Official Operator Team
Introducing the first-ever Official Operator team for PistenBully North America.
PistenBully North America is proud to introduce our first-ever Official Operator Team. These individuals were selected based on their experience, their skill, and their character. They are the pinnacle of what we know PistenBully operators can be. Through a rigorous application process, we built this team — for ourselves, but also for you.
The Official Operator Team is something to strive for and aspire to. These operators are experts with a wealth of knowledge, and you’ll see them featured on our social channels more frequently in the coming months. Our team is comprised of two of the largest names in park grooming, Landon Taylor and Frank Wells, as well as 19 other individuals from across the United States and Canada. Meet them here:
Frank Wells
With 29 years in a snowcat, Frank is widely considered to be the best halfpipe builder in the world, working on an international scale.
Frank has been the master of precision behind some of snowboarding’s most notable events. His favorites include Peace Park, Shaun White’s Project X, Simon Dumont Double Cube, Snowpark NZ, the RedBull Double Pipe, and X Games.
““The new joystick, to me, for cutting, is the best joystick ever invented... The fact that the cats continue to progress says a lot about the brand. They listen to the people who build this stuff and ride it.”
Landon Taylor
With 24 years in a snowcat, Landon is a top park builder in the United States, now operating as an independent contractor.
Landon spent 15 years as a builder with Snow Park Technologies, a long-running partner of PistenBully. He has recently branched out into some off-snow applications, running a PistenBully for Hangtown Motocross National and Spring Creek Motocross National.
““It’s the unwavering support. The equipment is superior and efficient, creating the best terrain parks and pipes.”
Jake Slaminski
Mammoth Mountain; Mammoth Unbound
Manager of Unbound Terrain Parks. 17 seasons in a snowcat. A veteran of RedBull events and Grand Prix slopestyle builds. Jake is known for his passion and tenacity as both an operator and manager. He has run every version of the Park Pro series since they were first introduced, making him a true PistenBully expert. We love Jake for his dedication to innovation and training.
Joel Bowman
Mammoth Mountain; Mammoth Unbound
Known for being one of the top halfpipe builders around, Joel believes PistenBullys are the best machines for halfpipe construction and maintenance. He's now in his 17th year in a snowcat, where you’ll often catch him working in tandem with team member Frank Wells. Joel was previously the head park builder at Keystone’s Area 51.
Bandit Ferrante
Palisades Tahoe
Bandit is a Grooming Supervisor at Palisades Tahoe with 15 seasons in a snowcat. Bandit worked in terrain parks at Heavenly, Mt Bachelor and Palisades Tahoe before switching to mainline grooming. He has exceptional technical abilities and mountain knowledge that he uses to mentor his team. Bandit is known for pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in a PistenBully and his mechanical aptitude.
Jack Williams
Deer Valley
Lead Slope Groomer. 7 seasons in a snowcat. Jack has been excited to see more PistenBullys get added to the fleet at Deer Valley in recent years. An exceptional winch operator and race course builder, Jack looks forward to working on the World Cup Aerials course each season. He loves his work, especially getting to share his passion with others.
Kryn Shannon
Cascade Powder Guides
Operator for Cascade Powder Guides. 9 years in a snowcat. Kryn is a badass in every sense of the word. She has built terrain parks for Stevens Pass, and has also attended Take the Rake at Trollhaugen for 3 years. This season, Kryn is doing road maintenance and avalanche control for the Washington State Dept of Transportation in addition to cat skiing at Cascade Powder Guides.
Alex Storjohann
Mount Bachelor
Terrain Park Manager. 16 years in a snowcat. In addition to his 5-year tenure as Terrain Park Manager, Alex has built for X Games 3 times. Other builds include Peace Park, 3 SuperParks, and a decade of the Gerry Lopez Big Wave Challenge. He is a respected industry veteran who has mentored some of the best park builders around. He enjoys training and helping others through hands-on learning.
