Category: Ski British Columbia

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The Pemberton Aerothlon 2019 is open to participants and sponsors.

The Pemberton Aerothlon 2019 is open to participants and sponsors.

The Pemberton Aerothlon 2019 is open to participants and sponsors.

The Aerothlon is a contest that mixes cross-country running, paragliding and mountain biking in that order. There are five international events in Mexico, Peru, Romania, Colombia and in Canada. The Canadian version is in Pemberton, BC and will be celebrated on September 1st.

This event introduces paragliding to runners and bikers and vice-versa. You can form teams or do all three sports if you run, paraglide and mountain bike.

Peter Chrzanowski, the organiser of the Aerothlon in Pemberton. The Pemberton Aerothlon 2019 is open to participants and sponsors.
Peter Chrzanowski, the organiser of the Aerothlon in Pemberton. The Pemberton Aerothlon 2019 is open to participants and sponsors.

This is the second year for the Pemberton Aerothlon after its inaugural event in 2018. The Pemberton Aerothlon will be on September 1st, 2019.

There was a variety of international athletes participating in this event last year. There are not too many people paragliding in Canada as you see in Europe. So, this event can teach many wannabees how to get into the sport.

Aerothlon categories:

  1. Team relay where each person does different sport.
  2. Individual , where hard core athletes such as ones from
    www.redbullxalps.com do all three sports, run, fly and bike.
  3. The Tandem duo, where the athlete who runs and bikes goes with the tandem pilot.

If you run or only bike, and do not paraglide and wish to go tandem, each participant can enter the bike or run only categories for separate prizes in each discipline.

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Mountain Travel Symposium 2019 in Whistler – a recap.

Whistler was the site of MTS 2019. Mountain Travel Symposium 2019 in Whistler – a recap. Photo courtesy of MTS.

Mountain Travel Symposium 2019 in Whistler – a recap.

Just came a couple of weeks ago from the Mountain Travel Symposium, an event I have been working for the past six years and which I enjoy every moment of it. I noticed however, that as I am getting old, it is taking me longer to feel back human again.

Trentino attendees having fun at the top of Whistler Mountain. Photo: Mirta Valentini - Trentino Marketing. Mountain Travel Symposium 2019 in Whistler – a recap.
Trentino attendees having fun at the top of Whistler Mountain. Photo: Mirta Valentini – Trentino Marketing. Mountain Travel Symposium 2019 in Whistler – a recap.

The Mountain Travel Symposium (MTS for short) is not a sprint, definitely is a marathon – An event that lasts one week and for me makes me be twelve days away from home from my husband and kids. MTS is the largest mountain and ski gathering of suppliers from all over the world – ski resorts, hoteliers and service providers, with tour operators that sell skiing, also from all over the world, and ski clubs and ski councils from the USA and Canada, that travel internationally.

I am in charge of the international market and on widening the international attendees year on year. This is a part-time, but yearlong job for me. Now I have a couple of weeks to get ready and close all things from this past event before we open the early bird registration for MTS 2020. MTS 2020 will be in Squaw Valley, at the Resort of Squaw Creek, in North Lake Tahoe, CA, USA from March 29 – April 4, 2020. In May we’ll be opening registration, with the best rates available for one month only. Then rates go up four times during the year, so whoever can register early, get rates that are USD 800 cheaper than the last published rates!

The French delegates at the Trade Exchange Reception. Photo: Mountain Travel Symposium. Mountain Travel Symposium 2019 in Whistler – a recap.
The French delegates at the Trade Exchange Reception. Photo: Mountain Travel Symposium. Mountain Travel Symposium 2019 in Whistler – a recap.

But, getting back to MTS 2019, the event was in Whistler, BC. Canada. We have been In Whistler also in 2015, but the event took the Fairmont in Blackcomb. This year the event was at the Whistler Village Conference Center. I was an attendee at MTS being at the same place in 2002, when I was having my own incoming tour operator Ski Patagonia, where I was selling trips to Argentina and Chile.

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Wanting to Ski in Whistler but on a Budget? Why not stay at the Pangea Pod Hotel?

Pods from Pangea Pod Hotel. Wanting to Ski in Whistler but on a Budget? Why not stay at the Pangea Pod Hotel?

Wanting to Ski in Whistler but on a Budget? Why not stay at the Pangea Pod Hotel?

This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.

So you always wanted to ski in Whistler, but when looking at rooms rates you’ve thought you are out of money as you are on a budget? Look again, now with the Pangea Pod Hotel you can afford to stay in Whistler in budget and in style.

The Pangea Pod Hotel has opened its doors in Whistler, BC, Canada, on August 2018. It has revolutionised the hospitality industry by bringing chic and price-conscious solo accommodation to one of North America’s top tourist destinations.

Exterior of the Pangea Pod Hotel. Wanting to Ski in Whistler but on a Budget? Why not stay at the Pangea Pod Hotel?
Exterior of the Pangea Pod Hotel. Wanting to Ski in Whistler but on a Budget? Why not stay at the Pangea Pod Hotel?

The first hotel of its kind in Canada, Pangea’s rooms will, at most, cost half the price of a conventional hotel room, and usually far less. This new style of accommodation will make the resort more accessible to solo and budget travellers wishing to experience all that Whistler has to offer.

Husband-and-wife team Russell and Jelena Kling spent several years traversing the globe, garnering first-hand experience about what makes for a comfortable and satisfying stay. Loosely inspired by Tokyo’s capsule hotels, Pangea, located in the heart of Whistler Village, is the result of three years of planning and prototype development.

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New investments in Whistler Blackcomb to enhance the guest experience will be ready for the 2018-19 ski season

Whistler- The effect that looks like a sea of clouds- Photo by Paul Morrison - Whistler Blackcomb - Vail Resorts. New investments in Whistler Blackcomb to enhance the guest experience will be ready for the 2018-19 ski season
  • Whistler Blackomb, owned by Vail Resorts, has invested CAD66 million (USD 52 million) at Whistler Blackcomb, including a new gondola-to-gondola-to-gondola connection.
  • This historic investment accelerates the Renaissance plan’s mountain improvements, with a focus on the heart of the resort, and defers consideration of new water park

Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN) announced last year that the historic investment of CAD$66 million (USD$52 million) at Whistler Blackcomb for the 2018-19 season which focused on three new lifts at the heart of the resort. This transformative investment featured the addition of a new gondola on the Blackcomb side of the mountain, as well as several other lift infrastructure upgrades, providing quicker, easier access to all levels of terrain. The plan also represented the largest single-year capital investment program in the resort’s history, and the Company’s decision to accelerate the mountain improvements included in the Renaissance plan, while deferring consideration of the new water park.

A family uses the Peak to Peak Gondola in Whistler Blackcomb. Photo by John Entwistle- Whistler Blackcomb- Vail Resorts. New investments in Whistler Blackcomb to enhance the guest experience will be ready for the 2018-19 ski season
A family uses the Peak to Peak Gondola in Whistler Blackcomb. Photo by John Entwistle- Whistler Blackcomb- Vail Resorts. New investments in Whistler Blackcomb to enhance the guest experience will be ready for the 2018-19 ski season

A new 10-passenger gondola is replacing the Wizard and Solar chairlifts and ascend from the base to the top of Blackcomb Mountain, terminating adjacent to the existing PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola, which transports guests to and from Blackcomb and Whistler. Upon completion for the start of the season, the new gondola will offer guests a more comfortable and weather-protected experience in the first three-gondola connection in the world, enhancing the longest continuous lift system. The new gondola is expected to represent a 47-percent capacity increase and move 4,000 people per hour, the highest capacity in North America.

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Vail Resorts closes its acquisition of Stevens Pass Resort in Washington

Cowboy Ridge at Stevens Pass, one of the areas bought by Vail Resorts in its last shopping spree.

Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN) today announced that the Company has closed on its acquisition of Stevens Pass Resort in Washington from Ski Resort Holdings, LLC, an affiliate of Oz Real Estate. The final purchase price, after adjustments for certain agreed-upon terms, was $64 million. Less than 85 miles from Seattle and renowned for its plentiful snowfall, the resort sits on the crest of the Cascade Range within two national forests – the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest on the west side, and the Wenatchee National Forest on the east.

Stevens Pass is the last acquisition of Vail Resorts and will be included in the EPIC Pass.
Stevens Pass is the last acquisition of Vail Resorts and will be included in the EPIC Pass.

The 2018-19 Epic Pass, Epic Local Pass, Epic Australia Pass, and Military Epic Pass now include unlimited and unrestricted access to Stevens Pass; the Epic 7 Day and Epic 4 Day Passes now offer seven and four unrestricted days respectively. Additionally, Whistler Blackcomb’s 5 Day and 10 Day EDGE Cards, which are available to residents of Washington State and Canada, allow pass holders to use two of five, or three of 10 days at Stevens Pass or any other Vail Resorts’ owned and operated ski resorts.

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Boyne Resorts Acquires Six Mountain Resorts

Boyne Resorts acquires six resorts. Sunday River in Maine is one of them. Photo: Sunday River Resort.

Boyne Resorts Acquires Six Mountain Resorts. Included in the transaction are Brighton Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon near Salt Lake City, Utah; Cypress Mountain in Vancouver, B.C.; Gatlinburg SkyLift in Gatlinburg, Tennessee; Loon Mountain Resort in New Hampshire; Sugarloaf and Sunday River Resort in Maine; and The Summit at Snoqualmie near Seattle, Washington.

Cypress Mountain near Vancouver. Photo: Cypress Mountain. Boyne Resorts Acquires six mountain resorts
Cypress Mountain near Vancouver. Photo: Cypress Mountain.

Boyne Resorts today announced closing of a purchase transaction with Ski Resort Holdings, LLC, an affiliate of Oz Real Estate, to acquire six mountain resorts and a scenic chairlift attraction previously leased by the resort company. Boyne Resorts has been the long-term operator of the seven newly acquired assets and also owns three resorts in northern Michigan and Big Sky Resort in Montana. As third largest based on skier visits, Boyne Resorts’ portfolio of mountain properties is the most geographically diverse among all North American ski resort companies.


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Several new resorts join the Powder Alliance for 2018-19 ski season:

Loveland Ski Area - Powder Alliance. Several new resorts join the Powder Alliance for 2018-19 ski season

Sugar Bowl Resort, CA, Loveland Ski Area, CO, Castle Mountain Resort, AB Canada, and Ski Marmot Basin, AB Canada join the Powder Alliance for 2018-19

Castle Mountain Resort. Powder Alliance. Several new resorts join the Powder Alliance for 2018-19 ski season:
Castle Mountain Resort- Powder Alliance

The Powder Alliance has announced that Sugar Bowl Resort, CA, Loveland Ski Area, CO, Castle Mountain Resort, AB Canada, and Ski Marmot Basin, AB Canada have been added to its list of participating resorts for the 2018/19 winter. Now spanning 4 countries and 2 hemispheres, the Powder Alliance is one of the world’s most powerful reciprocal season pass programs offering top-tier pass holders three days at 19 premier winter destinations.

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Vail Resorts Introduces Emma, Your Epic Mountain Assistant.

Powder Skiing in Back Bowls In Vail, CO. Photo: Vail Resorts. The Must-Read Guide to Vail.

– Emma, Your Epic Mountain Assistant, is the world’s first digital mountain assistant to offer information on everything from grooming, lift line wait times and parking to recommendations on rentals, lessons and dining options.
– Guests will instantly receive expert, local information tailored to each resort and to their needs.
– Emma builds on the Company’s long track record of seamlessly using technology to improve the guest experience without impacting their connection to the outdoors.

The Vail Village is where Vail Resorts started many years ago. Vail Resorts. Vail Mountain. Emma, Your Epic Mountain Assistant uses AI to answer all your questions.
The Vail Village is where Vail Resorts started many years ago.



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The famous Epic Pass is getting 10 years old this year and has launched its rates for the 2018-19 ski season.

Whistler sunset- Photo by Paul Morrison - Vail Resorts.

The EPIC pass offers access to 61 ski areas in 8 countries. The IKON Pass, its contender, goes now head to head with the EPIC Pass.

What is new this year with the EPIC Pass:
• New for 2018-19, Epic Pass holders receive limited access to Telluride in Colorado, Hakuba Valley in Japan and Resorts of the Canadian Rockies across Canada, bringing the worldwide resort access total to 61.
• In celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Epic Pass, Vail Resorts is honouring its heritage with the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division with a $99 Military Epic Pass and a $1 donation for every 2018-19 season pass sold to Wounded Warrior Project.
• Vail Resorts season passes offer a number of unique advantages over other industry passes, from direct to lift access to discounted tickets for family and friends
United States. Canada. Australia. Japan. France. Switzerland. Italy. Austria. No other season pass gives skiers and snowboarders access to so many celebrated resorts around the world than the Epic Pass, including unlimited, unrestricted access to 15 mountain resorts and limited access to 46 more. Priced at $899 for the 2018-19 winter season, the Epic Pass remains unmatched in the mountain resort industry for the variety and value it offers skiers and snowboarders.



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New for next winter, the Epic Pass will feature access to Telluride in Colorado; Hakuba Valley’s nine ski resorts in Japan; and Resorts of the Canadian Rockies across Canada, including Fernie Alpine Resort, Kicking Horse Mountain Resort and Kimberley Alpine Resort in British Columbia, Nakiska in Alberta, and Mont Sainte Anne and Stoneham in Quebec, all in a long-term alliance.

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Warren Miller, the ski-movies-guru and pioneer, died at 93 at his Orcas Island home

Warren Miller was the pioneer of the ski films, a real ski movies guru.

I was very sad to hear that Warren A. Miller, the pioneer ski movies filmmaker has passed away yesterday. He was 93, but he did have a great life. He promoted the idea of ‘pure freedom’ that is associated with skiing. He was a self-taught filmmaker who started filming himself for an annual narrated ski movie shown in small theatres. Over the years, he continued narrating all his films, his voice is very warm, and recognisable. He makes fun out of skiing and is ok of making fun out of himself. His company, Warren Miller Entertainment, has produced more than 500 adventure sport films.

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