This Week at Blue Mountain and March Break Activities

It’s another busy week at Blue Mountain, as we close out another month and ramp up for all the action that takes place during March Break at Blue.

One of our premier events, Lifted’s Golden Ticket, takes place in the Badlands Terrain Park this Saturday. I have also provided information about March Break and our 10th Annual Keep Winter Cool Event that will take place on Thursday, March 14th. Please find our recent news releases attached for your review.

Saturday, March 2^nd:

Lifted’s Golden Ticket

Win a 2014 Sponsorship from Salomon, Bonfire, Spy, Lifted Boardshop and Blue Mountain Resort! Ages 16 & under for both ski and snowboard are invited to show off their skills to the Salomon Pros for the chance to get hooked up next season with a full outerwear, hard goods, shop sponsorship and Super Pass from Blue Mountain Resort! 5 Skiers and 5 Snowboarders will be chosen to compete in the final for the ‘Golden Ticket’.

Registration will be at the Blue Mountain in on day of the event, from 9am-10am.

10am - 12pm:  Skiers and snowboarders will be able to ride all morning in front of 

                        scouts for tryouts.

1pm - 1:30pm: Top five boarders and skiers will be given the golden ticket into Finals

2pm - 3pm:      Finals

3pm:                Awards

Weekly Activities:

Blue Mountain offers lots of fun winter activities all through the week. Stop by in the Village and hop on one of our Horse Carriages to discover the sights and sounds of the resort. If you feel like moving a bit more, join our Guided Snowshoeing Tours leaving from the Columbia at Blue Store. There’s even more! Visit our website for full details on weekly winter activities.

March Break:

Blue Mountain Resort is ready to celebrate March Break with a mountain sized line-up of FREE family-focused activities. Blue Mountain has long been a popular March Break destination, but the resort has upped the ante this year with an exciting calendar of events and activities for every style, interest and budget. 

With warmer temperatures and spring-like conditions, March Break is a great time of year to hit the slopes with your family. In addition to Ontario’s best skiing and snowboarding, the resort has a wide-selection of on and off-hill activities, such as Plunge! Family Aquatic Centre, pond skating, Ridge Runner Mountain Coaster, Croc-A-Doodle Pottery Studio, snowshoeing, tobogganing and horse and wagon rides. Each day guests can enjoy an assortment of FREE activities outlined on the resort’s March Break at Blue calendar, including:

·         Music on the Village Stage headlined by These Kids Wear Crowns on March 15^th at 4pm

·         Scavenger Hunts

·         Outdoor Movies

·         Facepainting

·         Family obstacle courses and mountain races

·         Activations including St. Marie Among the Hurons, Elephant Thoughts and Birds of Prey

·         Fire Dancing

·         Fireworks

·         Drum Shows

·         GROOVE Dance Sessions

·         GlowStick Broomball

·         And more…visit www.bluemountainvillage.ca/marchbreak

Keep Winter Cool Event (March 14th)

Join us in the Blue Mountain Village Events Plaza from 11:00am – 4:00pm for some educational and fun programs for the entire family. Check out a solar racing car and speak with members of McMaster University’s Solar Car Project team; hang out the Earth Rangers team and meet some of their Animal Ambassadors; and write, paint or draw on our Keep Winter Cool art mural. Representatives from the Environment Network, the Town of the Blue Mountains, and Blue Mountain Resort will also be on-hand so guests can learn more about how to Keep Winter Cool!

CHASING ICE FILM SCREENING FUNDRAISER

Blue Mountain is also pleased to announce that it is screening the highly acclaimed film “Chasing Ice” from the Producer of the Academy Award-Winning “The Cove”.  Chasing Ice is the story of one man’s mission to change the tide of history by gathering undeniable evidence of our changing planet. The film follows an acclaimed environmental photographer and a team of young adventurers across the brutal Arctic in pursuit of the biggest story facing humanity. It features hauntingly beautiful videos which compress years into seconds and capture ancient mountains of ice in motion as they disappear at a breathtaking rate.

EVENT DETAILS

Keep Winter Cool Event and Activities

·         Thursday, March 14, 2013

·         11:00am – 4:00pm

·         Blue Mountain Village Events Plaza

Chasing Ice Film Screening Fundraiser

·         Thursday, March 14, 2013

·         Doors open at 7:00pm; Screening from 7:30pm – 9:00pm

·         Tickets on sale for $10.00 at all Blue Mountain Guest Services locations.  All proceeds will be donated to the Environment Network.

Blue Mountain Gets Even Larger

Ontario’s largest mountain village resort is getting even bigger. Blue Mountain is investing $10-million to expand its ski and snowboard terrain and add new trails for winter 2013/14. The expansion includes an additional 64 acres of terrain, a new high-speed, six-person chairlift and six new trails. Snowmaking infrastructure and night lighting will be installed on three of the six trails. The expansion is slated for the existing Orchard area on the south end of the Resort and increases Blue Mountain’s skiable terrain to 364 total acres across 42 trails – the most in Ontario.

“This is one of the most significant investments in the Resort’s 73 year history and the largest expansion of a ski resort in Ontario in recent memory,” said Dan Skelton, President and Chief Operating Officer, Blue Mountain Resort. “Skiing and Snowboarding is alive and well in Ontario, and our investment of more than $10-million demonstrates our ongoing commitment to our guests, employees and regional partners.  We continue to build towards our goal of being among Canada’s premier resort destinations, offering a unique pedestrian village, luxurious accommodations, state-of-the-art conference facilities, year-round attractions and the best skiing and snowboarding in the province.” 

The increased terrain provided by the Orchard expansion is equivalent to adding 21 per cent of the Resort’s current terrain, and further establishes Blue Mountain as Ontario’s largest ski and snowboard destination. The Orchard has a diverse selection of trails and terrain for all skier and snowboarder levels. The expansion will introduce a new 1.6 km trail that will be the longest beginner trail in Ontario, and addresses volume and demand on existing runs. Blue Mountain will begin building and installing infrastructure this spring (2013), and expects to open the new terrain early in the 2013/14 winter season.

“More trails and improved skiing and snowboarding facilities enhance the visitor experience and give Ontario families more reasons to travel in our province,” said Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. “I’d like to congratulate Blue Mountain on their expansion and their commitment to helping strengthen Ontario’s snow and tourism industries.”

Facts About the Orchard Expansion

·         $10-million investment

·         64 additional acres of skiable terrain (bringing the Resort’s total to 364 acres)

·         Six new trails (bringing the Resort’s total to 42 trails)

·         One new state of the art high-speed, six-person chairlift, which will be the biggest in Ontario

·         Longest beginner run in Ontario - 1.6 km

·         Snowmaking and night lighting on three of the six trails (further infrastructure to be added in the following years)

For more information or to preview a video of the Orchard area, please visit www.bluemountain.ca/orchard.

Blue Mountain Hosts Second Annual SNOW Media Showcase

After the success of the 2012 SBC Media Showcase at Blue Mountain, the crew behind the event decided to up the ante, sweeten the pot, and add a few more challenges for this year's highly anticipated Showcase.

The SNOW Media Team Challenge invites riders from across Ontario to come together and showcase how amazing, gnarly, unreal and truly enjoyable skiing and snowboarding actually is in this province! Teams are permitted to have a maximum of five members (or less) and have one month to produce FIVE top-notch photos and ONE short video that showcase the ski and snowboard lifestyle in Ontario. These submissions will then be judged by our panel of experts.

It’s time to put those genius shred-minds to work and get creative! Each media submission will be judged on creativity, composition, storytelling, videography, editing, originality, and of course, overall entertainment value.

TEN teams will be selected for the finals to be premiered on Saturday, March 16 during the SNOW Media Showcase presented by SBC Media. Winners will walk away with $3,000 in cold, hard cash for their efforts.

Creativity runs through the blood of all winter sports enthusiasts and this year's Snow Media Showcase embraces the love of winter with the addition of the following categories:

·         Amateur Photographer Showcase

·         SNOW Artist Gallery

·         Ski and Snowboard Graphic Design Contest

Guests can explore the world of local and industry art, while also having the opportunity to express themselves - and win some great prizes - through the Amateur Photographer Showcase and Ski and Snowboard Graphic Design Contest. The gallery is open all weekend to resort guests at no charge.

Location:                                                              Huron Grand Ballroom, Village Conference Centre, Blue Mountain Resort

Dates:                                                                   March 15-17, 2013

Gallery Hours:                                                  March 15, 7-10pm, March 16, 10am-5pm, March 17, 10am-3pm

Presentation of Amateur Awards:            Friday, March 15, 7pm SNOW Media Showcase presented by SBC Media: Saturday, March 16, doors open at 7pm

For all information, rules and regulations visit: http://www.bluemountain.ca/media_showcase.htm

Check out the teaser video:  http://youtu.be/pEMlTF2j1n8

Snowboardcross Athletes Thrill the Crowd at Blue

BLUE MOUNTAINS, ON – February 2, 2013 – The FIS World Cup Snowboardcross at Blue Mountain Resort came to a close this afternoon after a successful few days or thrilling competition. The energized and large crowd cheered on some of the world’s top athletes, as they battled it out for the ultimate prize on the slopes at Blue. The Canadian team didn’t disappoint the hometown crowd, as they placed well throughout the day. Including a first place finish by Christopher Robanske (CAN) in the men’s race and a second place finish by Dominique Maltais (CAN) in the women’s race.

Men’s Results:

Christopher Robanske CAN (1^st)

Alex Pullin AUS (2^nd)

Nick Baumgartner USA (3^rd)

Women’s Results:

Eva Samkova  CZE (1^st)       

Dominique Maltais CAN (2^nd)

Nelly Moenne Loccoz FRA (3^rd)

Top Canadians:

Men

Christopher Robanske CAN (1^st)

Robert Fagan CAN (6^th)

Jake Holden CAN (16^th)

Kevin Hill CAN (27^th)

Women

Maelle Ricker CAN (4^th)

“Everyone involved, from athletes to volunteers, did a great job to make this event such an amazing success,” said Collin Matanowitsch, Manager, Public Relations, Blue Mountain Resort. “The athletes didn’t disappoint and the crowd was electric throughout the entire event. Despite challenges with the weather earlier in the week, we proved again that our industry leading snowmaking system, experienced team and world class terrain make Blue Mountain a perfect venue for this type of event. We look forward to hosting the World Cup at Blue Mountain again next year.”