Mont Tremblant in Quebec, Canada is one of the major resorts on the Fortress/Intrawest chopping block.

It appears the troubled company which owns major North American ski resort operator Intrawest has been granted another chance to survive.

The Fortress Investment Group LLC owns Intrawest, operator of leading Canadian resorts of Mont Tremblant and recent Olympic venue Whistler. Fortress is reported to have reached agreement with its creditors to extend the time it needs to refinance its debt through to mid-April.

Continue reading ‘Whistler and Tremblant stay in Intrawest-Fortress hands, for now’

Groups have been trying to stress ski safety and helmet use.

Ski resort safety was brought back into the forefront this weekend after two skiers died after hitting trees at Canadian resorts.

A 27-year-old man from the Vancouver area died after snowboarding in-bounds and slamming into a tree at Big White Mountain. Efforts were made to administer First Aid, but the victim died of his injuries. Police have not released the man’s name. Whether he was wearing a helmet is unknown.

On the opposite end of the country, a 38-year-old Quebec City man died while sliding down an unlit ski slope at Mont Ste. Anne, 40 kilometres northeast of the provincial capital, early Saturday.

Continue reading ‘Two deaths at Canadian ski resorts mark dark weekend’

Revelstoke, BC, in the winter.

Revelstoke Mountain Resort has launched the new Revelstoke Outdoors Centre (ROC), which brings together the industry’s top ski and boarding pros with guiding excellence.

Programs at the British Columbia resort now include avalanche skills courses, guided backcountry/slackcountry trips, cat or heliski preparation sessions and specialty education options.

Also new this winter, Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing is expanding its programs to include more customized options, one of which is to fly directly from the Nelsen Lodge, at the base of the resort.

Continue reading ‘Revelstoke courting adventure skiers’

Panorama ski resort in British Columbia, Canada.

Since being sold by Intrawest earlier this year, BC’s Panorama ski resort has gone forward with a number of new initiatives to improve its skiing experience.

The new Showoff Terrain Park alongside the Mile 1 quad has quickly been rated the biggest and best in the Rockies according the resort staff. The resort also greatly improved facilities for first-time skiers and riders by enlarging the novice ski area and installing the 135 metre long Red Carpet lift.

In addition this year, intermediate and advanced riders are benefitting from extensive trail work. The expanse of Founders Ridge is now easier to reach and easier to ski. Ostrander Alley, Strobl Strasse, and McIntosh Way have been re-graded and it’s now an easy cruise to some of the best intermediate skiing available.

Continue reading ‘Recently sold Panorama keeps moving forward’

The games brought out a sea of Canadian pride the world has never seen.

If you’re Canadian, you likely knew it the second the men’s hockey team beat the USA in the gold medal final in overtime.

But for everyone else, that historic event brought Canada’s gold medal count to fourteen – the highest of any country in any winter Olympics ever. The Soviet Union, in 1976, and Norway, in 2002, each won 13, the previous record. The previous record gold haul for a host nation was 10, jointly held by the US and Norway.

The United States vs Canada ice hockey final also set records in Canada for viewing with nearly three-quarters of the population watching some or the entire match.

Continue reading ‘Olympic Update: A truly golden games for host Canada’

Ghana's Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong succeeded in his goal of not coming last in Saturday's slalom event.

On this sixteenth day of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Ghana’s famous Snow Leopard wasn’t last in the men’s slalom event at Whistler.

Ghana’s only winter Olympic athlete, who only began skiing six years ago, gave it his all in the men’s slalom event today at Whistler Creekside. Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong succeeded in his goal of competing rather than becoming a gimmick or a side show, in finishing both runs and beating Albanian skier Tola Erjon.

The Snow Leopard came 47th of 48 who completed both slalom runs, putting him ahead of Erjon as well as six other competitors who either didn’t finish or were disqualified. Acheampong’s combined time of 2:22.60 beat Erjon’s by more than 20 seconds.

At the other end of the finishing list, Italian Giuliano Razzoli won gold with a combined total of 1:39.32 over the two runs. It was 0.16 seconds ahead of Croatia’s Ivica Kostelic. Andre Myhrer of Sweden took bronze.

Continue reading ‘Olympic Update: Italian wins slalom, Snow Leopard races, 30k photo finish’

The new lift is making a difference at Marmot Basin

The new Canadian Rockies Express lift at Jasper’s Marmot Basin is getting a little love for its impact on the ski resort.

It has recently been awarded the ‘Best Longest New Lift’ title by Ski Canada Magazine. There may not have been many contenders in Canada this year, but nonetheless the award recognises the vast improvement it has made to the ski area.

Marmot Basin’s skiers and riders now get to the top of the upper slopes in less than half the time it took previously and the lift has significantly changed the way the mountain is skied. Ski Canada also awarded the Alberta ski resort with ‘Best Off The Mark’ for their earliest opening ever, November 11, 2009.

Continue reading ‘Oh what a difference a new chairlift can make’