“20 years ago, I was 17. Almost each and every day, I made my way up to the mountains after school. If it was not for the park, I certainly would not have reached the skill level that I had and I probably would have never played a big part in the international snowboarding scene”, Ästhetiker legend and Mayrhofen local Rudi Kröll says. These days, his kids are already working on their skills at the beginners’ area. Contest rider Bernd Mandlberger has also been part of the Penken scene since the early years. He scored his best result in the 90s, when he bagged a 3rd place at the notorious Ästhetiker Jäms. Today, he is working as the technical supervisor at one of the biggest and most legendary snow parks of the Alps and, for the coming season, he has got quite a few aces up his sleeve when it comes to the setup – “Obviously, we are totally stoked on the optimized pro line with two kickers – one massive jump for each decade, so to say. It also features a cool end section and we are going to get a couple of amazing birthday presents in the form of various brand-new obstacles – an 8m step rail, a 10m quad kinked rail, a 12m single pipe flat rail, two new jersey barriers and two additional flat rails.“

Over the course of the last season, 20 episodes of “Penken Truth“ were produced. The shape crew’s weekly video clips, which are released straight out of the park, are now going into season 2! This winter, the new park designer Norbert Benauer is leading the 12-headed crew and all of them will be putting a maximum amount of effort into keeping the park in perfect shape. “I am totally looking forward to the start my work. It is definitely very special to become park designer here at Mayrhofen after 20 years of Penken Park. Obviously, our main duty is to provide all the riders with a top-notch setup once again this year. It is my goal to shape the park in the most creative ways possible, especially the jib area, so that the park will attract all riders throughout the entire season.” Just like last winter, apart from the park, there will also be the Penken Fun Ride, where you can take various speed runs in between the park laps and the side trips to the backcountry.

And there is certainly no end in sight! On January 6, 2018 all the young guns are invited to take part in the Groms Open, on February 3, the Penken Battle which is part of the legendary QParks Tour is going to the next round and two weeks later it is time for all the shred queens to show off their skills at the Girls Shred Session on February 17. These are only three of various amazing events, there is even more to come – this winter, the Zillertal Välley Rälley hosted by Ride Snowboards will also make a stop at the Penken Park on March 10 and 11, a week later the Go Shred Penken Bingo is taking place on March 17. Plus, there is also one more occasion to chant “Happy Birthday, Penken Park!” from April 9 to 14 at the annual Snowbombing. Hence, if you are down to get your maximum dose of shred action and are ready and set to celebrate 20 years of Penken Park in style, you should already be marking these dates in your calendars!

You can find all the news and updates on the Penken Park on Facebook, Instagram, the park app for Android Smartphones and iPhones as well as on the Website of the Mayrhofner Mountain Railways. Stay true!