked corners, quarter pipes, and spines, incorporating the natural terrain as much as possible. The result is a series of wave-like features linked up along a flowing course that brings the surf to the mountains, or in Gerry’s summation: “We build waves out of snow and have a surf contest!” The jam-style format allows registered riders of all ages to take runs through the course as many times as they like during their division’s allotted time. Judges will score competitors similar to scoring a surf contest based on speed, power, and flow along with overall performance and impression, with prizes awarded to the top three riders in each division!