It’s Official: Cannonsburg Buys Pando

UPDATE: On November 13, Grand Rapids Fox affiliate confirmed that Pando Winter Sports Park has been sold to nearby Cannonsburg Ski Area, in a deal that was finalized only this afternoon. This confirms our initial report from yesterday, that Pando’s owner had been exploring opportunities to sell the property. It also lays to rest some of the rumors around what might happen to Pando in the future, and according to Cannonsburg’s press release, they have every intention of operating the park beginning next winter season (2016-2017), as well as keeping as many of the current staff as possible. Additional commentary on the Pando sale via MISkiReport.com.

What we know now: Pando Park will be owned and operated by Cannonsburg. Pando Park will not be open for the 2015-2016 winter season, but Groupon deals and passes purchased in advance should be honored by Cannonsburg (according to their Facebook page). Cannonsburg intends to operate Pando Winter Sports Park again, beginning in the 2016 winter season; due to the timing of this transaction, they will not be prepared to operate during the 2015-2016 winter.

This is great news, as it keeps Pando alive, and along with it the living history of the place. It also will continue to provide employment, recreation, and top-notch skiing & snowboarding, under the new management.

In our opinion, this is truly the best of both worlds: skiing and snowboarding will continue at Pando, under Cannonsburg’s ownership and direction. Judging by Cannonsburg’s transformation over the past ~5 years, this can only be a positive thing for Pando, and for the Michigan/Midwest shred scene as a whole.

Note: our original article, below, was published on November 12, and discusses some of the rumors and prospects for Pando Park, before news of the sale was made public and officially confirmed.

There are a lot of things lately that have been surprising me about Michigan and its snowboard history. Some of it I knew and had forgotten, other things are a complete surprise to me. One of those things is Pando Park in Cannon Township Michigan being the birthplace of competitive Snowboarding. This news right now is a bit of a two edged sword. I work only a few minutes away from Pando, yet I’ve never been. Normally, finding out about such a rich history would make me stoked that I could go ride at a place with such history, but now, I may not ever be able to.

Will Pando Park Open This Winter?

It’s long been rumored that the owner of Pando Park no longer wants to operate the area, and has been exploring opportunities to sell the property. While we have not heard through any official channels, there are a lot of rumors that the owner of Pando Park no longer wants to operate the area. This information was recently verified through official sources that cannot be named at this time.

Of course, accompanying those rumors are all manner of speculation: who will buy it? what will they do with it? Many local riders are concerned that, if sold, perhaps the new owners will have other plans for the property, which might permanently put an end to the skiing and snowboarding. From what we know right now, while Pando could potentially open this year, that margin is slim to none.

For the latest updates, follow @agnarchy on Facebook:

Now, ski resorts open and close every year. Normally it’s not worth much more than a mention, and Pando even more so because Pando Park is rope tow only, incredibly small, and doesn’t have just a whole lot to offer from what I understand. The place is nothing but terrain parks and at one time was a great draw until nearby Cannonsburg upped the terrain park game a few years ago. It’s the history of the place that makes me feel it is worthy to write about.

Pando Park: Birthplace of Competitive Snowboarding

While Muskegon Michigan is known as the birthplace of snowboarding, Pando Park is the birthplace of Competitive Snowboarding if we are to believe Jake Burton himself, and I think we all should be inclined to do so. ￼

Pando is finally recognizing in a formal way what happened that snowy day back in 1979, when Jake Burton Carpenter competed aboard his snowboard, transforming a humble Cannon Township ski center into the “Birthplace of Competitive Snowboarding.”

Jake Burton showed up at the 1979 World Snurfing Championships with his first snowboard that was designed to hold his foot in place with little more than a strap over the foot. While Burton was the only one to show up and ride on a snowboard, he still did it, still won a prize, and thus “The Birthplace of Competitive Snowboarding” was Pando Park.

I’m very much a person that is big into never passing up an opportunity because I don’t know if it will ever come my way again. Shredding at Pando wasn’t ever huge on my to-do list. Had I known of this information, it probably would have been, and now, I wish it had. It is entirely possible that I will never get to legally ride at Pando Ski Area as it’s ropes may sit dormant for the foreseeable future. Though, maybe in a way it does it more justice to the lifestyle of snowboarding if I just go poach some lines on a full moon night? I mean, even Burton himself offered a $5000 bounty for the best video of poached lines at the three remaining skier only ski area’s in 2008. Who doesn’t like fresh powder and organic night riding? I know I do.

I don’t care where you ride this winter, but where ever it may be, I bid you to “pour one out for pando”. It’s a sad day in the world of snowboarding, whether you know it or not. Maybe in future years, we will see Pando reopen with it a new owner, but for now, the birthplace of competitive snowboarding will sit idle, waiting until the day someone can revive the ropes that once pulled skiers and snowboarders up the hill and hosted the World Snurfing Championships.

Here’s a little video from last year’s Occupy Pando event:

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