VERNON, New Jersey — Snowboarding in New Jersey is marking a major milestone this winter, and Mountain Creek is throwing the sport a huge anniversary bash.

In 1985 only 39 of the 600 resorts in the U.S. allowed snowboarding, and two years later in 1987 Vernon Valley/Great Gorge jumped on the bandwagon. At first riders were required to take a mandatory certification test, but Vernon Valley quickly became the largest Snowboarding School in North America under the direction of Jay Westerveld.

In 1992, the resort built its first half pipe near the base of what is now the Sugar slope. Just two years later, the first dedicated terrain park was born, called Twisted World it was located on what is now Half Moon. After Intrawest purchased the resort in 1998, famed old-school Bear Mountain and Volcom rider Mike Parillo designed the new terrain park, which in 2001 morphs into the Uncommon Ground park. The new park is featured in its first major DVD release, ???Road to Madness’ by Kurt Heine. 2003 marks the birth of the now famous JibLab under the direction of Shawn Orecchio and Julian Arendarski, the very next year Transworld Snowboarding ranks Mountain Creek as the #3 Terrain Park in North America for Best Jib Variety, and the resort gains national attention hosting the first of three annual Chevrolet US Snowboard Grand Prix events, culminating with the naming of the 2006 Olympic Halfpipe Team right her in Jersey. Last, but not least, the winter of 2007 brings the arrival of South, a 65-acre all mountain terrain park which is the Largest Terrain Park in the East.

So whether you’ve been riding for 20 years, or just learned this season, the weekend of March 1st ??“ 2nd is a great opportunity to get out and celebrate.

The Burton Super Demo returns to Mountain Creek February 29 ??“ March 2. The Demo Tour will be held Friday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Vernon Base area. Burton will give riders of all ages the opportunity to try out the hottest new Burton boards, boots and bindings for men, women, girls and boys at no cost. Throughout the weekend, there will be lots of giveaways and prizes from sponsors including Emergen-C, Volvo, Paul Mitchell, and GOR-TEX?®. Please visit www.mountaincreek.com or www.burton.com for more details.

Never been on a snowboard before? No worries. Sign up for Burton’s FREE Learn to Ride program. There will be two three hour sessions on Saturday March 2, beginning at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. and advanced online registration is required at www.burtondemotour.com (space is limited). Each Learn to Ride clinic includes free rental gear, tickets and instruction so there’s never been a better time to get out and start riding.

But wait, there’s more. “Betties Take Over” on Saturday, with Shred Betties’ East Coast stop beginning at 4:30p.m. Stop in The Appalachian to meet new betties to ride with, grab a free snack and win some prizes. This event is open to females of all ages and their male counterparts who support their betty’s awesomeness. No prior snowboarding experience is necessary. Shred Betties is a women’s snowboarding magazine that can be found online and in print at certain shops and resorts. For more information, please visit www.mountaincreek.com/todo/events/2008_March or www.shredbetties.com/calendar/btod.shtml.

After a full day on the slopes, head to KINK at South for the official 20th Anniversary Party and Burton Super Demo after-party.

Of course, we’re also looking forward to the next 20 years of riding Creek, and to celebrate Mountain Creek is hosting a special Scout Weekend. This is the perfect way for young boy and girl scouts to experience everything that the resort has to at a great rate and pick up a merit badge too. There are many pricing options available, but Scout Days tend to book quickly so make your reservation early. For more information, visit www.mountaincreek.com or e-mail [email]gsales@mountaincreek.com[/email].