GNCCRacing.com: Hey Shawn, can you start off by telling us about yourself and your role at Snowshoe?

My name is Shawn Cassell, I am the PR and Social Media Manager here at Snowshoe. I am originally from Southwest Virginia, but I live year round here at Snowshoe now with my wife and three kids. My job is to promote Snowshoe in a lot of different ways and basically serve as the spokesperson for the resort.

How long have you been with the company?

We moved here in June of 2015 so we’re starting on year five now.

Tell us little bit about the history of Snowshoe mountain.

Snowshoe Mountain opened in 1974. It was founded by Dr. Thomas “Doc” Brigham, who had successfully launched a couple other resorts in North Carolina (Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain). They say he used to drive his jeep up from the area where the lake is now, to the top of the mountain to watch the incredible sunsets. The spectacular views are what inspired him to build the village on top of the mountain, instead of at the bottom like most ski areas. The area around Snowshoe was the scene of a booming timber industry in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. At one point, the sawmill over the mountain in Cass was the largest in the world.

This is by far the most beautiful facility that GNCC Racing has the privilege to use! Was most of it built at once, or was it slowly added to over the years?

Snowshoe has definitely seen a lot of change over the years. It once looked very different than it does now. When it opened in 1974, it was a very bare bones ski area with only a handful of buildings. When Intrawest purchased the resort in the late 1990’s they began construction on what we know today as the Snowshoe Village, with upscale condo buildings and shopping, dining, etc. We’re excited to see what’s next for Snowshoe now that we’re part of the Alterra Mountain Company of resorts.

Most GNCC racers tend to just come here for the race. But what are some of the other activities Snowshoe mountain has to offer on the average weekend?

There is a very wide variety of things to do here at Snowshoe. We have become a top destination for mountain bikers, particularly downhill mountain bikers. We’ve got scenic lift rides, off-road RZR tours, e-bike tours, disc golf, an indoor/outdoor swimming pool, and a huge lake with kayaks, canoes, paddleboards and a bunch of fun inflatable obstacles. On top of that, our Raven golf course is very unique and a must-play for any golfer in the region.

What are some of the other high-profile events that Snowshoe Mountain hosts?

This September we’ll be playing host to the 2019 UCI World Cup Finals [an international mountain bike racing series] which is not just a huge deal for us, but really any American who follows the sport. This will be the first World Cup race on US soil since 2015, and it’s the last race of the season so the stakes will be high!

In addition to that we’ll also be having a huge music festival, the 4848 Festival, next month, and in August we will be hosting the 2019 International Bowhunter’s Organization World Shoot-Off.

How did the Snowshoe Mountain GNCC begin?

I think the addition of the Snowshoe GNCC really spurs from the desire to create an event that captured a little bit of the essence of the Blackwater 100, which was in nearby Tucker County. The Blackwater 100 was a truly legendary race, and no other race will ever be the Blackwater 100, but the Snowshoe GNCC is about as close as it gets.

Why did the property owner/manager decide to host this event? Did they have any sort of motorsports background?

Not really a motorsports background but the decision came from a need to grow our summer business at the resort. Everyone that skis or snowboards in the region knows all about Snowshoe, but in the summertime it’s a lot harder to get folks to come up here. Events like GNCC bring families from all over and many of them end up coming back for more than just racing, so it’s a great way to introduce Snowshoe to a lot of new people. 

Overall, are you satisfied with the event? What are some of the benefits and challenges of hosting a GNCC here?

Yes, the event is a staple of summer at Snowshoe at this point. As I mentioned before, it’s a great opportunity for us with so many new visitors to the mountain. It’s a boost economically not just for the resort but the entire area. The challenges stem from the success of the event. It is tremendously popular and therefore parking can become tricky. One thing we don’t have at Snowshoe is a lot of flat land, and we certainly have to get creative when trying to fit everyone up here.

What kind of cleanup is required post-event in order to return the mountain to its previous state?

It takes a lot of work from a lot of different people to get the mountain cleaned up, but that job begins literally the second the racing is done on Sunday. The GNCC staff hits the ground running and they do a great job. As always, it’s greatly appreciated when folks take advantage of the many trash cans and recycling bins around the mountain.