2012-2013 Vail Mountain Winter Story Ideas

Because of Mother Nature’s generosity in snow and more than 5,000 acres of terrain, including the legendary Back Bowls, coupled with the vision inherent in the spirit of Vail’s founders, and a modern day commitment to excellence in all aspects of guest service and operations, Vail – quickly approaching its 50^th anniversary beginning in December 2012 – can still credibly lay claim to being a resort like nothing on earth. www.vail.com

Happy Birthday Vail! Celebrate Throughout the Season and Beyond
Make a wish and join the celebration of Vail’s 50^th anniversary during the 2012-2013 ski and snowboard season and into the summer of 2013. The celebration kicks off in a big way on Nov. 16, 2012 with the debut of a new, state-of-the-art gondola. In addition to the new gondola, Vail will host a series of events including the signature early-season celebration, Snow Daze, Dec. 10-16 featuring a stellar lineup of bands, including headline act Wilco, the Grammy Award-winning Chicago-based alternative rock band, along with The Shins and Michael Franti & Spearhead. The festivities continue throughout the month of December and beyond with a 50^th anniversary film premiere Dec. 14, Vail’s 50^th birthday celebration Dec. 15, the Burton US Snowboarding Open Feb. 25-March 2, Spring Back to Vail and more. Make plans to celebrate the resort’s distinct past, present and future this winter and stay tuned for all the details of Vail’s 50th Anniversary celebration at Vail.com.
 
50^th Anniversary Interview Opportunities:
Pepi Gramshammer – Austrian Ski Racer and Owner of the Hotel-Gastof Gramshammer
Morrie Shepard – Original Vail Associates Ski School Director
Rod Slifer – Original Vail Associates Assistant Ski School Director and First Real Estate Agent
Pete Seibert, Jr. – Son of Original Vail Founder, Pete Seibert
Carl Eaton – Son of Original Vail Founder, Earl Eaton
Harley Higbie – Original Board of Directors
 
New State-of-the-Art Gondola in Vail Village
Vail officially turns 50 on Dec. 15, 2012 but the resort will unwrap an early birthday present – a new gondola that is replacing the Vista Bahn Express Lift (#16) – on opening day of the 50th anniversary season on Friday, Nov. 16. The state-of-the-art Leitner-Poma of America gondola will be the first and fastest of its kind in North America, increasing uphill capacity by 40 percent. The 10-passenger gondola cabins will provide skiers and snowboarders a cozy 7.5 minute ride from the base of Vail Village to Mid-Vail with heated, cushioned seats and Wi-Fi access.
 
Gondola Interview Opportunity:
Clyde Wiessner – Director of Lift Maintenance
 
U.S. Ski Team Announcement
For the third year in a row guests can partake in a live, public celebration as the 2013 U.S. Alpine Ski Team is named in Vail on Nov. 15, 2012, a day before the mountain opens for its 50^th anniversary ski and snowboard season. Fans can catch their favorite ski racers, including Olympic gold medalists like Lindsey Vonn, Bode Miller, Julia Mancuso and Ted Ligety up close at the live event at Arrabelle Square in Lionshead. Visit www.vail.com for details.
 
The Burton U.S. Snowboarding Open Moves to Vail Mountain, Feb. 25-March 2, 2013
The Burton US Open, which first took place in 1982, is now the longest-running snowboarding competition in the world, attracting the world’s top competitors. After taking place on the east coast for 30 years, the event will now take center stage at Vail Mountain beginning in 2013. And like the sport itself, the event has morphed and changed over the past three decades – changes that not only included moving mountain locations from Suicide Six to Snow Valley to Stratton, but also changes that addressed the level of snowboarding and needs of the riders each year. http://opensnowboarding.com
 
2015 FIS World Alpine Ski Championships: Dream It. Live It. Share It.
Host to two previous World Alpine Ski Championships in 1989 and 1999, Vail is set to serve as the official hub of the 2015 FIS World Alpine Ski Championships’ ceremonies and festival events Feb. 3-15, while Beaver Creek will host the races. The streets and slopes of Vail will come alive as Golden Peak will play host to Opening Ceremonies, all official medal ceremonies, the Festival Stadium with nightly functions and snowboard and freestyle exhibition events, along with the men’s Qualification Races for Giant Slalom and Slalom, and national team training. Vail Village will further the entertainment with concerts, parties and a big screen stadium. The 2015 FIS World Alpine Ski Championships are expected to showcase athletes from more than 70 nations, with an estimated audience of 1 billion televised viewers worldwide. http://VailBeaverCreek2015.com
 
Kids Adventure Zones - Two New Zones, Upgrades to Existing Zones
Some of Vail’s youngest guests – and kids at heart – have likely found themselves winding through one or even all of the Kids Adventure Zones, marked at the entrances with dramatic new wooden corbels or archways designating their namesakes: Chaos Canyon, Magic Forest, Sherwood Forest, Porcupine Alley, Coyote’s Escape and Buckskin Glade. With two new zones added on the eastern side of the mountain last season – Pony Express and Bearclaw Glade – both of which are accessed from the Golden Peak area of the mountain. Bearclaw Glade, located skiers’ right on the Boomer trail and just off of the Sourdough Express Lift (#14), features low angle trees and is a fun introductory glade for children, and adults too! Due to its location higher up on the mountain, this Kids Adventure Zone is also a great place for kids to practice their powder turns when it snows. Take a ride on Pony Express, located skiers’ right at the top of Whippersnapper, and discover a more intermediate-level experience with rollers and some steeps to provide thrills through the trees.  Throughout Vail’s Kids Adventure zones carved animals greet passersby around banked corners and behind trees and ski-through features like Coyote’s Den, a 50-foot long tee-pee-like structure located within Coyotes’ Escape ensure smiles and squeals for all ages. Following suit with the theme of elevating the experience at Vail, many of the existing Kids Adventure Zones have undergone recent upgrades and facelifts with additional wooden “greeters” to keep an eye out for and a more cohesive animal-themed look and feel throughout that fits right in with Vail’s natural surroundings…not to mention, many of the features are made with reclaimed pine beetle kill wood, an imaginative and appealing use of the material.
 
Play Into the Night at Adventure Ridge and Refuel at Bistro Fourteen
Bike on the snow, catch big air off a trampoline, ride the Adventure Skyway to tubing paradise, hear the roar of the kids’ snowmobiles circling the track or take a free guided nature snowshoe tour with an expert naturalist from Walking Mountains. When you’re through, feed that mountain of an appetite at Bistro Fourteen, where kids dine from their own multi-course menu for just $10 and adults can enjoy eclectic cuisine, a full bar of wine, cocktails and seasonal microbrews, and extraordinary desserts that should not be missed.
*Adventure Ridge video
*Bistro Fourteen video
 
Adventure Ridge Interview Opportunity:
Jeff Althage – General Manager, Adventure Ridge
 
The 10^th, Vail’s Newest On-Mountain Restaurant, Opens for Après and Lunch this Winter
As the latest major project in an incredible string of improvements, Vail’s “on-mountain renaissance” continued last season with the highly-anticipated new table-service restaurant, “The 10^th.” The response has been tremendous as evidenced by a regularly packed house at lunch. This winter, with the addition of the new gondola in Vail Village, guests can look forward to après and dinner service Tuesdays through Saturdays throughout the season at The 10^th.
 
The name, “The 10^th,^” is a subtle nod to the veterans of the 10^th Mountain Division, many of whom, including several of Vail’s founders, became involved in the ski industry upon returning from World War II and dramatically influenced the development of skiing in the United States.The main dining area features spectacular views of the Gore Range while the south-facing deck captures the afternoon sun and views of the Look Ma and Challenge trails. The restaurant’s design and finishes befit its mountain location, but with a bit more contemporary flair than any of Vail Mountain’s other facilities. The 10^th offers modern alpine cuisine in an upscale setting with an emphasis on quality and efficiency of service. Reservations are encouraged. (970) 754-1010 www.Vail.com/The10th