Press Release

Snowbird Gets Bigger With the Dean Cummings Big Mountain Experience

Written on December 18th, 2007 at 07:30 pm by Bill
Filed Under: Press Release

SNOWBIRD, UTAH – A Utah resort known for its big mountain terrain and a famed athlete known for his big mountain expertise have joined forces for the 2008 winter season. Dean Cummings will bring his Big Mountain Camps and daily clinics for skiers and snowboarders to Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort, providing guests with the ultimate big mountain experience.

Cummings and the H2O Guide Team will provide a new element to the Snowbird Mountain School this season with the Dean Cummings Big Mountain Experience (BMX). BMX focuses on big mountain and all-mountain techniques and protocols and is a semi-private lesson requiring a minimum of two and a maximum of six participants. BMX instruction focuses on the latest big mountain techniques, backcountry protocols, route selections and terrain management, and will be offered daily by Cummings, members of the H2O Guide Team and Snowbird Mountain School instructors.

For expert skiers and riders, the Dean Cummings Big Mountain Camps offer an opportunity to learn from Cummings’ knowledge, experience and ability while being guided into the best terrain and powder available. The four-day/four-night camp combines chairlift, backcountry and helicopter access in Utah’s Wasatch Range and will take place Jan. 9-12 and Feb. 6-9, 2008.

Snowbird will host a meet and greet session for media with Cummings Wednesday, Dec. 19, at 10 a.m. on the Snowbird Center Plaza Deck. Cummings will provide an overview of his programs, answer questions and will be available to take runs with members of the media. Take Little Cottonwood Canyon to Snowbird Entry 2 to access the Snowbird Center.

A New Mexico native and Alaska resident, Cummings has dedicated his life to honing his skills in the mountains of the world. A member of the U.S. Ski Team for three years, Cummings went on to win the World Extreme Skiing Championships in 1995. Today he is recognized as one of the top big mountain skiers, mechanized ski guides working in glaciated terrain and as a leader in outdoor safety and avalanche awareness education. In December 2006, he was selected by his peers and featured in Powder Magazine as one of the 48 greatest and most influential skiers of our time.

For more information or to make a reservation contact Cummings at (907) 835-8418 or Snowbird Mountain School at (801) 933-2170.

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Grand Opening of Mammoth’s Cloud Nine Express Set for Friday, Dec. 21

Written on December 18th, 2007 at 07:00 pm by Bill
Filed Under: Press Release

MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN, CA. – Over eight inches of snow have fallen on Mammoth
Mountain since 4am this morning and it’s still coming down. Thanks to the help from
Mother Nature, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area will hold a Grand Opening event to
celebrate the debut of Cloud Nine Express on Friday, December 21, 2007. Cloud Nine
is a brand-new high-speed six-pack chairlift that has replaced Mammoth’s legendary
Chair 9, a double-chair. The $6.5 million project was completed in the fall of 2007 – just
in time for the 2007/08 winter season.

The Grand Opening will take place at 11am at the base of the chairlift. The event will
include a ribbon cutting and an appearance by Woolly. As always, skiers and
snowboarders must have a valid lift ticket to board Cloud Nine Express.

The new Doppelmayr lift will whisk skiers from the Eagle Lodge side of the mountain to
10,371 feet near Dragon’s Back in just over six minutes, providing access to hundreds of
acres of intermediate and advanced terrain and cutting the ride time in half. Originally
installed in 1969, the fixed-grip two-seat chair is famed for deep powder and runs like
Dragon’s Back and Ricochet on the eastern slopes of Mammoth Mountain. The new lift
will provide quick and efficient service while being able to operate under more acute
weather conditions and giving more skiers the opportunity to enjoy some of the best
terrain Mammoth has to offer.

“While we anticipate increased usage of the terrain around Cloud Nine Express, the
chair upgrade will also provide more convenient access to the other side of the
mountain,” said Mammoth Mountain Chairman and CEO Rusty Gregory. “On busy days
twenty-five percent of our skiers start their day at Eagle Lodge. We believe many
intermediate and advanced skiers will use Cloud Nine Express to move across the
mountain quickly.”

Winds can be strong as weather blows in over Mammoth’s east side. The heavier sixpassenger
lift has been installed instead of a quad lift to allow it to operate in higher
winds. The six-pack chair is heavier and more stable in wind, so the Lift Operations
team anticipates more full days of operation.

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Deer Valley Resort to Host First World Cup Ski Cross Competition in North America

Written on December 13th, 2007 at 12:00 pm by Bill
Filed Under: Press Release

DEER VALLEY RESORT, PARK CITY, UTAH (December 13, 2007) – Well known for hosting world-class freestyle ski events, 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 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 ski run, followed by the dual moguls event Saturday evening on Champion (the 2002 Olympic Winter Games moguls course). The evening events are particularly exciting as athletes compete under the lights, and Deer Valley entertains guests with live entertainment and fireworks. The evening events begin at 6 p.m. 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 beginning December 8, 2007, by calling 435-645-6510 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Children six years and under are free. Refunds will be given at point of purchase only if event is cancelled or rescheduled to another day.

In the past ten years, Deer Valley Resort has become known as a Mecca for freestyle events, successfully hosting the 1999 Chevy Truck U.S. Freestyle Championships, six World Cups (2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007), the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and the 2003 FIS Freestyle World Championships, one of the largest ever held in the history of the sport. The Resort is also scheduled to host the Freestyle World Championships again in 2011.

Deer Valley’s 2008 Visa Freestyle International will be aired on NBC television on Sunday, February 10, 2008 at 2 p.m. and on Versus at 5 p.m. E.S.T. as well as on Sunday, February 17, 2008 at 4 p.m. E.S.T on Versus. For more information on the upcoming 2008 Visa Freestyle International, or to arrange event interviews, please contact Resort Communications Manager Erin Grady at 800-424-DEER (3337), 435-645-6522 or view the Resort Web site at deervalley.com.

Deer Valley Resort – Rated the #1 Ski Resort in North America
by the readers of SKI magazine this year.

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Major Improvements at Alyeska Resort

Written on November 6th, 2007 at 05:40 pm by Bill
Filed Under: Press Release

By Press Release

GIRDWOOD, AK – October 16, 2007

Alyeska has opened the mountain for hiking as snowmaking has been completed from the bottom of the mountain to the top of the tram. Alyeska Resort would like to thank everyone for their patience this summer. Our mountain crew has been working long hours throughout the summer to improve your summer and winter mountain experience.

This summer Alyeska embarked on a full-mountain renovation project that included snowmaking extensions added from the bottom of the mountain to the top of the tram. Alyeska will now have 31 snow guns distributing snow where and when it is needed. We plan on operating the mountain from the top of the Tram on opening day, November 17. Trail grading and widening on Jim’s Branch, Weir, Mighty Mite, and Spoonline have also been completed. Work on the Autobahn will allow snowmaking along the bottom of North Face. The combination of cutting back the vegetation and having snowmaking along the Autobahn will provide a better North Face skier experience deep into the spring. The work this summer will not only enhance our winter product, but will greatly improve summer recreational opportunities at Alyeska. Possible future summer enhancements include new hiking trails, advanced to beginner mountain bike terrain, zip lines and a mountain coaster. […Read More]

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