Posts Tagged ‘vail resorts’
Half a century of history
Amongst all this Olympic fever and the ever-increasing numbers of gold medals for Team GB, you may not have noticed that the 6th August 2012 marked 50 years of Jamaican independence, and that the legend that is Usain Bolt emphatically claimed a second successive Olympic victory in the men’s 100 metres on the evening before this notable day.
You might be forgiven for thinking that 2012 is all about the London Olympic Games, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, all things Britannia and oodles of gold medals (come on Sir Chris Hoy!). However don’t be fooled, as there are plenty more landmark events taking place this year which are contributing to a very special half century of sovereign rule, British culture and of course… skiing! Read the rest of this entry »
What did you get for your 50th birthday?
Was it a state of the art Gondola? Nope, me neither! But Vail is turning 50 next winter and they are getting a brand new gondola to improve their (already) world class lift system.
The gondola will replace The Vista Bahn Express lift (or lift #16, whichever you prefer) and is situated pretty much on the doorstep of The Lodge at Vail, does that make this is THE place to stay? I think so…
Anyway, more about the new gondola, here are some facts for you:
- It’ll take 10 passengers per cabin and this will give an increased uplift capacity of 40% – that means less queuing time to me and you.
- There will be heated and cushioned seats – very nice.
- FREE wi-fi access – yep that’s right, you’re always connected! Check out your latest Epic Mix stats on the way back up the mountain!
- Ride time to Mid-Vail of 7.5 mins versus the old quad ride time of 9mins plus.
- Opening day is 15 November 2012, but bear in mind that is the day BEFORE the mountain opens!
An Epic adventure…
Superlatives can be overused in the ski industry. We are sometimes guilty of bigging-up things as ‘awesome!’ or ‘fantastic!’ and that means that when you need a really big impact word – well… where do you go?! So with this in mind I headed out to Colorado to check out some of the Vail Resorts family and see if their ‘Epic’ tag rang true…I wasn’t disappointed.
The Vail resorts portfolio includes Vail, Breckenridge, Beaver Creek, Keystone and the Arapahoe Basin in Colorado, as well as Heavenly and Northstar in California. Each resort has its own character so there’s no ‘production line’ feel to things but the Vail Resorts brand does assure the guest of consistently high levels of customer service and excellent on-mountain facilities. Their Rock Resorts hotel brand maintains these standards off the slopes too. Read the rest of this entry »
Snowboarding legend Shaun White signs deal with Vail Resorts
Vail Resorts has announced a long term partnership deal with the 2 time Olympic Halfpipe Gold Medalist, Shaun White.
With countless Winter X Games titles under his belt, as well as a highly successful skateboarding career, Shaun White is an ideal ambassador for Vail Resorts, sharing in their forward-thinking and innovative approach to the snow sports industry. Chairman of Vail Resorts, Rob Katz, said he “embodies the same leadership we aspire to at Vail Resorts” and the partnership is symbolic of a new energy seen in the snow sports industry today. Read the rest of this entry »
Breckenridge Opening Day
Breckenridge Ski Resort opened yesterday for it’s 49th season . The sun was shining brightly and the snow was incredible, with a nice soft layer of powder on top of the groomed runs. Pat Barratt from Vail Resorts was in town for the special day:
The Colorado Super Chair on Peak 8 was running, as was Chair 5, carrying loads of happy skiers and snowboarders up to the more than 290 skiable acres that were open, including hike-to terrain on the Horseshoe and Contest Bowls!
Today also marked the debut of the Gold Runner Coaster on Peak 8. There was a ribbon cutting ceremony and several eager riders of all ages waiting for their turn to experience the new thrill ride.
TGR Light The Wick Premiere
Last Thursday night Vail Resorts hosted the UK premiere of the new Teton Gravity Research (TGR) film, Light the Wick at the 02 Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London. Ski Independence was the official travel partner, having collaborated with Vail Resorts on the night’s big prize giveaway – a seven-night trip for two to Breckenridge, Colorado, including flights, accommodation and transfers.
Things kicked off at 7pm with a DJ providing the soundtrack to an impressive still photo slide show from the previous year’s TGR adventures, and plenty of shots to whet the appetite for skiing from Vail Resorts’ six ski areas: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin and Heavenly. By 8pm 500 eager ski and snowboard fans were assembled, and after t-shirts were thrown into the crowd and winners of rucksacks, goggles & ski clothing had been announced, it was time for the main feature.
