2009-2010 Vail Mountain News & 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 operation, Vail can credibly lay claim to being a resort like nothing on earth.

Blue Sky Basin Turns 10!
The 2009-2010 winter ski and snowboard season will mark the 10th anniversary of Vail’s Blue Sky Basin, featuring a vast expanse of wilderness-like terrain facing Vail’s legendary Back Bowls. Pete Seibert and Earl Eaton’s vision for Vail Mountain became a reality with Blue Sky Basin. The outer-most area of Vail Mountain offers intermediate and expert skiers and riders a variety of moguls, glades, tree skiing, cliffs and ridges with a distinct backcountry feel. Find fresh tracks and secret stashes on a powder day in Blue Sky Basin or Vail’s seven legendary Back Bowls, stretching seven miles wide. On an average day, there are only two skiers per acre, and on a busy day, only four!

Snowmaking Upgrades
Snowmaking upgrades on Golden Peak will allow for an earlier season opening for Vail’s flagship Golden Peak terrain park and for training trails for Ski & Snowboard Club Vail‘s athletes – perhaps the next Lindsey Vonn! On the western side of the mountain, the Bwana terrain park will be extended up the mountain on Pride. Vail is committed to offering a park experience on opening day for the 2009-2010 season (weather permitting).

EGE Celebrates 20 Years of Commercial Air Service
Vail/Eagle County Airport (EGE) will be celebrating its 20th anniversary of commercial air service this winter, as well as the addition of the Detroit non-stop route on Saturdays. EGE is located just 35 miles from Vail, making it a convenient option and alternative to driving from Denver or beyond, especially with growing non-stop service to major markets and quick connections to and from Denver International Airport.

EGE is serviced in the winter by four major airlines – American, Continental, Delta and United – offering non-stop flights to and from 13 markets, including Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Newark, New York/Kennedy and New York/LaGuardia. Fourteen daily flights are offered in and out of EGE with an additional six flights on weekends. The majority of service begins December 19 and continues through April 5, 2010.

American Airlines Kids Fly, Ski, Stay and Ride FREE This Winter
Families who ski Vail or Beaver Creek can take advantage of free kids’ airfares when they book a vacation into the Eagle Airport thanks to American Airlines’ Kids Fly Free program. For each paid adult fare (age 18 and above), American is offering one free child’s ticket for ages 2-12 which may be booked now through Feb. 10, 2010. Families must travel to Vail or Beaver Creek between Sunday and Wednesday and from the resort between Tuesday and Friday. This offer is valid for travel Dec. 1-17, 2009 and Jan. 3 – Feb. 10, 2010 with no blackout dates; travel must be booked by Feb. 10, 2010. This offer also allows kids to ski and stay for free and Colorado Mountain Express transports kids for free as part of this package. Additional restrictions may apply. For information or to book contact Vail Beaver Creek Reservations at 866-668-8245.

Fly In Ski Free
Fly non-stop to Eagle Airport (EGE) Nov. 20, 2009 through April 11, 2010 and ski for free day of arrival at Vail or Beaver Creek with a valid boarding pass and Vail Valley lodging confirmation. Passengers on direct flights from Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas/ Ft. Worth and Denver will be able to take advantage of this program. Passengers must present the original or online printed boarding passes at lift ticket windows along with a valid Vail Valley lodging confirmation receipt and/or photocopy. Only one lift ticket per person, per boarding pass and lodging confirmation permitted. Valid photo ID required. Additional restrictions may apply. For details visit www.vail.com.

Three for Free: Free Night, $50 Gift Card and Free Helmet Cam
Stay at any RockResorts property this winter, including the Arrabelle at Vail Square and Lodge at Vail, and get a night on us. Plus, receive a free Adventure Eye Video Systems helmet cam to record your adventures, as well as a $50 gift card to spend while you’re here. Upload your helmet cam video for a chance to win two Epic passes. It’s the perfect time to stay in your favorite places to play. For full details, call 877.34F.ROCK (7625) or visit http://FreeNightOnUs.com for full details.

Vail's Renaissance Continues
The Arrabelle at Vail Square – already being hailed as the crown jewel of the RockResorts collection – continues to turn heads and welcome guests to Vail with a new standard of quality and value, catering to a winter-lovers every whim with amenities like a ski valet and personal concierge. New wonders delight and surprise guests among the 280 new hotel rooms and 60,000 square feet of new retail and restaurant space in Vail, including the continued work on several other projects throughout the town:

Solaris
Once completed in April 2010, Solaris will emerge as the new center of Vail Village, offering something for everyone. The residence club will feature 77 three- and four-bedroom residences featuring large balconies, stunning mountain views, luxury finishes and fixtures and concierge services. Visitors will enjoy open air ice skating, fountains, a 10-lane bowling alley, world-class shopping and dining and a state-of-the-art three-screen movie theater.

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Vail
Work continues on the Ritz-Carlton Residences, scheduled to open in the summer of 2010. Rising from the banks of Gore Creek and adjacent to a proposed new gondola, Approximately 71 luxurious residences, ranging in size from spacious two-bedroom homes to a sumptuous six-bedroom penthouse, offer an environment that is warm, welcoming and very comfortable. The Residences will offer an array of luxury services and amenities in the grand tradition of Ritz-Carlton hotel properties throughout the world, including concierge services, a fitness center, outdoor pool and hot tubs, ski valet, great room, library and more.

Four Seasons Resort Vail
Upon its anticipated completion in the summer of 2010, Four Seasons Resort Vail will be the first Four Seasons to open in Colorado, and only the third mountain property in the collection. Four Seasons Resort Vail features an intimate 121-room resort, as well as limited real estate opportunities, including 19 fractional residences sold at 1/12 interests, and 16 private residences. Owners and hotel guests will enjoy luxury living with full access to Four Seasons services and amenities.

Ever Vail
The $1.5 billion planned Ever Vail project will be located on an 11-acre site in West LionsHead at the base of Vail Mountain, and will consist of mixed-use space including residences, a RockResorts hotel, a destination spa, offices, retail shops and restaurants, mountain operations facilities, a public parking garage, a new gondola and related skier portal and a public plaza. The project plans have been awarded the highest rating possible—Platinum—under the first stage of LEED for the Neighborhood Development rating system. Ever Vail will be one of only two planned projects in the U.S. that has been certified at the highest level of green building standards under the pilot LEED-ND rating system and the only one in the Rocky Mountain Region. The Ever Vail development project is currently in the planning stages and is subject to receipt of governmental approvals and finalization of necessary agreements.

SKImmersion: Changing the Way Skiers Learn on the Slopes
The Vail Snowsports School is recognized as the largest and one of the best schools in the ski industry, with offerings that reach far beyond the traditional group and private adult and kids lessons, and include developing a series of specialty programs designed for all skier levels. SKImmersion, a Focused Learning Program, applies the methods that top athletes and sports psychologists use to develop skiing skills and tactics. Participants consult with a boot fitting and alignment specialist, learn from daily video sessions and in-depth reviews, and participate in both specialized indoor and outdoor training on Vail Mountain. After five days, attendees should expect to be mentally and physically stronger, tactically smarter, and ski longer through life.

Adaptive Snowpsorts Programs
Vail has a world-renowned program dedicated to adaptive skiers, including the blind and physically challenged. Specially trained professional instructors tailor each lesson to the needs of the skier for a safe yet unforgettable experience. It's about adapting the ski equipment for each person's unique needs and adapting the ski instruction as well. The Vail Adaptive Ski Snowsports School program is recognized as a leader in providing first class private and group instruction and training to people of all disabilities both physical and cognitive in alpine skiing, snowboarding and cross-country skiing and specialty programs including Adaptive Adventures, Foresight Blind Ski Guides and the Vail Veterans Program.

Women's Clinics
Appealing to an increasing population of women who want to push themselves at any level, the Vail Snowsports School offers three widely popular clinics for snowboarders and skiers from beginner to expert level. 2009-2010 program dates to be announced soon.

Girlz on Edge – Ski Excursions for Women, led by Deb Benson, SKI Magazine ski tester and ambassador for women’s skiing, provides a great opportunity for intermediate to advanced alpine women skiers to explore terrain and advance techniques over three days with Vail Snowsports School’s top women instructors.
She Skis – A Women-Only Testing Clinic is organized by SKI Magazine’s former women’s ski test director Krista Crabtree for intermediate and advanced female skiers. Aimed at enhancing equipment knowledge and technique through testing of next season’s women’s-specific skis, participants in the three-day clinic team up in small groups with top female pros. Atomic, Dynastar, Fischer, K2, Nordica, Rossignol and Volkl brands are all included in the testing, covering Vail’s extensive and diverse terrain.

Her Turn group clinics are lead by a select team of women instructors, trained to provide a fun and supportive atmosphere for learning through video, individual coaching and a summary card to accelerate and anchor improvements for long-term success.

Green Stewards
Vail’s ongoing efforts to offset and reduce energy usage continue to set the bar for environmental stewardship throughout the travel industry. Vail has the largest ski area recycling program in the world, recycling or reusing more than 70 percent of the material on the mountain including cardboard, aluminum, glass and even chairlifts and mechanical parts. Water efficient faucets and restrooms conserve almost two million gallons of water annually and compact fluorescent bulbs already have saved more than $25,000. Combined, the resort’s energy conservation efforts save more than two million kilowatt hours of electricity, which is equal to the electricity used by 187 homes in one year. These efforts, along with company-wide initiatives such as Appetite for Life, Use Less, Do More, demonstrate a commitment to continuing to act good stewards of the environment.

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