News Archive

 

The countdown to winter is on and Vail Resorts is gearing up for the start of the 2011-2012 ski and snowboard season. A lot of exciting things are happening from Colorado to California in preparation for the coming winter including the debut of EpicMix Photo, $30 million in capital improvements at Northstar, world-class development and the continuation of Vail’s renaissance, a new high-speed lift in Rose Bowl at Beaver Creek, a new ski school hub set to open at Heavenly and the celebration of Breckenridge’s 50th anniversary.

 

Check out what’s happening at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Heavenly and Northstar leading up to the winter 2011-2012 season:

 

EpicMix. Now with Photo
Vail Resorts’ award winning and popular ski and snowboard application EpicMix, has new added functionality that revolutionizes the vacation photo experience. EpicMixlaunched during the 2010-2011 season providing skiers and riders with hands- and hassle-free tracking of vertical feet skied, number of days skied and digital pin accomplishments thanks to a RF-enabled chip embedded in smart card passes. This season, Vail Resorts is doing something that no other resort or ski mountain is doing - taking and then giving free on-mountain photos to guests to easily share on Facebook and social sites. Starting mid-December, guests will be able to take their own photos or get their photos taken and combine them with their vertical feet, digital pins and memories of other special moments of their visit through the new EpicMix platform. Additionally EpicMix is expanding its program to nearly all guests this year through an upgrade to "smart" RF-enabled lift tickets. For more information and to watch a video of EpicMix, visit www.epicmixphoto.com.
 

Enjoy the best mountains in Colorado and California this season with one Epic Season Pass. The Epic Pass, available now for $649 for adults, is the best season pass deal in the ski industry offering unlimited, unrestricted skiing at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Heavenly, Northstar and Arapahoe Basin. This season guests can also choose the new Epic Local Pass, available now at $499 for adults, the perfect option for locals offering unlimited and unrestricted skiing and snowboarding at Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin and 10 restricted days at Vail or Beaver Creek. For those guests who don’t plan to ski more than seven days there is the Epic 7-Day which provides skiers and snowboarders a total of seven unrestricted days of skiing and riding at any one of Vail Resorts’ six mountain resorts plus Arapahoe Basin anytime throughout the season for $499 for adults. For more information about Vail Resorts season passes or to purchase a pass online, visit www.epicpass.com.

Shaun White Limited Edition Epic Pass
Vail Resorts also recently announced a worldwide multi-year partnership agreement with two-time Olympic gold medalist, professional snowboarder and skateboarder Shaun White, who will represent all six of Vail Resorts’ world-class mountain resorts (Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado and Heavenly and Northstar in California/Nevada), and has made Northstar his home mountain and primary training resort, where he will design a new 22’ halfpipe for resort guests to enjoy. As part of the launch of this new partnership, Vail Resorts will donate $5 for each Epic Season Pass sold to White’s chosen charity, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. In addition, White will be designing a limited edition Epic Season Pass, which will be available to Epic Season Pass holders this fall through a Facebook promotion. 
 

The 2011-2012 season welcomes families with expanded Kid’s Adventure Zones located throughout Keystone Resort  . Keystone’s winter event calendar abounds with live entertainment that will be sure to get the whole family toe tapping and giggling in no time. Gear up for enhanced ice skating adventures available under the sunny sky and the twinkling night sky at the new 7,200-square-foot rink in River Run. From Kidtopia Teen Nights, four diamond dining experiences, snow tubing and sleigh rides there is something for everyone at Keystone Resort.

 

Breckenridge hits 50 on opening day, Nov. 11, 2011. Breckenridge’s golden season will continue to bring signature events like the Winter Dew Tour stop in December, Ullr Fest and the International Snow Sculpture Championships in January, the new Spring Fever Festival in April, as well as the great snow and customer service you’ve come to expect at Breck.

 

On the heels of last season’s debut of the new high-speed quad, the High Noon Express Lift (#5), the new tubing hill lift at Adventure Ridge and “Vail’s Renaissance” in the base areas, Vail’s on-mountain renaissance continues with the addition of a highly-anticipated new 13,000-square-foot table-service restaurant, The 10th, scheduled to open Dec.1, 2011. Call (970) 754-1010 for reservations beginning Oct. 1. The resort’s Kids Adventure Zones have also been going through their own renaissance and two new zones have been added. The new Winter Teva Mountain Games makes its debut in February, joining Vail’s lineup of signature events including Vail Snow Daze, Vail Family Holidaze, CarniVail and Spring Back to Vail.

 

Heavenly has made enhancements to virtually every aspect of the guest experience for the 2011-2012 ski and snowboard season, priming the resort to rival last year’s record-breaking season. The addition of a new children’s ski school building this season will continue to grow Heavenly’s Adventure Peak into an exciting hub for families with tubing, snow biking, sightseeing and dining. Guests can also expect new trail additions and upgrades, new technology and resources for enhanced snowmaking and grooming, and more.

 

$30 million in capital improvement projects for the 2011-2012 winter season will provide guests at Northstar new gladed terrain and ski trails that will increase groomable terrain by 10 percent, a new high-speed detachable quad chairlift on “The Backside,” new snowmaking and a new on-mountain restaurant near the top of the Tahoe Zephyr Express Lift with indoor seating for 500 and outdoor seating for 200. New retail stores will also open in the Village at Northstar, including Burton, Patagonia, and an expanded The North Face.

 

With the promise of “not exactly roughing it”, Beaver Creek delivers arguably the best guest service in the industry and over its 30 year history has continually reinvested in the resort experience. For 2011-2012 a new high-speed quad chairlift in Rose Bowl boosts the ski experience and capitalizes on gentle as well as extreme terrain in the area. Also look for new programs such as Ripperoo’s Rockin Registration at kids’ ski school, Max 3 adult alpine clinics, Kids Talons Challenge, and Kids Adventure Zone with ski-through teepees. Complete your day with Cookie Time and enjoy a warm chocolate chip cookie.

 

2012 Winter Vacations at 2011 Prices
Savvy skiers and riders planning to visit one of Vail Resorts California or Colorado ski destinations this winter can Ski Free & Stay Free at last year’s prices if booked by Oct. 31, 2011. What could be better than a FREE night of lodging and a FREE day of skiing? Prices this good won’t last so take advantage of this great offer and book your winter vacation now or call (800) 404-3535.

Epic Lodging Deals
Here’s a deal you won’t want to “pass” on. Book a stay at any one of Vail Resorts Hospitality or RockResorts properties in Colorado, Lake Tahoe and Wyoming and receive one FREE Epic Pass for the 2011-2012 ski season. Nightly rates start from $125 at Keystone Resort and $139 at Austria Haus Hotel in Vail. The Epic Lodging package must be booked by November 20, 2011 and is valid for travel through April 1, 2012. Minimum night stay required, varies by property. Visit epiclodgingdeals.com or call 1-866-614-ROCK (7625).

Happy Birthday Breck, 50% off lodging!
To get this ½ off pricing, guests can book a room at The Village at Breckenridge from Opening Day through Dec. 15 for two or more nights. This package also includes two drinks and an appetizer at The Village’s Park Avenue Pub with each reservation.  From The Village’s unbeatable location, guests can walk mere steps to the Quicksilver lift at the base of Peak 9 and also to Main Street. This 50% off lodging offer is available now while supplies last at www.breckenridge.com.

Visit Beaver Creek over any holiday and we will pick up the lodging for one night. Holidays include Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. And, we will even include one night during Spring Break, March 10 – April 3, 2012. Minimum lengths of stay apply and vary throughout the year. The free night will be factored into the daily lodging rate. Book by Oct. 31, 2011. To book your Holiday on Us, please visit www.beavercreek.com or call (888) 372-7895.

Unwrap Your Holiday at Keystone
For a limited time, book a stay in Keystone’s River Run Village for 7 nights or more between Dec. 17-Jan. 2 and receive a FREE iPad2. Studio accommodations start at $221 per night and two bedroom condos start at $461 per night. Book directly with Keystone for the Best Rate Guarantee, plus receive a Free Night Ski on the Day of Arrival during normal night ski operations. Book by Nov. 1, 2011. Restrictions apply, based on availability while supplies last. Other rates, dates and selected accommodations are available, visit www.keystoneresort.com or call (877) 204-7889

Fly In Ski Free at Vail and Beaver Creek
Guests flying into the Eagle Airport on flights from Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Denver, Miami and Newark may enjoy a free day of skiing at Beaver Creek or Vail on the afternoon of their arrival through the Fly In Ski Free program. Passengers may ski for free the same day of arrival by showing a valid boarding pass and Vail Valley lodging confirmation. This offer is valid Nov. 18, 2011- April 15, 2012 and additional restrictions may apply. Visit www.flyvail.com for information and the latest schedules and available flights.

Winter Events

The eighth annual Beaver Creek Chocolate Chip Cookie Competition takes place opening day of the 2011-2012 winter season, where the top five recipes will be selected to compete for bragging rights as the official cookie of Beaver Creek. Five finalists chosen from a number of fall entries bake and serve 1,000 cookies each on Nov. 23. Hungry skiers and riders vote and the top cookie recipe is chosen and designated as the official Cookie Time recipe for the season. For details on the Cookie contest which takes place in the fall, visit www.beavercreek.com.

 

Tradition holds strong in Beaver Creek as the 31st annual Holiday Tree Lighting in the Village signifies the kickoff of not only another great ski season but also the start of the holiday season at Beaver Creek. For generations families have participated in the Tree Lighting which includes a fireworks display along with a holiday poetry contest, a visit by Santa on a zamboni and in recent years, the Gingerbread House Competition which showcases amazing pieces of gingerbread art forms by local chefs. The Gingerbread Competition entries are auctioned and all proceeds support Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), a local organization serving children in Eagle, Summit, Lake and Clear Creek counties.

Noel Nights at Northstar, Beginning Dec. 1
The first three Thursdays in December Northstar presents Noel Nights. The Village at Northstar will be festive with a 35-foot tree and holiday trees throughout the Village decorated by local school children. The event will feature ice skating (bring a can of food for a local food bank and skate rentals are free!), s’mores around the fire pits, carolers, one-horse sleigh rides, holiday shopping deals and much more!

Chocolate Village at Keystone Lodge & Spa – December 2011/January 2012

Be sure not to miss this delicious homemade creation from Keystone Resort’s Pastry Chef Ned Archibald. This handcrafted holiday tradition features 2,500 pounds of chocolate crafted into a miniature alpine village, a working chocolate gondola, a cascading chocolate waterfall, 6 foot tall white chocolate Christmas tree with chocolate presents. This mouth watering creation gets a special new addition every year, the 2010-2011 season premiered Santa and his flying reindeer will be soaring over our alpine village. Check out the latest Chocolate Village premiering December 2011!

Vail Snow Daze, Dec 5-11, 2011
Not long after the annual start of the ski and snowboard season at Vail, early-season visitors can enjoy a week of live entertainment from headliners like Weezer, O.A.R., Dwight Yoakam and Mix Master Mike, contests, parties and giveaways throughout town as part of Vail Snow Daze. The wackiest event of the week is the annual Dummy Demolition Derby under the lights at Golden Peak, a sport of sorts, where teams of one to three people construct snow-riding dummies attached to a pair of skis or a snowboard and launch the handmade contraptions off a giant on-snow jump and over a massive flamethrower in hopes of winning a cash purse! www.vail.com/snowdaze

Fourth Annual Winter Dew Tour

For its fourth year, the Winter DEW TOUR will once again kick off in Breckenridge, this time in the resorts’ revamped, award-winning Freeway Terrain Park. The Winter DEW TOUR consists of three major, multi-sport events spanning across the country, with a cumulative points system, and a $1.5 million competitive purse. Each event features men and women’s snowboard (superpipe and slopestyle), and men’s freeskiing (superpipe and slopestyle). At season’s end, the overall point’s leaders in the six disciplines are crowned year-end champions and awarded the prestigious DEW Cup.