Grand opening held for BigAirBAG at Blue Mountain
ELSA KERSCHNER/TIMES NEWS Heidi Lutz, marketing director; and Joe Musumeci and Greg Piggesi, owners of sponsor Liquid Lightning, watch as Jim Dailey, general manager of Blue Mountain, second from left, cut the ribbon to formally open the BigAirBag on Jan. 9.
A DJ at the US Luge Challenge at Blue Mountain Ski Area saw a small area of unused land alongside the Lower Paradise ski run. He told Jim Dailey, general manager, that it would be a good place for a BigAirBAG. It was something he had seen in Windham, N.Y.
A BigAirBAG is designed for people who want to "catch some air" during their skiing or boarding trips to a ski area, said Heidi Lutz, marketing director at Blue Mountain. It provides a safe landing for anyone who wants to practice air maneuvers or perfect their skills. The bag is placed in front of a ski jump for a safe landing.
Dailey was fascinated by the idea and went to Windham to see the one there. He liked what he saw and started the process of adding it to the terrain park because it seemed a natural fit.
The bag at Blue Mountain is 56-feet long, 35-feet wide and 12-feet thick - thick enough for a safe landing. It refills in seconds after someone lands on it, and is ready for the next person. The bag is a variation of the fall cushion used by professional stunt people.
The bag was nine months in the process from the planning stage to the ribbon cutting last weekend. It was made in Holland.
Joe Musumeci and Greg Piggesi of Liquid Lightning energy drink, sponsors of the BigAirBAG, helped cut the ribbon during the grand opening.
"I know Blue Mountain is part of Liquid Lightning and we're part of Blue Mountain. We are one big family," said Piggesi. "We created a relationship."
Lutz said she was the first person to use the bag. She said it provides a variation on stunts and is the best way to have fun in the Poconos. The bag is the first in Pennsylvania and the largest in the entire country.
"We're excited to have it here. It's going to be great fun," said Dailey.
"Here in the valley people can see it. There was power nearby (to inflate the bag)," said Dailey.
An additional ticket is required to go with the regular lift ticket. Saturdays and Sundays the BigAirBAG is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Thursdays and Fridays it is open from 4 to 9 p.m, and select holidays.
