Okemo's Online Press Kit

Winter 2007/08 Press Kit Index

Thank you for your interest in Okemo Mountain Resort. All headlines link to the full press release on each topic.

WHAT'S NEW?
It is said that success is a journey, not a destination; so it is no surprise that improvements slated for this winter at Okemo Mountain Resort continue to focus on the snow and ways for resort guests to enjoy it. New this winter: additional snowmaking, a new surface lift at Jackson Gore, a new grooming machine, afternoon snow tubing, an operational focus on creating more terrain diversity, a base lodge retro re-do, additional slopeside lodging with the opening of the Bixby House at Jackson Gore. And last, but not least, Okemo is energizing its commitment to families, snowboarding and the alpine lifestyle with the naming of Olympic Halfpipe Gold Medalist Ross Powers as Okemo Snowboard Ambassador.

OKEMO SNOWBOARD AMBASSADOR ROSS POWERS
It is with great pleasure and excitement that Okemo Mountain Resort Owners Tim and Diane Mueller welcome Olympian Ross Powers to the resort as Okemo’s Snowboard Ambassador. Powers will also be working with other Triple Peaks properties, Mount Sunapee Resort, in N.H. and Crested Butte Mountain Resort, in Colo., to promote snowboarding and the outdoor winter sports lifestyle. “Okemo is an awesome family resort with great terrain parks,” said Powers. “There’s a commitment to building and maintaining parks and pipes and Okemo traditionally is the first in the East to open its superpipe. It’s a place where I can train and it’s a comfortable mountain where I can raise my family.”

WHAT DEALS!
Learn to Ski or Snowboard for FREE! First-time or beginner skiers and snowboarders visiting Okemo Mountain Resort early in the season are welcome to take part in a complimentary group lesson. This unique offer is designed to generate excitement for snow sports and encourage beginners to broaden their experience at the start of the winter season.  A combination lower-mountain lift ticket, beginner group lesson and rental package is available at no charge every day, Monday, Nov. 26 through Friday, Dec. 21, 2007. There are lots of other great ways to save on skiing and riding at Okemo Mountain Resort. From daily offerings to special events to season-long savings, Okemo has a great deal designed to fit every pocketbook.

TERRAIN VARIETY
This winter, Okemo’s operations team will be devising ways to create more terrain variety on alpine trails. “A lot of the excitement of skiing is terrain change,” says Vice President of Mountain Operations Barry Tucker. “We’re planning to build more character into some of our trails.” In addition to allowing a few of Okemo’s more difficult trails to take on more natural characteristics by grooming less often, some trails will receive a little extra grooming attention to create gradual swales with subtle fluctuations that will make the snow surface more interesting. On the Lower Tomahawk trail, a “FamilyCross” park will offer intermediate skiers and riders a chance to enjoy a playful assortment of big bank turns, rollers and snow mounds as they wind their way down the trail. For more adventurous snow sliders, Okemo features six terrain parks, ranging in difficulty from the introductory Hot Dog Hill to competition-worthy Nor’easter and the Dew Zone, as well as Okemo’s SoBe Superpipe, the longest superpipe in the East with 18-foot high walls and a deck-to-deck span of 55 feet.

ALPINE ALTERNATIVES
Renowned as a world-class winter vacation destination, Okemo Mountain Resort offers a variety of activities beyond alpine skiing and snowboarding. Visitors and resort guests can enjoy ice skating at the new Ice House at Jackson Gore and snow tubing in the Jackson Gore base area. At the Okemo Valley Nordic Center, groomed and well-marked cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails traverse snow-covered meadows and hardwood forests. Okemo’s new source for relaxation and rejuvenation, The Spring House, is a fitness and aquatic center featuring a recreational swimming pool with lap lanes for designated swim times, a children’s pool with a whimsical frog slide and numerous splash and water fountain features, and a five-person hot tub. The facility houses locker rooms, saunas, a multi-purpose studio for fitness classes, a large room for weights and cardio equipment and a racquetball court. Golfers can keep in the swing of things with an indoor facility that includes swing stations, a nine-hole putting green and Full Swing Golf Simulator with a variety of courses to play from around the world. 

IT TAKES A VILLAGE - LUDLOW IS THE REAL THING
With so many ski resorts creating quaint, replica villages at their base areas, it is refreshing to find a resort situated within a community with an authentic village where townsfolk and visitors gather, conduct business, socialize and worship. Ludlow offers a safe and friendly village that is easy to explore on foot. Lovely neighborhoods extend from either side of Main Street. Reminders of Ludlow’s industrial-era prosperity can still be witnessed in the community’s pride, hospitality and the impressive architecture of grand homes, churches and the Black River Academy (alma mater of President Calvin Coolidge). Storefront windows that line the sidewalks invite passersby inside to peruse specialty shops selling gift items, toys, books, clothing and more. Restaurants, real estate agents and art galleries add to the mix and provide Ludlow visitors with hours of village exploration. With a vibrant, classic New England village at its doorstep, Okemo Mountain Resort is delighted to offer visitors an authentic Vermont experience in addition to that of a world-class resort destination.

GROUP HUGS
Okemo loves groups and accommodates parties of 20 or more with personal planning assistance that includes:  lift tickets, lessons, rental equipment, meals, dining, après ski and alternative activities like ice skating, Nordic skiing, snowshoeing and more. Groups visiting Okemo have access to exclusive motorcoach parking, a private ticketing center and special extras like an at-the-ready pizza package for the drive home after a day on the slopes. A dedicated staff attends to every detail in planning for a group visit to Okemo and follows through with aplomb – from the moment of arrival until it’s time to say, “see you next time!”

ALL COME HOME TO OKEMO
In 1961, Okemo Mountain Resort was one of the first ski areas to develop ski in/ski out slopeside lodging and now offers one of the largest inventories of mountainside accommodations in the East. An American Indian name, Okemo means “all come home,” and with the completion of the Bixby House, 28 families will have a new, slopeside vacation residence to come home to this winter. The Bixby House, slated for occupancy starting in December 2007, is the first of two whole-ownership buildings that are part of Jackson Gore’s Phase II development plan. The building’s 84,000 square-foot layout will include 28 elegantly appointed residences, heated underground parking and owner locker rooms. In spring 2006, plans for the Bixby House and Coolidge House were debuted in a successful real estate selection event that witnessed a commitment of $32 million at pre-construction prices, in just over four hours. Residences varying in size from studios to three-bedrooms sold for $378,000 to $2.181 million. For lodging information, call 1-800-78-OKEMO (786-5366).

FROM SIX MONTHS TO SIX PARKS – Okemo’s Children’s Programs
By consistently evaluating programs and services, Okemo Mountain Resort continues to improve its children’s instructional programming, allowing participants to reach their true potential through encouragement and accomplishment.  At Okemo, the difference is confidence. For children as young as six-months old, Okemo offers the Penguin Playground Day Care Centers, and children as young as two-years old can participate in one-on-one, 30-minute on-snow sessions. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Okemo offers season-long programs for mastering skills and a Ross Powers Snowboard Camp for learning to ride parks, pipes and freeriding. Okemo’s Cutting Edge Learning Center children’s programs accomplish two very important goals – they provide fun, exciting and valuable learning experiences for kids, and they allow parents to enjoy themselves, knowing that their children are being instructed and supervised by professionals. With two convenient locations offering identical programming, parents may establish their ski day hub at Okemo’s Clock Tower base area or the Jackson Gore base area.

NEVER TOO OLD - Adult Instructional Programs
Okemo's Cutting Edge Learning Center provides skiers and snowboarders with a full slate of learning options. Okemo’s professional teaching staff is passionate about the sport and shows a true commitment to fun instruction and encouragement to help conquer on-snow challenges and build confidence. Ski, snowboard and telemark instruction is available for every age and ability level. Okemo offers group instruction for first timers and also offers specialty clinics for advanced skiers ready to take it to the next level. This season includes the return of the resort’s popular Women’s Alpine Adventures and, new this year, the Ross Powers Snowboard Camp. More skiers and riders are recognizing that Okemo’s one-on-one private instruction can make all the difference, and for skiers and riders who are determined to make this the winter they’re going to become better and more committed to the sport; Okemo offers a season-long program to fit the bill.

RESORT FAST FACTS

NORDIC FAST FACTS

OKEMO'S HISTORIC TIMELINE

WINTER 2007/2008 CALENDAR OF EVENTS