FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, November 26, 2019 —With a $66 million investment complete, and a new COO at the helm, both Whistler and Blackcomb open for the 2019-20 ski season this Thursday, Nov. 28.
On Monday, Vail Resorts announced Monday it will extend the deadline to purchase pass products to December 2, meaning those who arrive to ski Opening Day can still pre-commit to a ski pass and skip ticket-window pricing.
“Our company is off to a strong start to the season, with Keystone and Breckenridge each posting their earliest openings. Last week we opened Park City, Beaver Creek, Stowe and Okemo, and with our Tahoe resorts and Whistler Blackcomb opening this week, we want to give our guests one last chance to lock in a pass and save,” says new COO Geoff Buchheister.
Buchheister took the reins of North America’s largest ski resort in September, vowing to continue its legacy of innovation and growth as a leader within Vail Resorts and the wider ski industry.
“If you love snow, you know and love Whistler Blackcomb. We are very fortunate to have the backing of a strong ski and snowboard community and, with the addition of the new Blackcomb Gondola, we have the longest continuous lift system in the world. I can’t wait to get out there, meet the storm-seeking skiers and snowboarders of the Southern B.C. and Pacific Northwest, and take full advantage of the unprecedented beauty that’s made this mountain such an icon,” says Buchheister.
Vail Resorts recently closed on an acquisition of Peak Resorts, making Whistler Blackcomb one of 37 resorts in the Vail portfolio. In British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest, it is the big mountain draw on the Epic Pass, which offers access to Fernie Alpine Resort, Kicking Horse Mountain, Kimberly Mountain Pass and Washington State’s Stevens Pass, just three hours south of Vancouver. Epic Pass holders can travel to any of the company’s resorts for unlimited skiing, which launched with Colorado’s early opening of Keystone Ski Resort on October 12.
The extension of the pass sale means the Epic Pass, Whistler Blackcomb Unlimited Pass, Epic Local Pass, restricted and regular 2, 5 and 10-Day EDGE Cards will all remain on sale through December 2, though the official deadline was November 24.
Whistler Blackcomb is considered the biggest resort in North America, encompassing more terrain than any other mountain at 8171 skiable acres. It shares the stage with Vail Mountain for the most skier visits, and is open six months of the year for regular season skiing, with a 10-year annual average snowfall of 1181cm (38.74 feet). It is also one of the only places in the world to offer summer glacier skiing.
“I grew up in the snow industry, I’ve ski raced and now that the snow is here, I can’t wait to see what Whistler has to offer and to continue building a strong industry, which respects the mountain environments where we work and play,” says Buchheister.
Whistler has established itself as a leader in the Vail Resorts portfolio, inspiring its Commitment to Zero, which has the network on track to hit net zero emissions, net zero waste to landfill, and net zero impact to forest and lands on the properties it operates by 2030. Last year, the mountain used three per cent less energy across its operation than it did in 2018, and in 2018 it was using less energy than 2005 levels, despite a 30 per cent growth in visitation. During the same period, the mountain also reduced the amount of waste it sends to landfill by 72 per cent.
“Whistler’s guests and employees are completely dedicated to reducing our environmental impact and the wave of change we’re creating is immense. The impact we have here on this mountain is part of an effort every Vail Resort is actively pursuing, which inspires change across the industry, for every business we work with and every guest we serve,” says Allana Williams, Senior Manager of Energy Planning and Sustainability.
Whistler Mountain officially opened with a blessing for the unceded territories on which Whistler Blackcomb sits. The day’s festivities will be followed by a full week of events, including:
- Thursday, November 28 – Whistler and Blackcomb officially
- Friday, November 29 – Oakley Concept Store Grand Opening with movie screening, goggle demo, Prism Lens demonstration & an athlete meet and greet.
- Friday, December 6-8 –Whistler Blackcomb Winter Kickoff hosted by The North Face: The North Face hosts a camp out on Whistler Mountain with animation in the village and a movie premier Friday night
- Saturday, December 7-8 – Never Ever Days presented by CIBC: Just $25 gets those brand new to the sport a free lesson, lift ticket, rental gear and après.
About Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN)
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading global mountain resort operator. Vail Resorts’ subsidiaries operate 37 destination mountain resorts and regional ski areas, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Crested Butte in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada; Perisher, Falls Creek and Hotham in Australia; Stowe, Mount Snow, Okemo in Vermont; Hunter Mountain in New York; Mount Sunapee, Attitash, Wildcat and Crotched in New Hampshire; Stevens Pass in Washington; Liberty, Roundtop, Whitetail, Jack Frost and Big Boulder in Pennsylvania; Alpine Valley, Boston Mills, Brandywine and Mad River in Ohio; Hidden Valley and Snow Creek in Missouri; Wilmot in Wisconsin; Afton Alps in Minnesota; Mt. Brighton in Michigan; and Paoli Peaks in Indiana. Vail Resorts owns and/or manages a collection of casually elegant hotels under the RockResorts brand, as well as the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning and development subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is www.snow.com.
Contact(s)
Jennifer Smith
Manager
Email: JASmith2@VailResorts.com
Phone: (604) 938-7382