Official Operator Spotlight: Joel Bowman
Halfpipe protégé. Leading the charge for Mammoth Unbound.
Joel Bowman is currently in his 18th season of operating. He is the Halfpipe Supervisor at Mammoth Mountain in California, and he also is regularly contracted to build halfpipes across the country. Joel is the protégé of renowned halfpipe builder Frank Wells, and he is a force to reckon with in his own right, with a stellar reputation for excellence.
Tell us what helped you get to this point.
A lot of hard work and staying consistent, operating every season. Having love for snowboarding (and freeskiing), putting all of myself into making it the best I possibly can. Also, learning from your mistakes and showing up.
If you had to pick just one thing, what would you say has been the highlight of your career so far?
All the amazing people I’ve got to work with and learn from.
What feature or capability of PistenBully machines/products do you find most critical for your work?
I’d say for me the 600 Winch that holds the 22’ cutter.
What is your best advice for mentoring/training?
Stay patient and trust the process. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
What do you hope to see PistenBully offer in the future?
I hope that PistenBully continues to do what they are doing and lead in snowcat manufacturing.
What's something you want others -- especially those who are not familiar with your line of work -- to know about snow grooming?
That snow is not the same; depending on where you’re doing a project, it can be completely different from other places. Mammoth, compared to Copper, or Aspen, compared to Timberline, are completely different techniques in building halfpipes.
What do you do in the summer?
I help build the halfpipe camp in Timberline at Mt. Hood, and after that, I build new rail features at Mammoth.
