The 411 on Helmets

Lately, I’ve been seeing some questions/concerns regarding Intrawest’s new helmet policy on our Facebook fan page. Hopefully, this little breakdown helps and you know exactly what to expect for the 2009-2010 season.

Here’s the scoop for Guests (Non-Employees):

• Skiing/riding outside of the terrain park? Helmet recommended, not required.

• Skiing/riding inside the terrain park? Helmet recommended, not required.

• Taking a learn-to ski/ride lesson? Yes, helmet is required for those 12 & under. (Even though we recommend you own a helmet, we will provide a helmet for you.)

• Taking a park lesson via Switch Academy? Yes, helmet is required - there is no "opt out" option.

• Racing participants: Yes, helmet is required.
  

Employees listen up:

• Skiing/riding in the terrain park? Helmets are recommended, but not required. Remember, park riding is to be done off-the-clock and out of uniform.

• Skiing/riding outside of the terrain park? Helmets are recommended, but not required.

• Teaching a non-park lesson? Helmets are recommended, but not required. (But hey, it’s always nice to set a good example for those learning).

• Teaching a Switch Academy park lesson? Yes, helmets are required.

• Park Crew member? Helmets are required when testing a terrain feature.

I hope that helped clarify a few things for ya. By the way… If you’re joining us as an employee this season and don’t have a helmet – no worries. Mountain Creek is offering a 45% discount off helmets in the retail shop for employees. Plus, Giro is offering an employee discount of 30% off wholesale. Hi-yo!

That’s all, kids. Happy helmet hunting.

-Halley

(Helmets rule. And so do Mountain Creek foam fingers.)

Contest Update

Here’s a sneak peek at our “Quick Chek Quick Path” contest. (Bet you can’t say that 5 times fast.) It’s a 2-part extravaganza – 2 parts, 2 winners, ya dig?

If you’re aiming to learn-to ski or ride this season, this contest is for you. If you’re already a fantastic semi-almost-pro, this contest is also for you. We want to give everyone a chance to win.

Consider this a QCQP contest checklist - here’s some of what you’ll need.

• A Twitter account. If you don’t have one, get one. Make sure you find Mountain Creek and hit the “Follow” button.
  
• Learn the lingo. If you don’t speak “tweet,” here’s a little Twitter 101 for you.
  
• A Quick Chek store with a stack of our “learn-to ski/ride” coupons. There are 120 of ‘em out there. We’ll give you the official list soon.

So, those are some of the basics. If you get those things down pat, you’re ahead of the game and ready to play. Once we release the QCQP’s rules, you’ll know exactly what to do with the bullet points above.

For Quick Chek Quick Path contest updates and info, keep it here or head over to Facebook and Twitter.

-Halley

P.S. I heard a snowmaking rumor. Apparently, our snowgun arsenal is prepped and ready to fire once the cold weather is here to stay.

What's this I hear about a contest?

Somewhere between talking about winter predictions, beanie collections and ski movies… we brainstorm. This time around, two lucky people will benefit from this wicked brainstorming session.

We're cooking up a little contest for you shred heads.

Skiers and snowboarders of any skill level could make bank in this contest. That means the stone-cold beginner all the way up to the seasoned watch-my-sponsor-me-vid “pro” should get involved when the time comes.

I won't get into the contest specifics now... but know that anyone with an internet connection and a Twitter account could end up with either a “suite” setup or a new ride under their feet.

Welp! Sorry, but I’ve got to run. Hang tight - you'll know exactly what we're talking about (and how to get involved in the contest) real soon.

-Halley

Just missed the 2" mark!

By now, I’m sure you’ve seen yesterday’s "rapid play" which we document the snowfall in a very serious manner. Not really. We did document it, but I don’t think running around in slippers having a snowball fight is all that serious. If you haven’t seen it, click that lovely little link above.



To further celebrate the early season snowfall, I snapped a few pics. The lift you see is at the top of Granite Peak. Other photos shot from various areas around Vernon Peak. (Photos taken October 15, 2009)





And just so you know, we came just shy of the 2” mark. All of you procrastinators can rejoice – you still have time to get a season pass at the preseason rate.

-Halley

Preseason Snow!

Yeah, you heard me. SNOW! There was an indescribable glow among the resort today - normally, that kind of glow appears around 4:30 on a Friday afternoon. Not today, champ! We're makin' snowballs.

Because we love snow almost as much as we love you, we decided to shoot a little video to spread the early winter stoke. Check it out.



To sum up, if you haven’t gotten your season pass yet, you better get on that quick. All-access fun is available and waiting for you. That’s right. It’s the best deal in the area. Remember… prices go up after the first 2” of snow or December 6th – whichever comes first. Don’t miss out!

-Halley

P.S. You might want to add this little hot spot to your favorites... More pictures, videos and other cool things will be here on the regs.

Louie Vito: Dancing Hobbit

Yes, I have an obsession with the trashy, “The Bachelor”-esque type of television show. (Something needs to pass the time till shred season.) It doesn’t matter if people are surviving on a deserted island, competing for "love" on a tour bus, or dancing the cha-cha with two left feet. As long as someone gets booted every week, I’m game.

Now you’re thinking, “That’s great ‘n all, but what does this have to do with snow?” Well, in case you haven’t heard, this season of Dancing with the Stars features snowboarding poster child, Louie Vito.

If he wins it all, he'll go home with the coveted golden disco ball trophy. Yeah. I know. It’s corny, but don’t lie. You totally want one.

Check him out in the show's season premiere throwing down a little Foxtrot action.



Vito’s been dancing well so far. The judges seem to like his personality and chemistry with partner, Chelsie Hightower. However, they’re not too keen on his long hair – one judge even referred to him as a dancing hobbit.

They are four weeks into the competition, but last night’s 2-step was less than stellar. Hopefully, they’ll survive tonight’s elimination, mainly because I don’t think the snowboarding community is ready to part with his spandex-y, sequin-covered, mesh-ridden outfits just yet.

Head over to abc.com and vote for Vito.

-Halley

More dirt. And rocks.

Check out some photos taken October 2nd. Yeah, more construction pics - you know it as the ever-so-glamorous Horizon Flow Project.

I must say, it’s super different from the footage shown in last week's video. I labeled parts of the construction in order to give you some perspective.

Hope you enjoy my expert* photoshopping skills.

*rudimentary, saddening, not-good-at-all

Bye!

-Halley