2026  •  Words by The Dudes at LiveTheGnar

Big Bear MX Grand Prix 2026 — Proudly Presented by O’Neal. August 19–23, Bear Mountain, Big Bear, CA.

The 2025 inaugural Big Bear MX Grand Prix — Bear Mountain Resort, Big Bear, California. Photo: MXA

Dirt bikes on a ski mountain. That sentence alone is enough to stop scrolling. But the Big Bear MX Grand Prix by O’Neal isn’t a concept or a one-liner — it’s a real race on a real ski resort, and the inaugural 2025 edition was genuinely historic. For the first time ever, motocross ripped down the slopes of Bear Mountain Resort in Big Bear, California. 700 entries. Sold out in under 48 hours. Riders left the mountain calling it one of the best weekends of their racing lives.

The 2026 edition is the second year of what is shaping up to be a permanent fixture on the Southern California race calendar. August 19–23. Same mountain. Same format that made 2025 unforgettable. If you missed the inaugural — you won’t want to miss this one.

Bear Mountain Resort — where the ski runs become a race course every August.

The Big Bear MX Grand Prix is the result of a six-year collaboration between Swapmoto Race Series — one of SoCal’s most active race promoters, running 23 motocross events per year across California, Illinois, and Alabama — and the team at Bear Mountain Resort. Getting motorcycles legally and safely onto an active ski mountain took years of permitting, planning, and partnership. The 2025 inaugural event proved every bit of that effort was worth it.

Swapmoto owner Aaron Cooke and track builder Justin Herrmann designed a course that blended classic MX features with the natural mountain terrain — and the result was something no SoCal rider had ever experienced before. Cycle News called it “more like a hare scramble format” with “long rough uphill drags, off-camber switchbacks and a woods section that put riders down a log drop.” Motocrossers got a crash course in off-road racing. Off-road riders were in heaven.

The course runs the bottom section of Bear Mountain, utilizing the natural elevation, existing ski runs, and fire roads. Approximately 3 miles per lap. Expect:

Classes from 5 years old to 60+, beginner through pro. The 2025 inaugural event had Mike Metzger turning fast laps alongside 5-year-old beginners. There’s a spot on the mountain for every skill level.

Motocross Action Magazine went up to Bear Mountain before the 2025 race to preview the course with Swapmoto owner Aaron Cooke. MXA’s Josh Fout, Josh Mosiman, and Shawn Bushnell rode the track on a Triumph TF450-RC, TM 300Fi, and KTM 450XCF. This is the best look at what the terrain actually feels like.