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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 11, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com Shaun White, Torah Bright and Jossi Wells Top Field at World Superpipe Championships Snowboarding sensation, Park City All-Star and defending champion Shaun White, Australia's Torah Bright, and New Zealand skiing phenomenon Josiah (Jossi) Wells were each crowned the 2008 World Superpipe Champions Saturday at Park City Mountain Resort. White clinched the men's snowboarding championship with a top score of 93.00, Bright secured the women's snowboarding championship with a best run of 96.67, and Wells took the men's skiing top honors with a best run of 96.33. They each took home a $15,000 prize purse. "This year, the World Superpipe Championships were better than ever with the skiers and snowboarders astonishing thousands of spectators all on one day," said Paula Fabel, spokesperson for Park City Mountain Resort. "The pipe was cut perfectly, the athletes went huge and the snow started falling in true Utah style just as the winners were announced." FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 11, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com Ski Salt Lake Shootout Winners Announced The inaugural Ski Salt Lake Shootout culminated this past weekend with an awards dinner to remember at Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort's Aerie Restaurant. Bellingham, Washington-based photographer Grant Gunderson took home the Best in Show Grand Prize and a $4,000 check with his shot of Bryce Phillips making a powder turn under star-trailed skies above Little Cottonwood Canyon. Up until 4:30 a.m. the night before the judging deadline, Gunderson spilled the beans about this long sought-after shot. "This shot really means a lot to me due to the fact that so many variables had to come together for it to work. I got the idea for this two years ago, and then it took me about a year to figure out the technicalities of how to make it work, and then another year to get the right combination of conditions. To see the image win Best in Show is hugely satisfying." Hoots and hollers prevailed as competing athletes and photographers alike viewed a week's worth of action during a 15-minute slideshow of the event. Ski Salt Lake Marketing and Media Manager and event organizer Adam Barker commented, "This has been a spectacular week of hard work and dedication on the part of all the participating athletes and photographers. We couldn't ask for a better way to showcase the snow, terrain and beauty that sum up the Ski Salt Lake Experience." As Ski Salt Lake's media partner in the Shootout, Ski Press Magazine will feature the winning images in their March issue of 2009. Video slideshows of the winning images, video interviews with the photographers and a compilation video of the entire week will be found at www.ski-saltlake.com and www.skipressworld.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 11, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com Smith Wins XTERRA Winter World Championship Brian Smith, 32, of Gunnison, Colo. jolted past Josiah Middaugh, 29, of Vail, Colo., less than 20 meters from the finish line to win the inaugural XTERRA Winter World Championship in dramatic fashion Saturday at Snowbasin Resort. After nearly two hours of grueling racing action that included mountain biking, snowshoeing, running and ski mountaineering in falling snow flurries, Smith pulled off a come-from-behind victory by a little more than one second in 1:58:29.92. "I didn't think I could do it until four gates before the finish and I saw Josiah (Middaugh) snow plowing," said an exuberant Smith. Middaugh was using Nordic skate skis that are not suited for steep downhills, while behind him Smith slipped into a randonnee set-up better suited for both the climbing and descending. "I've been alpine racing since the third grade so that last stretch was my cup of tea," Smith said. "I had goose bumps, it was unreal," spectator Mike Caldwell of Ogden said of the dramatic finish. "That's about as pure and epic a sporting moment as I've ever witnessed." The XTERRA Winter World Championship was the marquee event in a three-day multi-event sports extravaganza held March 7-9 at Snowbasin Resort. The first-of-its-kind multisport race combining the four disciplines of ski mountaineering, mountain biking, running and snowshoeing. Each night in Ogden the XTERRA Winter World Championship hosted parties that featured video highlights along with food, music, and the opportunity to get together with other athletes. Event organizer TEAM Unlimited is producing a half-hour TV show highlighting the XTERRA Winter World Championship festival for distribution to ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, major cable stations and resort networks throughout the country via national syndication. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 11, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com Vertical Express for MS Lands at Solitude The 2008 Vertical Express for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) hit the slopes of Solitude Mountain Resort on Sunday, challenging skiers and riders of all ages and abilities to benefit The Heuga Center for Multiple Sclerosis. The Heuga Center, based in Vail, Colo., provides comprehensive programs that empower people and families living with MS to transform and improve their quality of life. Jimmie Heuga himself was at the Solitude event this year, his first visit in six years, and could be spotted Sunday morning cruising around Solitude's freshly groomed corduroy on his bi-ski. Teams of three skiers/riders each raised a minimum of $1,000 to enter the Vertical Express for MS. The day's activities included an on-snow scavenger hunt, running gates through Solitude's race course, prizes, complimentary lift tickets, food and goodie bags. Teams that raised $15,000 or more earned a free trip to Vail to attend the April Awards celebration, April 10-13, 2008. "It's a wonderful event and a wonderful cause," explained Cheryl Facktor of Indianapolis, Ind. as she and partners Philip Mervis, also of Indianapolis, and Salt Lake resident Rob Hanel scoured for clues during the morning scavenger hunt. Like many participants Sunday, Facktor has a personal attachment to the disease, having lost an uncle to multiple sclerosis. Proceeds from the event allow people with MS to live full, productive lives by supporting The Heuga Center's one-, three- and five-day programs that teach people with this incurable neurological disease how to manage it to the best of their ability. The Powder Puff Girls, a.k.a. Dr. Andrea White, event director Safia Keller and Katrina Jensen, all of Salt Lake City, have been participating in the Vertical Express for MS in Utah for 14 years and won Sunday's Poker Run scavenger hunt. However, "It's not about winning, it's about raising the most amount of money to help The Heuga Center," said Keller. "All the people with the disease that come and have gone through the program and say how it's changed their lives, it's great to be able to fund that." The Powder Puff girls raised more than $17,000 this year alone, and will thus be heading to Vail in April. The Vertical Express for MS has raised more than $800,000 in Utah in the 15 years it has been conducted in the state. Cheryl Crane, Director of Development for The Heuga Center, confirmed that Sunday's event exceeded its $55,000 target. "At this point we're at about $58,000," Crane said on Sunday afternoon, "but we've still got some money coming in." FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 11, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com Reckless Skiing Outlawed in Park City In a unanimous vote last week the Park City Council approved a new statute that makes skiing or snowboarding out of control within the city limits a Class B Misdemeanor, similar to a Driving Under the Influence charge. A conviction will carry with it up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Deer Valley Resort and Park City Mountain Resort both lie within the city limits of Park City. Summit County already has a similar law on the books. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 11, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com Alta Spring Festival The first weekend in April marks this year's second-annual Alta Spring Festival, the product of local Town of Alta businesses' combined efforts, offering food, live music, children's activities, free ski demos, a ski competition and artists' market. "The business community of Alta becomes very involved in planning the Spring Festival and we are excited to offer more events this year," commented Alta Visitor's Bureau Director Susan Ragsdale. "We anticipate the festival will grow each year and become a fun tradition that skiers can count on each April." The three-day festival begins on Friday and features a seafood barbeque at the Albion Grill and volleyball courts at the Rustler Lodge. On Saturday, at the base of Collins chairlift, ski manufacturers' reps will have 2008-2009 ski models available to try for participants who have a credit card for a deposit. A Kid's Fair tent will be set up and the Goldminer's Daughter will feature live music and outdoor grilling on the patio. The Alta Historical Society will feature a slide show that evening at Our Lady of the Snows chapel. Local artists will have items for sale all three days at the Goldminer's Daughter Galley. On Sunday, Alta Ski Area is hosting a ski competition on High Rustler from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Alta Lodge will have a barbeque on the deck for spectators to watch the event, followed by apres ski. Winners will be announced from the base of Collins chair at 4 p.m. In addition to activities, the community is hosting a charity event to raise funds for three non-profit agencies: the Alta Public School, Stand Strong Again and the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research. Tickets will be available at Alta area lodges and Spring Festival venues at a cost of $2 per ticket or six for $10. Prizes include a pair of skis, overnight lodging, dining and more. Winners will announced on Sunday at the awards announcement at the base of Collins at 4 p.m. For a complete schedule, visit the Alta Visitors Bureau at www.altaresortassociation.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 11, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com Jeep Terrain Park Challenge Held At Snowbird The Jeep Terrain Park Challenge, a progressive grassroots ski and snowboard program now in its third year of promoting safety and responsibility at terrain parks, held a safety clinic and competition on Saturday at Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort. Terrain parks, one of the nation's newest and fastest growing trends, push skiing and snowboarding to the extreme as riders navigate through a series of pipes, rails, tabletops and other obstacles, while pulling off tricks or getting air. With the increasing number of terrain park riders, however, comes a risk of injury to beginner and expert riders alike. To address this concern, Snowbird Resort brought together skiers and snowboarders to one of the nation's best terrain parks and trains riders how to avoid injury when seeking big air or attempting extreme stunts. The Jeep Terrain Park Challenge guides riders through the National Ski Area Association's Smart Style program, emphasizing awareness of surroundings, knowing one's limits, and respecting other riders. "It's well known that there is a surplus of talented skiers and snowboarders in the Utah area," said Kate Danaher, Director of the Terrain Park Challenge. "We're thrilled that this event will allow them to meet at Snowbird to showcase their skills while also learning the latest in terrain park safety." FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 11, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com Deer Valley Resort's Food & Beverage Director Honored for Lifetime Achievement Deer Valley Resort Director of Food and Beverage Julie Wilson was honored at the 11th annual Salt Lake Magazine Dining Awards with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Wilson received the award at a banquet celebrating all Dining Award recipients, held February 19th at Salt Lake City's Grand America Hotel, with over 200 food lovers, restaurateurs and guests in attendance. The Salt Lake Magazine Dining Awards are selected by an independent panel of local food/restaurant experts. Of Wilson, staffers at Salt Lake Magazine wrote, "Julie Wilson has been working to elevate Utah food and wine for years, and in the process, she has helped make Deer Valley a world-recognized dining destination. Wilson is an expert in service, atmosphere, food, wine, quality control and all that goes into making dining a pleasure. The uncommon longevity of her staff is testament to the quality of her leadership." Wilson has been employed at Deer Valley since the ski resort first opened in 1981. She was initially hired as Silver Lake Lodge manager, and promoted to assistant food and beverage director two years later. Within five years, at age 27, Wilson became Deer Valley's food and beverage director. "I am both completely surprised and profoundly honored to have received this award," says Wilson. "I have to say, though, that I accept this award for all of the food and beverage staff at Deer Valley. It's a wonderfully talented group of people, many of whom have also been working at the resort for decades. We're able to create the fresh, innovative fare that our guests love because we get support from management to be creative, educate ourselves and strive to be our best, every day." FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 11, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com 2nd Annual All Mountain Treasure Hunt at Park City Mountain Resort Park City Academy is hosting the second annual All Mountain Treasure HUNT at Park City Mountain Resort on Friday, March 14th and Saturday, March 15th. The HUNT is open to all intermediate and advanced skiers or snowboarders who are game for a fun afternoon at the ski area. Sponsors include Park City Mountain Resort, JANS, White Pine Touring and Ski Utah, among others. The weekend kicks off with the HUNT evening party on Friday, March 14, at Park City Mountain Resort's Legacy Lodge and includes dinner, mini-auction, full cash bar, and dancing to the Gamma Rays. The All Mountain Treasure HUNT takes place on Saturday, March 15, following lunch at the Legacy Lodge. Teams of two will be given a "clue passport" leading to nine different checkpoints on the mountain. Each team uses strategy to be the first to find the nine clues, punch the team's passport at each checkpoint, and then cross the finish line. The three fastest teams receive prizes. At one of the checkpoints, teams will pick up a numbered golden coin; one coin will be worth two adult season passes to Park City Mountain Resort for the 2008-09 season. This grand prize is valued at around $3,000. The HUNT is a fundraising event for Park City Academy's Scholarship Program. Park City Academy is an independent school that has been developing student leaders within the Park City community for 19 years. For more information and to purchase a team, visit www.parkcityhunt.com or call 435-649-2791. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 11, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com 2008 U.S. Ski Jumping & Nordic Combined Championships Come To Utah Olympic Park and Soldier Hollow March 14-16 The 2008 U.S. Ski Jumping & Nordic Combined Championships are coming to Utah Olympic Park and Soldier Hollow, March 14-16. Come see the nation's best Nordic athletes as they vie for titles on the Olympic ski jumps and Olympic trails. The Utah Olympic Park and Soldier Hollow venues will welcome the nation's best men and women ski jumpers on both the normal and large Olympic ski jumps. The Nordic combined athletes, who do both ski jumping and skiing, will contest the cross country portion of their event on the Olympic trails at Soldier Hollow. All will be gunning for the title of best in the U.S. Returning after a six-year hiatus, the event will draw nearly 100 of North America's best athletes including Nordic Combined World Champion Johnny Spillane and World Championships silver medalist Bill Demong who currently is having the most successful season for an American on the Nordic Combined World Cup circuit. This event will also provide another opportunity for the U.S. women ski jumpers to showcase their abilities as they continue their quest for inclusion into the Olympic Winter Games. The 2008 U.S. Championships will run March 14 - 16, with competitions on Saturday and Sunday. The event is free for spectators. For a complete schedule and additional event information, visit www.olyparks.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 11, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com Westminster College's Professional Student Athletes Continue to Make a Name for Themselves Whether they shred, fly, ride or rip, students at Salt Lake City's Westminster College are making a name for themselves - and it's often on the front of the sports pages. On Feb. 22, sophomore Graham Watanabe (2006 Olympian) placed first in the FIS World Cup snowboardcross in Japan. Freeskier and sophomore Ashley Battersby placed first at both the U.S. Freeskiing Open in Copper Mountain, Colo. and the Nippon Freeskiing Open in Japan. Freshman Liz Stephen made history on Feb. 27 by taking the bronze in the women's 15K mass start in the Under-23 Cross Country World Championships in Malles, Italy. Continuing the winning streak, Westminster sophomore and U.S. Ski Team Aerialist Emily Cook picked up her first World Cup win in Moscow, Russia on March 1. Flying off a towering scaffold under challenging weather conditions, the former 2006 Olympian competed in front of a crowd of over 30,000 spectators, including Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Our student pro-athletes are incredibly disciplined," said Deb Vickery, Associate Director of Westminster's START Center. "Balancing rigorous training schedules and academic commitments requires a lot of time management and dedication. These students averaged a 3.34 median G.P.A. for the Fall '07 semester, which attests to the quality of athletic scholars that Westminster enrolls." Westminster is partnered with the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) which manages the athletes of the U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding and provides tuition grants that allow national team athletes to pursue their Olympic dreams and their education aspirations at the same time.   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 22, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com Outdoor Retailer Winter Tradeshow Generates $15 Million Economic Impact on Salt Lake The Outdoor Industry Association and over 17,000 manufacturers, retailers and suppliers to the Outdoor Industry will fill Salt Lake City's Salt Palace Convention Center this week during the annual Outdoor Retailer Winter Market Tradeshow, creating more than $15 million in direct economic impact to Salt Lake. Top initiatives for this show include the health and future of the national parks, connecting with today's teens, environmental sustainability, technical communication standards, fair labor practices, and outdoor recreation policy. Typical local beneficiaries include hotels, restaurants, local attractions, convention centers, ski resorts, food services, exhibit companies, audio/visual, sound, light and staging services, local transportation firms and shopping centers, as well as many other support services in the city and surrounding areas. The $15 million estimate is based on research from the University of Utah's Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR). According to BEBR, a Salt Lake convention delegate in 2007 spent $889 during an average three-day stay. Active Utah outdoor recreation fuels tremendous economic growth in Utah. It contributes $5.8 billion annually to Utah's economy, supports 65,000 jobs, generates nearly $300 million in annual state tax revenues, and produces nearly $4 billion annually in retail sales and services across Utah, accounting for almost five percent of the Gross State Product. The event kicks off today with the Backcountry Base Camp day featuring gear testing at Snowbasin Resort before buyers, exhbitors and members of the media move on to the Salt Palace Wednesday through Saturday. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 22, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com Powder Mountain Files to Incorporate As a Town Powder Mountain, in attempt to further development of the northern Utah ski resort that spans the border of Weber and Cache Counties, on Friday filed a petition with Weber County to incorporate as a new town. Powder Mountain officials wish to develop the 5,500-acre "mom 'n pop" ski area into a luxury resort featuring single family homes, hotels, and an equestrian center to complement the resort's ski and snowboard facilities. Cache County officials have expressed uncertainty regarding the effect the incorporation petition will have on ongoing talks to create a development proposal pending before the county. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 22, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com Talisker Club Park Unveils New Spa Facilities Talisker Mountain Incorporated, an exclusive residential development in Park City, recently unveiled Talisker Club Park, a series of clubhouses designed by the renowned architecture firm Robert A.M. Stern Architects, LLP. At the heart of Talisker Club Park, members will enjoy Talisker Spa at Tuhaye - an oasis of tranquility set in a stunning natural environment. "Talisker Spa at Tuhaye embraces the holistic pathway of replenishing the body, mind and spirit," said Talisker Spa manager Angel Stewart. "Our array of treatments blends Native American traditions, herbal apothecaries and holistic, energy-healing modalities with international, cutting-edge spa concepts, setting it apart from any other spa in the world." Fiery rock, exotic marble, and sparkling amethyst awaken the senses with their electrifying beauty. Spa treatment rooms, including as a separate manicure/pedicure room, are finished with Teakwood marble from Pakistan, Jerusalem gold limestone, black granite, Venetian plaster and quartzite floors. Talisker Spa features private men's and women's changing suites, including steam rooms and whirlpool areas, each featuring a glass-tiled shower with five soothing showerheads. The whirlpools, finished with a white pearl pebble tec surface and trimmed with aqua and green Ann Sacks glass tile, are scalloped to create five personal seating areas, each with its own set of jets. The steam rooms feature black granite floors and hand-cut granite boulders, seating six, while six sets of white granite footrests stay cool amidst the steam and two grand amethyst geodes glow from backlit crystal niches recessed into the walls. Chilled to 60 degrees is the decadent "cold room," offering members a refreshing blast of water from the 12-inch showerhead, and showcases the hand-carved, white granite "Giving Bear," which holds refreshing ice chips in its paws. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 22, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com Picabo's Ski Challenge 2008 Benefits Victims of Child Abuse Olympic Gold Medalist Picabo Street hosted the fourth annual Picabo's Ski Challenge, an amateur ski race and après ski party to raise awareness and support for victims of child abuse. The event took place Park City Mountain Resort on Sunday, and all proceeds support National Children's Alliance and Children's Advocacy Centers nationwide. Held during the opening weekend of the Sundance Film Festival, corporations and individuals sponsored race teams from across the country to raise money and awareness for abused children. Each race team was captained by a celebrity, sports figure or dignitary. As part of the festivities, select sponsors had the chance of a lifetime to participate in "First Tracks," skiing with Picabo Street and other world-champion skiers before the resort opened on Saturday and Sunday. A VIP reception dinner including a live and silent auction was held Saturday evening at Deer Valley Resort. Live auction items included: a Four Seasons Paris package, E! Entertainment experience with Giuliana DePandi, Access Hollywood experience with Billy Bush, Las Vegas NASCAR giveaway, Korbel California Winery package, and private ski lessons with Picabo Street, among many other prizes. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 22, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com Wine Dinners at 9,000 Feet at The Canyons Lookout Cabin Restaurant, an award winning on-mountain dining spot at the top of the Golden Eagle and Short Cut lifts at The Canyons Resort, will be offering three separate wine dinners this season. During the months of January, February and March Chef Jacob Guay and his team will be producing exceptional menus specifically to be paired with unique wines. The first event, "An Evening in Piemonte", took place last night and was co-sponsored by Greg Neville of Lugano Restaurant in Salt Lake City. Guests enjoyed a six-course meal paired with wines from the Produttori del Barbaresco winery, presented by Director Aldo Vacca of Produttori del Barbaresco who made his first-ever trip to Utah to bring with him exclusive wines not available anywhere else in the state. Also on hand for the dinner was Chris Zimmerman of Visa Imports, lending his knowledge of these fine Italian wines to lucky diners. Wine dinners at Lookout Cabin begin with a ride on the Flight of The Canyons gondola and a cozy sleigh ride through the woods to the restaurant. Reservations for February and March wine dinners are highly recommended and can be made by calling 435-615-8042. More information is available on line at www.thecanyons.com/wine. The price for the event is $125 per person. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 22, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com T he North Face Announces 2008 Big Mountain Snowboarding Tour with Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort Stop Expanding competition opportunities in the sport of big mountain snowboarding, The North Face and Mountain Sports International (MSI) have unveiled The North Face Masters, a two-stop tour designed to cater to the motivation, talent and skill of world-class big mountain snowboarders, including a stop in Utah at Snowboard Ski & Summer Resort. "Open big mountain competition is very exciting to the development of the sport," said world-renowned rider and The North Face athlete, Johan Olofsson. "With the simplicity of a starting line, mixed terrain, and a finish line, what each snowboarder opts to go for during their runs will be the result of creativity, skill, and risk." The North Face Masters features a $45,000 cash prize purse and an opportunity for big mountain snowboarders to pit themselves against athlete and mountain alike. The North Face Masters kicks off at Snowbird February 8-11, where competitors can look forward to the notoriously challenging Little Cottonwood Canyon terrain littered with chutes, cliff drops, and the legendary lake-effect Utah powder. The North Face will award male and female champions of The North Face Masters, Snowbird, the chance to continue their winning streak at The North Face Masters tour at Alyeska Resort in Alaska. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 22, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com X-Dance Film Festival in Salt Lake This Week The 8th annual edition of the X-Dance Action Sports Film Festival has moved into Salt Lake City from Park City this year, where action sport filmmakers, top athletes, cutting-edge bands, DJs and key figures from the entertainment industry are gathering to celebrate action sports culture. Running side-by-side with the Sundance Film Festival, the X-Dance Festival is being held in Salt Lake through January 23rd. The festival headquarters and screening room are located at the Off-Broadway Theater (272 South Main Street) with VIP parties occurring at The Broadway Bistro and the Award Ceremony/Closing Party at The Depot on Wednesday, January 23, in conjunction with the opening of Outdoor Retailer Convention. Most events are open to the public. "X-Dance and Salt Lake are a match made in heaven and the festival's move to Salt Lake simply strengthens the message that Salt Lake is the hub for outdoor recreation," comments Scott Beck, president & CEO of the Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Hosting X-Dance in Salt Lake further complements the incredible exposure that began with the annual Outdoor Retailer Winter and Summer trade shows, and has come full circle with events like the AST Dew Tour and now the X-Dance Action Sports Film Festival. Without a doubt, Salt Lake is taking its rightful place as the epicenter of year-round outdoor recreational opportunities." FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 22, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com Fifth Annual Backcountry Awareness Week is Feb. 4-10 Utah's unparalleled avalanche education and awareness program continues this winter with the Fifth Annual Backcountry Awareness Week Feb. 4-10, 2008. The event features snow safety clinics, on-snow demonstrations, avalanche transceiver drills and an evening fund-raiser featuring New York Times bestselling author David Oliver Relin. David Oliver Relin, author of the runaway New York Times bestseller "Three Cups of Tea," is the keynote speaker at the fund-raising evening Friday, Feb. 8. Relin will present his experiences writing and reporting the book, show slides from his travels to the Karakoram Himalaya and discuss the work of Greg Mortenson with the Central Asia Institute and the current crisis in Pakistan. The benefit dinner including Relin's presentation, dinner, drinks, a book signing and a silent auction will take place in the Cliff Lodge Ballroom at Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort from 5:30-9 p.m. A ticket to the event is $75 and tables of eight are available for $700. Exclusive front-row seating is available for $250 per ticket and $1,600 per table. For reservations call (801) 933-2147. Three Backcountry Awareness Week clinics will be held at Snowbird Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 9-10. A snow safety clinic with Exum Utah's Tyson Bradley will be offered from 9-11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, and will include an all-day Tram ticket and lunch for $59. From 1-3 p.m. Saturday Eric Murakami of Backcountry Access will lead a free advanced beacon course. Wasatch Backcountry Rescue President Dean Cardinale will conduct a hasty search clinic from 9-11 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 10, that will include an all-day Tram ticket and lunch for $59. For further information, visit www.snowbirdrc.org. To register for Backcountry Awareness Week clinics or the evening fund-raiser, contact Snowbird's Activity Center at 801-933-2147. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 22, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com Court Upholds Wasatch Powderbirds Heli-skiing Permit Last Tuesday, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court's ruling that allows Wasatch Powderbirds to continue heli-skiing and snowboarding operations in the mountain areas of Wasatch-Cache and Uinta National Forests. The court affirmed that the U.S. Forest Service complied with all laws when it renewed Wasatch Powderbirds' permit in 2005. Save Our Canyons and Utah Environmental Congress each argued that continued helicopter skiing interferes with non-motorized recreation in the area, and that the Forest Service acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner in granting the renewal. The court rejected all of the arguments presented by the two environmental groups. Wasatch Powderbirds has continuously held and renewed the permit for the past 34 years. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 22, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com Deer Valley Resort To Host First World Cup Ski Cross Competition When it Produces Another Freestyle FIS World Cup February 1 & 2, 2008 The world's top freestyle athletes will be welcomed to Deer Valley's renowned moguls and aerial courses for the Freestyle FIS World Cup scheduled for February 1 and 2, 2008. Deer Valley will host an exciting new discipline this year as well - the first World Cup Ski Cross ever to take place in North America. Deer Valley has become known as a Mecca for freestyle skiing events, having successfully hosted six World Cups (2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007), and the 2002 Olympic Winter Games freestyle events, the 2003 FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships and the Chevy Truck U.S. Freestyle Championships in 1999. Deer Valley Resort has also won the honor of hosting the FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships in 2011, marking the first time ever that an American resort has hosted freestyle World Ski Championships twice. This year's Freestyle FIS World Cup will include Aerial, Dual Moguls and for the first time ever in North America, a Ski Cross competition. Close to 300 athletes from around the world are expected to attend and the high-flying action on snow will be intense, especially with the "new school" freestyle tricks like moguls 1080 off-axis cross, the 'Nate Dog', named for Deer Valley Ambassador and 2005 World Champion Nate Roberts, and in aerials, quint-twisting jumps like the 'Hurricane'! The two days of competition and festivities will include Ski Cross qualifications and Aerial finals on Friday, February 1, and Ski Cross and Dual Moguls finals on Saturday, February 2. Aerial and Dual Moguls finals will be at night under the lights at Deer Valley's Olympic arena. As always, live musical entertainment and fireworks will be part of the spectacular show. For more information on Deer Valley's 2008 Freestyle FIS World Cup call 800-424-DEER (3337) or visit the Resort Web site at deervalley.com. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 22, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com Ski Utah's License Plate Poker Can Still Be Won A new winning hand has been submitted to Ski Utah's License Plate Poker contest. Orval Dorius of Murray, Utah currently holds the highest hand of A03 0AW, full house - aces and 10s (W = wild card). This hand could end up winning him a new pair of skis or a snowboard but the competition is by no means over. "We have seen lot of impressive hands in this competition," said Ski Utah president Nathan Rafferty, "However, there is still a lot of room to win. We have yet to see four of a kind." Four of a kind would be possible in the competition if three of a kind was dealt with a "W", the wild card. License plate poker is simple to play and all Utah vehicle owners are eligible to enter. Contestants must email a picture of their new plate with their name and city to poker@skiutah.com in order to enter. License plate letters and numbers are scored like poker hands. The player with the highest plate will hit the slopes next winter with a brand new pair of Rossignol skis and bindings or a Burton snowboard with bindings. Ski Utah will accept new contestants throughout the 2007-08 winter season. For more information or to enter, visit www.skiutah.com. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 7, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com New Year Brings Massive Winter Storms to Utah Major winter storms hit Utah ski resorts this past weekend leaving as much as 34 inches at Utah ski resorts. With December snow totals nearly 170% of average, these early January storms are creating prime skiing conditions. Park City-area resorts received as much as 29 inches in the last 72 hours and Powder Mountain, near Ogden, received 24 inches on Sunday alone. Weather forecasts suggest more storms are anticipated to follow with as much as 18 inches of additional precipitation as base depths at some resorts approach the 100-inch mark. "This latest storm came from the Pacific, which typically brings tremendous amount of precipitation to Park City Mountain Resort, and this time was no exception as we received almost three feet of snow in three days," said Peter Curtis, president and general manager of Park City Mountain Resort. "Snowstorms like the ones we've had this past week just go to show what kind of consistent precipitation and snow conditions Park City gets." The storms followed an earlier series of snow dumps over the Christmas holiday week, when nearly 50 inches of new snow fell in Utah's mountains, including an incredible 35 inches falling in the Cottonwood Canyons between Thursday, December 20th and Saturday December 22nd. A Christmas Eve storm blanketed resorts with as much as 15 additional inches, and sunny skies on Christmas Day created perfect powder skiing conditions for visitors and locals alike. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 7, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com Lucky 13: 13 Days, 13 Resorts, 13 Great Deals Think it's too late to find good deals on skiing and snowboarding? Well, then, January 19-31 are your lucky days. January is national "Learn-A-Snowsport" month declared by SnowSports Industries America (SIA), the national nonprofit association for snowsport suppliers. Utah resorts have created 13 great offers to make it easy and affordable for Utahns to play in The Greatest Snow on Earth. The offers are perfect for locals looking to learn to ski or snowboard. Packages include discounts on skiing, rentals, lessons and more. Locals can also enter to win a free beginners ski or snowboard lesson at a different Utah resort each day by logging on to www.myfoxutah.com, January 19th through January 31st, 2008. One lucky person will win each day. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 7, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com U.S. Takes Six Medals at Huntsman Cup Slalom The U.S. Ski Team's Laurie Stephens (sit-ski; Wenham, MA), Allison Jones (standing; Colorado Springs, CO) and Gerald Hayden (sit-ski; Merced, CA) took top spots in their divisions in the slalom race of the annual Huntsman Cup hosted by Park City Mountain Resort Jan. 2. The Team picked up six podiums all together. "We're really happy with how the ladies and the men did," said U.S. Head Coach Ray Watkins. "Every day is a new day and a new opportunity to be better than we were. We just want to have everybody go in there with a good positive mindset and get ready to go after these guys." "It felt pretty good today. Every competition I go in ready to do my best," Hayden said. "There's a lot of factors involved in winning or blowing out but it just all came together and it felt good." Paralympic slalom champion Allison Jones took first in the women's standing race at 1:38.22. In second was Elitsa Storey (standing; Ketchum, ID) with a time of 1:47.19, followed by Australian Louise Williams at 1:49.71. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 7, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com Utah Winter Games Launches Friends & Family Ski and Snowboard Race Series Gather a group of friends or family members and get set to race at some of Utah's ski and snowboard resorts as part of the Utah Winter Games Friends & Family Race Series, which kicked off this past Saturday at Brighton. Now in its 22nd season, the Utah Winter Games Friends & Family Race Series is a fun tradition open to skiers of all ages, abilities and disciplines including skiing, telemark and snowboarding. Twenty different race classes are offered based on age and gender. Each competitor will receive a goody bag and prizes from Utah Winter Games sponsors. To participate, simply sign up the day of the race at the resort. The cost to race is $10, plus a valid lift ticket (discounts are available for race participants). To qualify for the race series finals, participants must race in at least two qualifiers, or win one gold medal in a qualifier. For more information, visit utahwintergames.org or call 1-866-OLYPARKS. Utah Winter Games Friends & Family Race Series Schedule: January 5 - Brighton Ski Resort January 12 - Alta (no snowboarding races at this location) January 19 -Snowbasin January 26 - Brian Head February 2 - Park City Mountain Resort -Friends & Family Series Finals FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 7, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com Utah Pro Skiers Establish Headwear Brand Utah-based big mountain ski stars Julian Carr and Billy Poole have launched several new initiatives for their homegrown headwear brand, Discrete Sport, for the 2007-08 ski and snowboard season including new marketing tactics and a bolstered product line and athlete team. Discrete has committed to a sponsorship of the 2008 North American Freeskiing Series sanctioned by Mountain Sports International, a partnership that is directly aligned with Discrete's target audience. The company will also for the first time establish a presence at the SIA tradeshow in Las Vegas in January, where Discrete will display their product line of 35 headwear styles for the 2008-09 season. Discrete is also launching a new and improved website, www.discretesport.com. Poole and Carr are using an established athlete team to mold Discrete into a unique snowsport brand appealing to snow enthusiasts and hard core riders alike. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 7, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com 2008 Subaru U.S. Freeskiing Series Returns to Snowbird Entering its third year, the Subaru U.S. Freeskiing Series (USFS) and Freeskiing World Tour (FWT) have become the largest cohesive competitive Big Mountain Freeskiing tours in the history of the sport. The Subaru USFS features an unprecedented six stops in 2008 including a return to Utah's Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort that appears on both series' calendars. The Subaru USFS continues to bring fierce competition to some of the best Big Mountain Freeskiing resorts in North America. The 2008 season will include the Subaru U.S. Freeskiing Nationals at Snowbird March 18-23, a well-known event that serves as an official stop on both the Subaru USFS as well as the FWT. The USFS, which is sanctioned by the International Freeskiers Association (IFSA), now boasts a bigger prize purse than ever before at over $100,000 cash. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 7, 2008 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com Deer Valley to Host North America's First World Cup Ski Cross Known for hosting freestyle ski competitions, Deer Valley Resort will welcome the Visa Freestyle International, a stop on the FIS Freestyle World Cup tour to its slopes February 1 and 2, 2008. The event will feature aerials, dual moguls and, for the first time ever in North America, a World Cup ski cross competition. More than 200 athletes from approximately two dozen countries are expected to participate in the event. Competition begins Friday, February 1 with the ski cross qualifications on Deer Valley's Solid Muldoon ski run, followed by the aerials event on White Owl (the 2002 Olympic Winter Games aerial course) Friday evening. On Saturday, February 2, the ski cross event will take place on Solid Muldoon, followed by the dual moguls event Saturday evening on Champion (the 2002 Olympic Winter Games moguls course). The evening events, which begin at 6 p.m., are particularly exciting as athletes compete under the lights, and Deer Valley entertains guests with live entertainment and fireworks. Awards will be presented immediately following the competitions in the finish area, followed by entertainment and a fireworks display at approximately 9 p.m. General admission for all events is free to the public. For those guests looking for an enhanced spectator experience, Freestyle Feast tickets are available for dinner ($75) on either Friday or Saturday night or for lunch ($65) on Saturday in the VIP tent. Tickets also include a commemorative gift. Tickets can be purchased by calling 435-645-6510 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Children six years and under are free. Deer Valley's 2008 Visa Freestyle International will be aired on NBC television on Sunday, February 10 at 2 p.m. and on Versus at 5 p.m. E.S.T. as well as on Sunday, February 17 at 4 p.m. E.S.T on Versus. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 9, 2007 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com Another Record Season for Utah Ski Resorts Winter 2006-07 snowfall may have been below average across Utah's Wasatch Mountains, but although locals were whining visitors were smiling, and Utah's ski and snowboard industry notched its fourth consecutive record-breaking season. Visits to Utah ski resorts totaled 4,082,094 skier days during the 2006-07 winter season, surpassing Vermont to become the third most skied state in the U.S. behind Colorado and California. "We've seen some strong growth over the past five years. Momentum is definitely on our side," said Nathan Rafferty, President of Ski Utah, the marketing arm of the Utah Ski and Snowboard Association. "With the most consistent snowfall anywhere in the world and unrivaled access via an international airport that continues to add non-stop destinations, we're on the right path." Despite snowfall totals pushing beyond the 400-inch mark, many considered last season a lackluster snow year, at least by Utah standards. Last year's skier-day count was 4,062,188, a difference of 19,906. The ski season began Nov. 15 and continued through May 20. "There's no question we're spoiled here in Utah. With over 600 inches of snowfall the previous two seasons, we knew that a sub-500 inch year was going to have an impact. With Utah locals accounting for almost half our skier visits, they're a critical component to our success," said Rafferty. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 9, 2007 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com Utah Resorts Shine in SKI Magazine Rankings SKI Magazine's annual Top 50 Resort Guide, which hits newsstands Sept. 25, lists Deer Valley Resort as the #1 ski resort in North America and Park City Mountain Resort at #6. Utah resorts heavily dominate the lifestyle rankings as well, with Snowbird, Utah being voted the "Best Skier's Mountain" and Alta, Utah coming in as the "Best Weekend Escape." Deer Valley captures the #1 spot for the third time in the survey's 20-year history, noted for its top notch service, grooming and dining. "It really is an incredible honor when you consider the company we keep among the resorts consistently voted in the top five," says Bob Wheaton, president and general manager of Deer Valley. "The award is truly due to all the hard work and dedication of the staff here at Deer Valley." "Utah's resorts work really hard to provide the best ski experience available," says Nathan Rafferty, president of Ski Utah. "I'm happy to see our success recognized on so many different levels. It is becoming more and more apparent to skiers and riders everywhere that The Greatest Snow On Earth is being complemented by the world's greatest resorts." FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 9, 2007 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com Alta to Implement Automated Ticketing After decades of traditional hand-printed lift tickets adhering to metal wickets, Alta officials have decided to implement a high-tech point-of-sale (POS) ticketing system and automated lift access controls in time for the coming winter season at the Utah skiing icon. After several years of evaluation and analysis, Alta signed an agreement with Park City-based Axess North America to implement a new POS ticketing system and handsfree access control system. Axess Gates and radio frequency identification (RFID) tickets will be used to control access to the lifts while providing guests various web-based functions. Alta spokesperson Connie Marshall indicates that the Alta access gate design will be unique. Instead of the turnstile design employed at other ski areas, Axess North America has designed for Alta a two-part gate that will open away from the skier, Marshall says, believing that it may be the first design of this type to be implemented at any ski area worldwide. A two-antenna system will be deployed to ensure adequate communication between the access gate and the user's lift ticket. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 9, 2007 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com New Chairlift Highlights $9M of Summer Improvements at Deer Valley A new high-speed chairlift and ground-penetrating radar are but two high-tech improvements coming to Deer Valley this winter, part of a $9 million investment by the Utah ski resort to upgrade its facilities this year. A new high-speed detachable quad chairlift, Lady Morgan Express, expands the ski terrain in Deer Valley's Empire Canyon area for the 2007-08 ski season. The area will include over 200 new skiable acres, 65 acres of gladed skiing and eight new runs. Perhaps the most amazing change taking place at Deer Valley, however, involves new "Snow Scan Ground Penetrating Radar." Combined with a GPS system, the radar will provide color coded maps of snow depth on any part of the mountain, allowing ski resort staffers to manage snow more efficiently. Upper and lower decks at the ski resort's Snow Park Lodge will be replaced with heated pavers. Additionally, new enhanced, energy efficient heater systems will be installed in all 22 chairlift terminals. The resort also replaced five snowcats and 21 resort snowmobiles, and purchased 51 new snow guns to expand its snowmaking arsenal with additional energy-efficient fixtures. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 9, 2007 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com EPA Recognizes Snowbird's Efforts U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials recently presented the EPA Environmental Achievement Award to a number of recipients, including Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort, for their efforts in the American Fork-Pacific Mine site Good Samaritan cleanup. Carol Rushin, EPA assistant regional administrator, presented the award to Ted Fitzgerald, Trout Unlimited (and retired U.S. Forest Service); Jim Baker, Bob Bonar and owner Dick Bass, Snowbird Corp.; and Sylvia Gillan and Kerry Goodrich, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service. "These individuals took extraordinary steps to clean up a polluting, abandoned mine site, helping to save a watershed and in the process blaze a trail for other good samaritans to follow," said Rushin. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 9, 2007 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com Construction Underway on USSA Training Center in Park City On July 18th, Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. headed a list of distinguished guests officiating at the historic groundbreaking for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association's (USSA) Center of Excellence, the most significant project in the organization's century-long history. The first national training and education facility for competitive skiing and snowboarding in the United States, it will bring America's athletes and supporters together. In addition, it is a complement to the 2002 Olympic legacy and the growing winter sports industry in Utah. USSA, the national governing body for Olympic skiing and snowboarding that has been based in Utah for more than 30 years, says its $22.5 million facility will be finished in 2009, providing final training benefits for athletes headed to the 2010 Olympics, but will be in full-force for athletes aiming for the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. The 85,000-square foot Center is being built on a five-acre parcel at Quinn's Junction, east of Park City near the intersection of State Route 248 and U.S. Highway 40. It will blend the best of high-performance athletic facilities, including strength-training areas, a gymnasium, a climbing wall, ski and snowboard ramps, trampolines, a nutrition center, rehabilitation facilities, and educational areas for athletes, coaches and clubs. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 9, 2007 Jessica Kunzer, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 jessica@skiutah.com New SoCal Flights to Utah Snow JetBlue Airways just last Thursday announced the addition of one daily nonstop flight between Salt Lake City and Burbank, Calif., beginning December 15, just in time for the new ski season. With its new service, JetBlue will offer Southern California skiers access to Utah snow from two metro Los Angeles airports -- Long Beach and Burbank -- with a total of three daily flights. To celebrate its new nonstop service, the low-fare airline is offering an introductory fare of $69 each way for flights between Salt Lake City and Burbank if booked online at jetblue.com with a 14-day advance purchase. "Our customers keep asking for more service from more airports and we're happy to provide it," said Frankie Littleford, vice president of JetBlue's Salt Lake City-based reservations department. "With our service to Long Beach and now Burbank, JetBlue is making it even easier to jet between Los Angeles and Salt Lake, regardless of which airport you prefer to use." FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 24, 2007 Hilary Reiter, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 C: 435.901.2071 hilary@skiutah.com Snowbird to Keep Skiing Into May Continuing the tradition of the longest ski and snowboard season in Utah, Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort officials announced last week that the resort will remain open daily through Sunday, May 13 and then weekends thereafter, conditions permitting. "The calendar says spring but it continues to feel like winter at Snowbird," said Snowbird President Bob Bonar. "The skiing and riding is still great and we want to share this with our guests." Snowbird will offer the Tram, Peruvian Express and Tunnel, Chickadee, Wilbere, Little Cloud, Gadzoom and Mineral Basin Express chairlifts through Sunday, April 29. Lift hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. From April 30 through May 6, the Tram, Little Cloud, Mineral Basin Express, Wilbere and Gadzoom chairlifts will operate daily and lift tickets are $49 per day. During this time, Mineral Basin Express will operate in the morning and close in the afternoon while Little Cloud will be closed in the morning and open in the afternoon. Lift hours will be 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Tram and Little Cloud will operate May 7-13, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and tickets are $49 per day. After May 14, the Tram and Little Cloud will operate Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, as conditions permit. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 24, 2007 Hilary Reiter, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 C: 435.901.2071 hilary@skiutah.com Park City Mountain Resort Ends Ski Season with Appeal for Climate Action To conclude the winter season, Park City Mountain Resort participated in the "Step It Up" event on Saturday, April 14 - the national day of climate action. This enviro-friendly event brought tens of thousands of Americans together all across the country at meaningful, iconic places demanding that Congress take bold action on climate change. "The skiing and riding has been fantastic at the Resort this winter season although we've faced inconsistent natural snowfall and varying temperatures," said Krista Parry, director of marketing & communications for Park City Mountain Resort. "This winter has been a scary reminder of what global warming is really capable of, however our grooming and snowmaking team did a tremendous job of maintaining impeccable snow in unfavorable conditions." Following the snowmelt, Park City Mountain Resort will re-open for the summer season from Friday, May 25 until mid-October, seven days a week. The Resort's newest activity, the Alpine Coaster, which saw great success last fall and this winter, will operate all summer long, conditions permitting. In addition to the coaster, one of only three of its kind in the country, the Resort will feature a variety of summer activities including: the Alpine Slide, the ZipRider, the climbing wall, miniature golf, horseback riding, the human maze, the Legacy Launcher, Little Miners Park, lift-served mountain biking and hiking and lift-served access to Park City's historic Main Street. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 24, 2007 Hilary Reiter, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 C: 435.901.2071 hilary@skiutah.com New Resort at Deer Valley, EPA Cooperate on Mine Site Cleanup Reclamation of the Daly West Mine site, adjacent to the Empire Canyon Lodge at Deer Valley, is the nation's first Environmentally Responsible Redevelopment and Reuse (ER3) pilot project. The final stages of major cleanup activities are currently being completed in preparation for a mixed use redevelopment by DV Luxury Resort, LLC, as a Montage resort, spa and residential complex. Federal, state and local officials gathered at the site April 17 to celebrate the project's completion, including Utah Governor, Jon Huntsman, Jr.; EPA Administrator, Stephen L. Johnson; Park City Mayor, Dana Williams; and United Park City Mines Vice President, Kerry Gee. Gee's company once mined silver and other ore in the hills above Park City, on land currently operated by both Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley Resort. The Montage resort is being designed to qualify for a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. Construction on the resort's 178 rooms/suites and 94 resort residences is scheduled to begin this summer, with completion expected in 2010. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 24, 2007 Hilary Reiter, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 C: 435.901.2071 hilary@skiutah.com Wolf Mountain Adds Lift-Served Mountain Biking At Wolf Mountain, the list of summer activities continues to grow. In addition to the second season of Music in the Mountains concert series, Wolf Mountain will be offering lift served mountain biking for this first time this season, and will open the Wolf Lair's Mountain Bike Terrain Park. "We are excited to be opening the Wolf Lair's Mountain Bike Terrain Park, and pleased to be able to offer our riders earthen features, four cross, board walk jibs and plenty of family fun recreational trails," said Bill Cox, Wolf Mountain's General Manager. "Our goal is to offer exciting, youthful, high-adventure fun and continue to progress the sport of mountain biking and provide riders from beginners to expert levels with features that keep them coming back for more." Wolf Mountain's Bike Terrain Park is scheduled to open for the summer season on May 26, 2007, and is scheduled to be open Saturdays and Sundays until June 28th when it will be open Thursday thru Sunday through September 1st. The bike park will then be open Saturday-Sunday until mid-October, weather permitting. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 24, 2007 Hilary Reiter, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 C: 435.901.2071 hilary@skiutah.com Summer in Park City Full of Events A number of special events take place throughout the summer in Park City. While the full calendar of events is available at www.parkcityinfo.com, here is a sampling: Park City's Traditional Independence Day Celebration, July 4: All-day activities include a pancake breakfast at City Park; 5k walk/run; mid-morning parade down Main Street followed by a picnic, free live entertainment and games for children at City Park; annual doubles volleyball tournament; and a fireworks display at dusk. Park City Food & Wine Classic, July 12-14: Featuring numerous food and wine seminars, a Grand Tasting serving fine wine and cuisine, Wine Maker's Dinners and reserve tasting. Call 877-328-2783 for more info. www.parkcityfoodandwineclassic.com The 38th Annual Park City Kimball Arts Festival, August 4-5: Presented by Kimball Art Center. More than 200 selected artists line historic Main Street. Enjoy food, beer gardens and live bands throughout the weekend. The festival offers four days of fun with the Kimball Art Auction & Gala on Thursday, August 2 and a Gallery Stroll with more than 20 participating art galleries offering fine art, hors d'oeuvres and live music on Friday, August 3. Call 435-649-8882 for more info. www.kimball-art.org 2007 Fidelity Investments Park City Jazz Festival, August 24-26: Presented by Park City Jazz Foundation. The 10th Annual Park City Jazz Festival promises to be the best ever with top musical headliners performing in the picturesque Deer Valley Outdoor Amphitheater. VIP packages with reserved seating and VIP Lounge are available, as well as General Admission tickets allowing picnics on the lawn. Call 435-940-1362 for more info. www.parkcityjazz.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 24, 2007 Hilary Reiter, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 C: 435.901.2071 hilary@skiutah.com Sundance Celebrates Summer Sundance Resort offers both relaxing and invigorating activities throughout the summer months. Back this summer at Sundance is the Full Moon Lift Ride. Enjoy the chairlift twice monthly under the full moon and stars. The lift re-opens from 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on May 31 for the first full moon lift ride of the Summer Season. Sundance Mountain Biking School offers mountain biking clinics for all levels, covering skills from basic balance to high-speed descents and are offered during normal hours of operation, preferably with 24 hours' advance notice. Sundance will introduce a Mountain Biking Ladies Day Program this summer as well, modeled on the popular Ladies Day ski program. A number of bike races fill the summer calendar at Sundance. The Resort and Parks Sportsman have teamed up to stage a Super D. A cross between downhill and cross-country, the Super D challenges a mountain bike racer's ability to ride fast in all conditions whether uphill or down. Quite simply, the fastest time wins. For those who prefer the asphalt, road riders will gather on July 9 for R.A.N.A.T.A.D., a 165-mile ride starting at Sundance that climbs 11,000 feet through Utah Valley and up over the Nebo Loop in Payson and Nephi and then back to finish at Sundance. The Summer Season at Sundance opens up on the weekend on May 19 and 20, and will be open seven days a week beginning May 25, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 24, 2007 Hilary Reiter, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 C: 435.901.2071 hilary@skiutah.com Snowbird Hosts Al Roker and the Today Show One of the nation's highest-rated morning shows and its affable weatherman, Al Roker, beamed its broadcast live from Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort on April 17. The broadcast, staged both on the ski resort's Chickadee ski hill and on the Snowbird Center Plaza Deck, featured the Wasatch Adaptive Sports program and several of its participants including Marc-Andre Belliveau, a big mountain skier who appeared in numerous ski movies and magazines before being paralyzed from the waist down in a ski accident one year ago. Belliveau is skiing again using a sit-ski and instruction from Wasatch Adaptive Sports. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 24, 2007 Hilary Reiter, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 C: 435.901.2071 hilary@skiutah.com On The Move: Herwig Demschar, Teresa Leavitt Powdr Corp announced last week that Herwig Demschar will join the ski resort operator effective May 15 as Chief Operating Officer. He is currently the Vice-President of Venue Management for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. Park City-based Powdr Corp owns several ski resorts including Park City Mountain Resort in Utah; Mt. Bachelor in Bend, Oregon; Nevada's Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort; Alpine Meadows at Lake Tahoe; and Boreal Mountain Resort and Soda Springs at Donner Summit in California. The company recently announced its intention to purchase Killington Resort and Pico Mountain in Vermont. Amer Winter & Outdoor Americas -- a business unit of Amer Sports Corporation that manages ski gear makers Salomon and Atomic as well as wrist-top computer firm Suunto in the United States -- has hired Teresa Leavitt as Director of Human Resources. Currently Director of Human Resources for ALCOA Howmet Castings in Hampton, Virginia, Leavitt began her new role with Amer on March 26. With 12-plus years of HR management experience, Leavitt will handle all HR duties including building a new Amer Winter & Outdoor Americas team in Ogden as the company relocates to Utah later this year. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 10, 2007 Hilary Reiter, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 C: 435.901.2071 hilary@skiutah.com New Logo for Ski Utah Ski Utah chose its annual Local Media Day, held Saturday, April 7 at Park City Mountain Resort, as the venue to publicly unveil its new logo. The new mark was created by Infinite Scale Design Group (ISDG), an internationally recognized design firm based in Salt Lake City. "We are thrilled to have a brand that we feel accurately conveys the emotions of the product that Ski Utah markets," commented Ski Utah president Nathan Rafferty. "The new logo seamlessly blends elements of the organization's old mark with a modern insignia that will serve us well into the future." The new logo is composed of a progressively canted, "fat" snowflake. Through the middle of the flake runs a mountain range, an extension of the old logo. Together, the components of the new design visually encapsulate the world famous snow and unrivaled accessibility that have put Utah skiing on the map. "This change of direction is strictly cosmetic," insisted Rafferty. "Our adage has been and always will be 'The Greatest Snow on Earth'. We feel this mark speaks directly to that message."  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 10, 2007 Hilary Reiter, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 C: 435.901.2071 hilary@skiutah.com Below-Average Snowfall Fails to Dampen Enthusiasm for Utah Skiing In his keynote address to attendees at Ski Utah's annual Local Media Day, held Saturday, April 7 at Park City Mountain Resort, Ski Utah President Nathan Rafferty indicated that despite below average snowfall, skier visits during the 2006-07 winter season will approach the record-breaking 4 million mark achieved during the 2005-06 ski season. "It's no secret that Mother Nature didn't fully cooperate," Rafferty acknowledged, but while it may have kept some jaded locals away, visitors continued to flock to Utah's 13 ski and snowboard resorts. Rafferty indicated that the state's ski industry is on track for close to 4 million skier visits again this winter, possibly ranking among the top three ski seasons in the state's history. Rafferty took the opportunity to remind attendees that the 2006-07 ski and snowboard season isn't over yet. Brighton, Deer Valley Park City Mountain Resort, and Solitude will remain open through April 15. Alta will end its ski season April 22, and Snowbird plans to operate its lifts through at least the end of April and hopes to reach mid-May.  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 10, 2007 Hilary Reiter, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 C: 435.901.2071 hilary@skiutah.com Spring Festival Starts This Week at Alta Alta Ski Area will be open for skiing through Sunday, April 15, reopening April 20, 21 and 22 for the season finale. A number of special events have been lined up for the ski resort's final days of this winter season. Things are already winding down at Alta, as Sunday was the last day for the resort's Supreme and Cecret ski lifts. There are plenty of special events scheduled for Alta Spring Festival, however, to send things out in style. Friday April 13 Demo Day - half-price demo rentals at all of Alta's ski shops Seafood BBQ on-snow at the Albion Day Lodge 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturday April 14 Demo Day - free demos from over 20 vendors at Wildcat Base. Test next year's skis! Ski with an Alf Engen Ski School Instructor and get a tip. Live music and great eats on the deck at Goldminer's Daughter Sunday April 15 Demo Day - half-price demo rentals at all of Alta's ski shops. Baldy Brews Brat & Burger Beach Bash at Watson Shelter Bluegrass music 12:30- 2:30 Sunday April 22 Closing Day Baldy Brews Brat & Burger Beach Bash at Watson Shelter Bluegrass music 12:30- 2:30  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 10, 2007 Hilary Reiter, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 C: 435.901.2071 hilary@skiutah.com Snowbird Offers $249 Spring Pass Deals enabling skiers and riders to enjoy Snowbird's great spring skiing conditions and many events include the $249 Spring Pass and the Late Season "Spring Ski" Package. The $249 Spring Pass is valid beginning April 1 through Snowbird's closing date. Snowbird offers the longest ski and snowboard season in Utah and plans to operate through April, conditions permitting. To purchase the spring pass or for more information contact Snowbird Tickets at (801) 933-2200. The Spring Ski Package is valid April 1-30, 2007, and includes a minimum of three days of skiing and three nights of lodging for rates starting at $99 per person, per day, based on double occupancy. Call 1-800-453-3000 for more information or to book a reservation. Upcoming spring events at Snowbird include: The North American Gelande Championships Presented By Dynastar and The North Face, Fri., Sat., Sun., April 13-15 - Featuring professional and amateur ski jumpers soaring hundreds of feet using alpine ski equipment. InSpring Slopestyle Competitions, Sat., Sun., April 21-22 - Snowbird's third annual InSpring Slopestyle Competition will be open to amateur skiers and riders eager to show their skills. Live music will entertain skiers and riders on the Snowbird Center Plaza Deck every Fri., Sat. and Sun. from 1:30-4:30 p.m. through April 29. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 10, 2007 Hilary Reiter, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 C: 435.901.2071 hilary@skiutah.com On The Move: Park City Mountain Resort's Brian Suhadolc Park City Mountain Resort has announced that Brian Suhadolc, a 16-year veteran at the popular Utah ski and snowboard resort, has been promoted to Operations Manager. "We are always looking to promote from within and Brian's proven leadership and commitment to the company made him the natural choice for the operations manager position," said Peter Curtis, president and general manager of Park City Mountain Resort. "His innovative programs, including our 'Signature Run' grooming, have raised the bar on grooming and snowmaking and far surpassed industry standards." Suhadolc has been one of the resort's key leaders, enjoying success in several positions. Most recently he was the Slope Maintenance Manager, overseeing the grooming and snowmaking departments; prior to that position, he worked as a snowmaker and groomer. In his new position, Suhadolc will continue to oversee the Grooming and Snowmaking department in addition to Lift Operations, Lift Maintenance, Vehicle Maintenance, Buildings, Mountain Patrol and the Race department. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 9, 2007 Hilary Reiter, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 C: 435.901.2071 hilary@skiutah.com Park City Mountain Resort Studies Effects of Global Warming Park City Mountain Resort, its parent Powdr Corporation, and KPCW radio will present the results of the first-ever comprehensive scientific study of global warming's potential effect on Park City Mountain Resort and the Utah snow sports industry at 6 p.m. tonight at the Eccles Center for the Performing Arts in Park City. Scientists at Stratus Consulting and the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at the University of Colorado, Boulder, have projected what the snow pack will look like at Park City Mountain Resort in the years 2030, 2075 and beyond. "I was shocked when I heard the results of this study for the first time," said John Cumming, CEO of Powdr Corp. "Bottom line, if global warming continues at its current rate, it will mean the end of snow sports and our business as we know it. However, as the study shows, there is still a window of opportunity for all of us to help save our snow, but we - and our political leaders - need to take decisive action now." Key funding for the $60,000 Save Our Snow study was provided by Park City Mountain Resort, Powdr Corporation and KPCW radio. Additional funding was provided by Deer Valley, The Canyons and the Summit County Recreation, Parks and Arts Tax. Deer Valley to Host Freestyle World Cup Deer Valley Resort is preparing to host the world's best freestyle moguls and aerial skiers during the 2007 Chevrolet Freestyle International, a stop on the annual World Cup circuit, this Thursday through Saturday. More than 200 athletes from approximately 28 countries are expected to participate, including 2006 Olympic aerial gold medalists Evelyne Leu (Switzerland), Han Xiaopeng (China) as well as reigning moguls World Champions Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT) and Deer Valley Skiing Ambassador Nate Roberts (Park City, UT). This World Cup marks Deer Valley's 9th anniversary of hosting freestyle competition, including the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, the 2003 FIS Freestyle World Championships, 1999 Chevy Truck U.S. Freestyle Championships and five World Cups (2000, 2001, 2004, 2005 & 2006). Admission to Thursday's, Friday's and Saturday's events on the Champion and White Owl ski runs is free to the public. Both trails are located on Deer Valley's lower Bald Eagle Mountain, just up from the main day lodge (Snow Park Lodge) on Deer Valley Drive in Park City. Dean Cummings' Big Mountain Camps at Snowbird Famed big mountain skier Dean Cummings is hosting a series of ski camps at Snowbird this winter, scheduled for January 19-22, February 1-4 and 5-8. Daily private guiding and avalanche education instruction are available through his H2O Big Mountain Camps. The camps are designed to accelerate skiing skills with early mountain tram runs, side door tram access, one day of heli-skiing with Wasatch Powderbird Guides and ski patrol connections to reach the best terrain more often. Lodging is provided at the Cliff Lodge with access to the Cliff Spa. Spots are available to skiers age 16 and up. For details look online at www.h2oguides.com/big_mtn_camp.php or contact Cummings via cell (907) 831-1386 or at the H2O office (801) 998-8619. Improve Skills at Alta's Telemark Camp A telemark camp scheduled at Alta Jan. 12-14 will focus on understanding the fundamental movements of telemark skiing and applying them to carving on the groomed runs, control and fluidity in the bumps, steeps, and off-piste skiing. Instruction for the camp is provided by the Alf Engen Ski School, and every day includes video analysis of your skiing. The price for the three-day camp is $522 and includes instruction, video analysis, and ski school lift line access. Lift tickets are sold separately. Call Alf Engen Ski School at 801-359-1078 x271 to register. Snowbasin Nordic Relay and Demo Jan. 13 Snowbasin will be holding a Nordic Relay race at 10 a.m. this Saturday next to the Finish Line Tubing Hill, in conjunction with equipment demos from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants in this team-style event must have three members in their group and can consist of any combination of age and gender. Prizes will be awarded to the first three groups to finish. The relay will be held in three legs: the first two legs will be in classical style and the third leg will consist of skating. Prizes include alpine lift passes, hats and t-shirts. Hot cocoa and a warm fire will be available for all relay spectators. Demo equipment is provided by Grizzly Center, Canyon Sports, Rossignol, TOKO Wax and Diamond Peak. There is a registration fee for racers. Call (801) 620-1032 for more information. Win a Season Pass at Powder Mountain Powder Mountain's 3 on 3 Intramural Team Challenge is a unique series of nighttime terrain park competitions between teams of three competitors held under the lights at the Sundown Terrain Park on three Wednesday nights from 5 to 9 p.m. Three terrain park features to be used in the evening's competition will be randomly selected on the day of each event. Teams can compete for nightly prizes and earn points based on the team's performance. The team with the most points at the end of the three part series will win 2007/08 Powder Mountain season passes. The events will be held on January 10, February 7 and March 7. Registration begins at 4 p.m. on the evening of each event and is free for anyone with a lift pass. For more information, visit powdermountain.com. Sundance Preserve Hosts Second Mayor's Summit on Global Warming During November, the Sundance Preserve, a not-for-profit organization for arts, culture and the environment, hosted the second annual Sundance Summit: A Mayors Gathering on Climate Protection at Sundance Resort. The Summit was co-hosted by Robert Redford, Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson, and ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability. The Summit brought together 31 mayors, representing five million Americans, at the Sundance Village to further the leadership mayors have shown in global warming initiatives. The focus of this year's summit was to provide mayors with a "tool kit" to help them reach out to constituents on the scientific consensus on global warming and the urgent need for action. The mayors left the Summit armed with various public education, media outreach, and policy resources. The Sundance Summit closed with mayors making specific commitments and calls to action in their cities, including creating incentives for more green practices, adding hybrid vehicles to city fleets, encouraging green building standards, and increasing energy efficiency of public facilities. Picabo's Annual Ski Challenge Olympic Gold Medalist Picabo Street is hosting the 3rd Annual Picabo's Ski Challenge, an amateur ski race and après-ski party to raise awareness and support for victims of child abuse. This event takes place at Park City Mountain Resort on Sunday, January 21st during the opening weekend of the Sundance Film Festival, and all proceeds support National Children’s Alliance and over 600 Children's Advocacy Centers nationwide. Each race team is captained by a celebrity, sports figure or dignitary. This year the line-up includes Bill Rancic from "The Apprentice" and Billy Bush from "Access Hollywood," among many others. As part of the festivities, select sponsors will have the chance of a lifetime to participate in "First Tracks," skiing or snowboarding with Picabo Street and other world-champion skiers before the Resort opens, on Saturday, January 20th and Sunday, January 21st. The weekend includes a private VIP reception dinner, amateur ski race including tented buffet luncheon, apres-ski party and entertainment on the hill. See www.picaboskichallenge.org, email picaboskichallenge@yahoo.com or call (866) 849-5913 for registration information. Utah Winter Games Competition Season Begins After dozens of Utah Winter Games learning clinics, the time is at hand for Utah's weekend winter warriors to put those newly acquired winter sports skills to the test. Every weekend from now through the end of March, there will be amateur winter sports competitions taking place at numerous venues around the Wasatch Mountains. High excitement comes to Brighton on January 27th when the always sold-out Jeep Terrain Park Slopestyle Challenge hits the hill. That event is limited to the first 80 competitors to sign up. There are separate events for snowboarders and skiers. The winners automatically qualify for the Jeep Terrain Park regional slopestyle competitions later in the season. There will be 75 national qualifiers who will go head-to-head in the regional competitions, and the winners will go to the Jeep National Slopestyle Championship in Lake Tahoe in March. Park City Mountain Resort will host the age-graded KSL Family and Friends ski race on March 3rd. Scattered around the rest of the weekends are lots of ski racing, cross-country, biathlon, curling, long-track speed skating, figure skating, ski archery, ski jumping, luge, and a wild bunch of snowboard slopestyle, jibbing, jam sessions, and even a competition devoted entirely to jibbing on and off trees. Check the Utah Winter Games web site at www.utahwintergames.org for more information . Utah's Wasatch Ski Distribution Announces Ski Trab US Race Team Wasatch Ski Distribution, U.S. distributors of Ski Trab touring skis, have named their U.S. Race Team for 2007. Ethan Passant and Jari Kirkland of Crested Butte, Colorado, along with Zahan Billimoria of Driggs, Idaho, Pete Swenson of Boulder, Colo. and Grant Guise of Arthur's Pass, New Zealand will race on the World Cup-dominating Trab Duo Race skis this coming season. Pete Swenson, the 2006 North American Series Champion, will both coach and race this season on the Trab Duo Sint Aero, a mid-fat version of the Duo Race. The team will be co-sponsored by Arva, CAMP, Patagonia & Scarpa. Ski Trab, of Bormio, Italy, manufactures touring skis that use carbon fiber and other proprietary modern technologies to save significant weight without sacrificing performance. Wasatch Ski Distribution is based in Salt Lake City. On The Move: Chris Rybak Chris Rybak is Park City Mountain Resort's new Food and Beverage Director, joining the team this summer. Chris began his executive career path at Keystone Resort in Keystone, Colorado as Executive Chef at the Resort's signature restaurant, the AAA Four Diamond-rated Alpenglow Stube. Keystone subsequently promoted Chris to Food and Beverage Executive Chef before he joined the Park City Mountain Resort team. A graduate from Hocking Technical College of Culinary Arts in Nelsonville, Ohio, Chris is the past president and founding member of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) Top of the Rockies Chefs Association. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 26, 2006 Hilary Reiter, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 C: 435.901.2071 hilary@skiutah.com National project promotes winter sports as a fun way to enjoy the snow season while staying in shape and learning something new. Over 100 venues nationwide! White Pine Touring has participated as a Winter Trails snowshoe anchor site for the last 5 years. The 2006 Winter Trails event drew over 200 participants to the joint retailer and guiding service, which is located in Park City, UT. White Pine Touring offers guided snowshoeing tours and backcountry lessons, as well as a 20km cross country skiing facility. The Winter Trails initiative to promote health, fitness and outdoor enjoyment during the latent winter months fits nicely into the area’s goal to heighten people's awareness of the environment and their health through active human-powered recreation. White Pine Touring partnered with Winter Trails puts on a great event that includes free demo snowshoes and free snowshoe rentals. Free guided hikes will be between 10am-12noon. Their standard cross country lessons will also be available throughout the day. Winter Trails is a nationwide public awareness campaign that promotes the health, fitness, social aspects and benefits of snow sports participation. The twelfth annual Winter Trails event will be held on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2007 at over 100 venues across the United States, and on Saturday, Feb. 17,2007 at Estes Park, Colorado. This program is part of a larger program called Winter Feels Good and presented through a partnership among SnowSports Industries America, the American Hiking Society, and the Cross Country Ski Areas Association. The one day event is geared towards families, hikers and fitness walkers, recreational enthusiasts, school groups and youth organizations who are interested in learning more about the sports of snow shoeing and cross country skiing. Who: Winter Trails is presented through a partnership between SnowSports Industries America, the not-for-profit member-oened trade association representing snow and winter sports companies, American Hiking Society, a recreation based conservation organization that promotes and protects foot treails and hiking experience, and Cross Country Ski Areas Association. Where: White Pine Touring 1685 Bonanza Ave. Park City, UT 84068 (435) 649 6249 www.whitepinetouring.com More than 100 venues across North America Go to www.wintertrails.org for updates on locations and event details. When: Saturday January 6, 2007 Sponsors: Alpina, Atlas Snow-Shoe Company, Atomic Ski USA, Excel, Mountain Safety Research (MSR), Redfeather Snowshoes, Rossignol Ski, Salomon, Swix, Tubbs Snowshoes, Whitewoods, W.L. Gore Associates, Grabber, Grangler, Kahtoola, Panoptx, and PEPSICO. Media Sponsors are Cross Country Skier magazine, Ski Trax magazine, Snowshoe magazine, and XCResorts.com. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 18, 2006 Hilary Reiter, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 C: 435.901.2071 hilary@skiutah.com December 18, 2006- Park City, UT—On JANUARY 5-7, 2007 at Park City Mountain Resort, the National Ability Center will host the 20th Annual Huntsman Cup. The Huntsman Cup is one of the nation’s leading disabled ski-racing events, bringing together a highly competitive field of racers from across the country and world. About 100 competitors are expected to participate and will utilize mono-skis, outriggers and other adapted equipment as they race for the fastest times three events, two of Giant Slalom and one Slalom event. Members of the United States Disabled Ski Team, the strongest disabled ski team in the world, and other experienced racers from the US will give spectators a weekend of intense and exciting ski racing. Members from the Canadian National Team, Australian National Team and other international team representatives are also expected. The Huntsman Cup takes place on the same race course used during the 2002 Winter Olympics for the Giant Slalom events. The Huntsman Cup always plays an important role in the selection process for naming the U.S. Disabled Ski Team. It is also a FIS-NORAM race and a point qualifier for the Disabled World Cup and U.S. National Disabled Championships. In addition to the Hunstman Cup the National Ability Center is also introducing the Chris Waddell Training Camp January 3- 4, 2007. This two day training camp will feature rigorous on the slope training with a professional coaching staff featuring Chris Waddell. Chris is a four time Paralympic skier and holds the record for having more Paralympic medals (12) than any other male skier. Enrollment for the camp and the Huntsman Cup is open through December 31, 2006. For more information contact the National Ability Center at 435-649-3991 or visit www.DiscoverNAC.org. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 8, 2006 Hilary Reiter, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 C: 435.901.2071 hilary@skiutah.com Snowbird, Utah – The ribbon will be cut signifying the opening of Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort’s new Peruvian Express Chairlift and North America’s first ski area tunnel Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2006. Journalists are invited to meet on the Snowbird Center Plaza Deck at 10 a.m. to ride the new high-speed quad chairlift to the ribbon cutting in the tunnel. Both the tunnel and the lift will open to the public for the first time after the ribbon cutting takes place. Snowbird Chairman Dick Bass will lead the ribbon cutting and other participants will include Snowbird President Bob Bonar, Ski Utah President Nathan Rafferty and State Senator Carlene Walker. Journalists should come prepared for winter conditions. The entire event can be attended on foot, skis or snowboard. After the event journalists can ski the intermediate Chip’s Run to the base or ride the chairlift down. What: Ribbon cutting and grand opening of Snowbird’s new Peruvian Express Chairlift and Peruvian Tunnel from Peruvian Gulch to Mineral Basin. Where: Peruvian Gulch, Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort. Take Little Cottonwood Canyon Road to Snowbird Entry 2 and park near the Snowbird Center. When: Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2006. Arrive at the Snowbird Center Plaza Deck, Level 3 of the Snowbird Center, no later than 10 a.m. for trip to the tunnel on the new Peruvian Express Chairlift. Who: Snowbird Chairman Dick Bass, Snowbird President Bob Bonar, Ski Utah President Nathan Rafferty and State Senator Carlene Walker. Contact: Christa Graff Graff Public Relations, LLC 435-640-7921 or Email: christa@graffpr.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WINTERFIT SNOWBALL STARTS TO ROLL Park City, UT (November 1, 2006)  -- The state’s WinterFit program is ready to explode out of the starting gate, and Director Heidi Hughes says the first team to sign up is expecting big-time results. “WinterFit is a fun way to get healthy, lose weight, and compete against other teams for prizes,” says Utah Winter Games Executive Director, Heidi Hughes.  “Teams of almost any size can sign up and participate in a range of winter sports activities. Your team can be family, friends, neighbors, or that competitive gang you work with. The team captain logs the results on the WinterFit website in order to show progress and keep score. The team concept helps motivate members to keep at it since they don’t want to let the rest of the team down but the real value is health, not competition. “ The first team to get on board comes from Utah Vacation Homes in Salt Lake City. I am already building a trophy stand because I expect our team to crush the competition,” said Captain Tristan Webb of the UVH Snow Patrol.  “Winter is often a time when a lot of people tend to be more sedentary, and the WinterFit team challenge will motivate me and my co-workers to get up and get healthy.” Hughes comments that Webb’s team will have to work hard to stay on top of the Leader Board. Similar programs around the country have attracted over 30-thousand fun-loving health enthusiasts, and Utah can expect similar results. WinterFit is sponsored by the Utah Winter Games and you can sign up online at www.utahwintergames.org. The Utah Winter Games are the oldest and biggest amateur winter sports event in the country. They continue the legacy of 2002 in Utah by making it possible for large numbers of people of all skill levels to have a wonderful time with winter sports. In the 2005-2006 20th anniversary season, more than three thousand people took part in 20 competitions in 15 sports and 32 instructional clinics. With the help of principal sponsor KSL, this coming season's Games will be significantly larger with more sports at more venues for more people. The Utah Winter Games: All Ages, All Abilities, Always Fun. For more information on WinterFit and the Utah Winter Games, please contact Christa Graff at 435-640-7921 or christa@graffpr.com or visit the Utah Winter Games web site at www.utahwintergames.org.   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 24, 2006 Hilary Reiter, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 C: 435.901.2071 hilary@skiutah.com SnowJam 2006 to Kick Off the Season in Style Following two epic years of 600-plus inches of the Greatest Snow on EarthTM, Ski Utah will hold its season kick-off party to the local ski and snowboard community pumped for the coming winter season while promoting Salt Lake City as America's biggest, most amazing ski town. The free party will take place at the Gallivan Center, an outdoor concert and festival venue in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City, on Nov. 11 from 4 to 10 p.m. Utah Snow Jam 2006 – Rockin' the Powder is geared for powder hounds of all ages and will feature live music by 80s cover band, the Metal Gods and music spun by DJ Knucklz. Other offerings will include the Ski Utah Photo of the Year contest, ski and snowboard videos, gear demos, beer garden, food vendors, giveaways from all Utah resorts, local celebrity pro athlete poster signings, best ’80s ski outfit contest, and more. Special deals and prizes will be available for Utah ski resort season pass holders. Athletes thus far confirmed to attend Joe Pack, Heidi Voelker, Josh Madsen and Caroline Gleich. Alta Turns to Wind Power Alta Ski Area has joined Rocky Mountain Power's Blue Sky program to purchase 900,000 kilowatt-hours (kwh) of clean, renewable wind power for the next 12-month period, offsetting over 23% of Alta's energy consumption. The environmental impact is equivalent to avoiding 900 tons of CO2 emissions per year. "It is the right thing to do," remarks Alta's President and General Manager, Onno Wieringa. "We appreciate the opportunity to work with this program to take our commitment to the next level." Through Clif Bar's SkiGreenTM program from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Alta also powers its Sugarloaf lift via wind energy, translating to another 11% of Alta's energy consumption. This brings the total to 34% of Alta's total power consumption offset by renewable wind power. Atomic, Salomon Moving to Utah The largest snow company on earth is getting set to make tracks in The Greatest Snow on EarthTM. Amer Sports Corporation -- the world's largest sports equipment company, and parent of ski makers Salomon and Atomic -- has selected Ogden, Utah for the home of its recently created Winter & Outdoor U.S. unit. The unit also includes the ski equipment brands Volant, Dynamic and Koflach as well as the wrist-top computer brand Suunto and Bonfire Snowboarding. Amer Sports expects to initiate its relocation efforts in the Spring of 2007. Ogden Mayor Matthew Godfrey is working to attract businesses in the ski industry to what Ogden is calling "The Hub" and invigorate Weber County's economy. Amer's relocation of its Winter and Outdoor U.S. unit is Godfrey's latest success in this initiative. Already Scott USA, Descente North America, Goode, Kahuna, and SnowSports Interactive call Ogden home, although Quiksilver Rossignol recently chose nearby Park City instead to consolidate its North American operations for all of its snowsports brands. Ski Utah Focuses on the Environment Ski Utah has launched its new KeepUtahCool.org Web site to address global warming, inform users regarding the ways it can impact the ski industry, and offer suggestions for individuals to make a difference. It also contains a section devoted to environmental programs Utah ski areas have implemented to help alleviate the effects, from re-vegetation to purchasing wind power. "We want to ensure that future generations of skiers and snowboarders can continue to enjoy The Greatest Snow on EarthTM," explained Nathan Rafferty, president of Ski Utah. "Much of our state's economy relies on tourism dollars that the ski industry delivers, so we felt compelled to launch a site that would remind people of global warming's impact and also let them know that it is a fixable problem if we act now, as individuals and organizations." The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) has created a global warming awareness campaign called Keep Winter Cool. Ski Utah, inspired by NSAA's efforts, used some of the organization's content for KeepUtahCool.org. Deer Valley Party to Benefit Youth Programs The freestyle skiing program at the Utah Olympic Park and the Park City Snowboard Team are among the beneficiaries of the JANS Winter Welcome on October 28 at the Silver Lake Lodge at Deer Valley ski resort. This year marks the 26th anniversary of JANS Winter Welcome. Guests have the opportunity to spend the evening mingling with Olympians and Champions, enjoying hors d'oeuvres and libations from a variety of specialty bars, a dinner prepared by Deer Valley's finest chefs and of course bidding on a plethora of silent auction items. Monies raised through JANS Winter Welcome will directly support the athletic programs affiliated with the Youth WinterSports Alliance, a collaboration of non-profit organizations brought together to foster in children the love of winter sports in a positive, safe, and fun environment, including the Deer Valley Freestyle Team, Kids Inc. of Utah, National Sports Foundation, Park City Alpine Club, Park City Nordic Team, Park City Ski Education Foundation, Park City Snowboard Team, Summit Ski Team and the Wasatch Luge Club. For further information on attending JANS Winter Welcome contact the Youth WinterSports Alliance at 435.901.3715 or youwinpc@xmission.com. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 10, 2006 Hilary Reiter, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 C: 435.901.2071 hilary@skiutah.com First Snows Fall Upon Utah Resorts A potent storm system brought a quantum change to the weather pattern across Utah in mid-September, propelling Utah directly from summer to early winter. The first storm dropped up to a foot of snow on the state's ski and snowboard resorts in the first snowfall of the upcoming season, and a second storm followed almost immediately thereafter. “There is still work to be done on the new Peruvian Tunnel and Peruvian Express chairlift before winter arrives, but this first snowfall is exciting for everyone who loves to ski,” said Snowbird President Bob Bonar. Snow also fell overnight on the slopes of Alta, Brighton, Deer Valley, Park City Mountain, Powder Mountain, Snowbasin, Solitude, Sundance, The Canyons, and Wolf Mountain. Eager skiers and riders were found tracking up the slopes of Wasatch Mountain ski and snowboard resorts. Snowbird’s Snow Safety Department does not officially begin seasonal snowfall records until Nov. 1 so this September snowfall will not count toward the annual accumulation that averages 500 inches. Milder weather has since returned to Utah, but the early snowfall bodes well for the winter season ahead. Utah Ski Resorts Announce 2006-07 Improvements In an effort to expand upon last winter's record-setting four million skier-day season, Utah ski and snowboard areas have numerous improvements in the works for winter 2006-07. From new lifts to more terrain to North America’s first ski area tunnel, Utah’s ski resorts will welcome visitors with a host of new amenities this winter. Alta Ski Area Alta this summer completed the detailed finish work on its new Watson Shelter mid-mountain restaurant, including hanging a selection of art reflecting the resort’s past and present. Crews have re-vegetated the landscape surrounding the lodge. Alta's other projects include upgrades to its maintenance shop and improvements to the spring system at Alf's Restaurant, Alta's other mid-mountain eatery. Both ski school sales offices were redecorated with art from renowned photographer Ray Adkinson. Deer Valley Resort On the mountain, Deer Valley officials are replacing the ski resort's existing Sterling triple chairlift on Bald Mountain with a high-speed detachable quad. New glade skiing will also be added off of the Sultan chairlift. Off the hill, they're expanding the base area Snow Park Lodge to include new bathrooms on the slope side of the building as well as enhancements to the employee cafeteria. Park City Mountain Resort At Park City, 14 new snowmaking guns have been installed to produce more snow in the pre- and early seasons. The new guns not only allow the resort to open more terrain during the early season but they also allow the resort to produce snow more efficiently. These snowmaking guns will reduce the Resort’s energy output this upcoming season by more than 1.2 million kilowatt hours, which is equal to not driving 2.5 million miles or planting 275,000 trees, resort officials say. A new Silver Star triple chair has also been installed for the 2006-07 season that will provide guests with an additional way to access the mountain and open up three new intermediate runs in the process. The resort has also retrofitted the gearboxes in all of its detachable chairlifts. Three new snowcats have been purchased to enhance the resort’s commitment to on-mountain grooming. The “Signature Runs,” advanced runs added to the grooming schedule last winter, provide the intermediate skier and rider the opportunity to access more of the mountain. Park City Mountain Resort will add new rails, funboxes and jumps to its four terrain parks. The resort receives input on the design of its parks from the Park City All Star team including Olympic gold medalist Shaun White and X-Games champion Tanner Hall. Powder Mountain After 30 years, Powder Mountain's slow double chair lift at Hidden Lake will be replaced with a high speed detachable quad. Hidden Lake Express will follow the same path as its predecessor, but the travel time on the lift will be cut in half to approximately eight minutes. The lift is 6,000 feet in length and rises 1,300 vertical feet. The lift, manufactured in Salt Lake City by Doppelmayr CTEC, will double Hidden Lake's uphill capacity to 2,400 skiers and riders per hour. Solitude Mountain Resort Solitude has purchased another new snow cat to enhance its grooming fleet for this season. For off-piste terrain enthusiasts, the Queen Bess area north of the Honeycomb lift will open for controlled powder skiing this winter. Wolf Mountain On the hill, Wolf Mountain's terrain park will be expanded this winter by 30% to create a longer run with 12 new features. These earthworks ensure that "Wolf's Lair" can double as a mountain bike free-ride park in the summer, and will be groomed in winter by a new Bombardier Terrain Master snowcat. The addition of 16 new snow guns increases Wolf Mountain's snowmaking capacity by 50%. Clean-up efforts to Wolf Mountain's physical plant are currently underway to offer visiting families an affordable, enjoyable experience. Better grading and drainage will mean guests no longer have to drive across a stream or ice flow. Beginners will have an easier time parking and finding the way to the rental shop where their ski day begins. Adjustments will also be made to the grading of the beginner hill. Wolf Mountain is also working on plans to feature a yurt to house a "children's drop-off ski school." Wolf Mountain has acquired a triple chairlift, currently scheduled for installation in time for the 2007–2008 ski and snowboard season. Alta Eliminates Terrain Park In this era of ski and snowboard resorts building, expanding and promoting terrain parks, one Utah ski area is bucking the trend by eliminating theirs. "We found that our skiers were curious about the park, and had a lot of fun times jibbing," Utah's legendary Alta Ski Area announced on their website. "But we were also astonished by how many more of our skiers preferred to use the natural terrain features on our 2,200 acres as their preferred 'park.'" Terrain parks require an enormous investment in equipment time and manpower to both create and maintain. Alta's terrain park, located off Vail Ridge and served by both the Albion and Sunnyside chairlifts, was frequently empty. Many locals consider Alta's terrain to constitute one giant natural terrain park. Alta is one of only four ski areas left in the United States that prohibits snowboarding, possibly contributing to the terrain park's lack of use. This "Skier's Mountain" shares that distinction with neighboring Deer Valley, New Mexico's Taos, and Vermont's Mad River Glen. $10M in Upgrades for The Canyons For 2006-2007 parent American Skiing Company has invested over $10 million in its flagship Utah ski and snowboard resort, The Canyons. Brand new this season, The Canyons will be opening over 200 acres of new ski and snowboard terrain serviced by a new quad chairlift named DreamCatcher. The additional acreage positions The Canyons as the largest ski resort in Utah and one of the largest in North America. “It’s going to be mostly upper intermediate to expert terrain," explains Vice President of Marketing for The Canyons, Todd Burnette. "We are doing some glading right now to open up some paths for some serious tree skiing. It’s all north-facing so the snow will hold there very well.” One of the main arteries at The Canyons is the Tombstone Express high-speed quad. The high-speed quad lift, heavily used in its central location, will be replaced this winter with a high-speed six-pack chair that will increase uphill capacity by 52% to shorten liftlines. Additionally, the Cabriolet lift from the base parking lot to the Forum will receive an extra 12 cabins to increase efficiency in transporting guests between the parking lot and the slopes. The new cabins will result in a 46% increase in capacity for the Cabriolet. Dining on the mountain is also being revamped with 175 extra seats added to an expanded second floor at the mid-mountain Red Pine Lodge. New menu options are under development as well at the Red Pine Lodge to offer a greater variety of dining choices. Construction continues on the Silverado Lodge, which will be completed by late fall of this year to add an additional 200 rentable units at the base of The Canyons. Located directly across the street from the Grand Summit and Forum area, the resort will be managing the property. New SkiUtah.com and RideUtah.com Websites Launched For years, Skiutah.com has been the authority for skiers and snowboarders seeking resort, lodging, dining and snow report information for Utah. As the state continues to set new records for skier day numbers, the Web site’s popularity has exploded as well. The 2005-06 ski season saw a record four million skier days while Skiutah.com matched this total with over 4 million page views per month. “Given the surge in skier days and web visits, we felt it was time to offer those seeking information on skiing and snowboarding in Utah an enhanced online experience that better represents our fantastic ski product. SkiUtah.com has enjoyed great success over the last few seasons but was in need of an upgrade to stay ahead of the curve in internet technology and accessibility. ” said Nathan Rafferty, president of Ski Utah. With that in mind, Tim Roberts, Ski Utah’s webmaster, created a new layout and design that is both progressive and more user-friendly. The updated, sleek look offers improved speed and conveniently features the daily snow report on the home page. “With this redesign we hope to continue making strides in increasing traffic on the Web site and remaining the ultimate source for information on Utah skiing on the World Wide Web,” added Roberts. Last year Skiutah.com reported 400,000 visitor sessions and 110,000 unique visitors per month. RideUtah.com received a facelift as well. The site, also administered by Ski Utah, is devoted to snowboarders and is now in partnership with Burton Snowboards. The new site offers greater quality content, an improved look and feel and more detailed information about snowboarding in Utah. It now also features snowboard-related product reviews and athlete interviews. A new Ride Utah snow report will debut this winter. Jeff Boliba, Burton Snowboards’ Global Resort Director and Kimmy Fasani, an athlete on the Burton National Team who is in the midst of relocating from Mammoth to Park City, were on hand Oct. 5 for the RideUtah.com website launch. Both joined Hilary Reiter, Ski Utah’s Director of Communications, to provide interviews to the media. Fasani plans to compete in the Roxy Chicken Jam, Winter X Games, Vans Cup, The Session Vail, US Open, and Global Open Series during the 2006-07 snowboard season. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 25, 2006 Hilary Reiter, Director of Communications Ski Utah T: 801.433.2016 C: 435.901.2071 hilary@skiutah.com As More Than 600-Inches of the Greatest Snow on Earth Melts, Utahs Ski Areas Kick into Summer Gear SALT LAKE CITY After a second consecutive season of above-average snowfall, Utah resorts are preparing to welcome a growing number of summer visitors who seek mountain adventure, dynamic cultural offerings and dry, moderate temperatures. From hundreds of miles of mountain biking and hiking trails to ZipRider lines to alpine slides and outdoor concerts, there is no shortage of activities for those of all ages and interests. "People are discovering that mountain communities such as Park City have more than just skiing and snowboarding", said Bill Malone, executive director of the Park City Chamber & Visitors Bureau. "Our summer business is showing continued growth, with visitors drawn to Park City by its numerous festivals and outdoor concerts, sporting events, a wide range of activities at our three resorts, fine dining, and much more." An increasing number of resorts are recognizing the wide appeal that summer activities have for visitors, and they continue to enhance their offerings. Activities range from Alpine Slides to Aerial Tram rides, patio dining to Oktoberfest celebrations, music festivals to endless hiking. The areas we all love to ski around in the winter shine in the summer with cool mountain air, incredible views and activities for everyone, added Laura Schaffer, Snowbird Ski and Summer Resorts public relations director. Below is a sampling of summer offerings at Utahs resorts. For further details, please visit their individual Web sites. Brian Head Resort June 24 through September www.brianhead.com Scenic Chairlift rides to 11,000 feet on the Giant Steps Chairlift More than 200 miles of single-track mountain biking via lift access or shuttles 18-hole Disc Golf with hole #1 starting at 11,000 feet Hiking, horseback trail rides, ATV rentals and tours Live Music most weekends throughout the summer Summer events include: July 4: Brian Head Town Annual Fireworks Show July 14-15: Thunder on the Mountain Motorcycle Rally Aug. 3-6: NORBA National Bike Race Series Sept. 16-17 14th Annual Oktoberfest & Bavarian Bash The Canyons Resort June 22 to Sept. 3 www.thecanyons.com Access mountain biking and hiking trails and lunch at Red Pine Lodge via Flight of the Canyons gondola Summer events include: June 18, 25, July 9: Sunday