Okanagan Ski Resorts

March 31, 2006
posted by Jerry Redman on Mar 31, 2006

Silver Star Sets New Skier Visit Record!

For Immediate Release March 31, 2006
Vernon, BC - On the heels of a record 2004-05 season, Silver Star Resort has broken another seasonal record for the fourth year in a row, again solidifying itself as the interior's second most popular resort, located in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley.

“The snow was incredible and plentiful this year,” says Michael J. Balllingall, Senior Vice President of Silver Star and Big White Resorts, “Combined with our family friendly focus and Victorian charm, Silver Star couldn’t have asked for a better winter season.”

The number or skier visits was up thousands over last year’s record number, by 10 percent. Silver Star’s sister resort Big White Ski Resort located near Kelowna, B.C. has also surpassed last years record number and both resorts are continuing to set daily records during their spring season.

Bookings for accommodation were also up substantially this year. With new non-stop flights by West Jet and Air Canada from Toronto to Kelowna, visits from Ontario residents have increased tremendously. “Our resorts using the Kelowna International Airport as a gateway are now the closest resorts in the west to the valuable Ontario market,” commented Jim Loyd, Director of Sales for Big White and Silver Star Resorts. Hawaii has also become another growth market for both resorts. “Our work with Harmony Airways has paid handsomely this year,” says Loyd , “Direct flights between Honolulu and Kelowna means Hawaiians can now easily find out what it’s like to surf waves of the Okanagan's champagne powder.”

Thanks to the growth in skier visits, Schumann Resorts, which purchased Silver Star in 2001, is continuing its investment in the resort. In early March, 49 new housing sites in the new Alpine Meadows sold out in hours. The sale of those properties allowed the resort to order a new lift for the 2006-07 winter season. The $1.5M Doppelmayr fixed-grip quad chairlift will whisk skiers and snowboarders from the Alpine Meadows to the top of the Attridge ski area, long known by locals as the best place to go find powder on the front side of the mountain.

Silver Star Mountain Resort (website: www.skisilverstar.com) is located 18 kilometers (12 miles) east of Vernon, BC, and an hour's drive from Kelowna International Airport in British Columbia's Thompson-Okanagan Tourism Region. Big White Ski Resort (website: www.bigwhite.com) is located 56 kilometers (35 miles) southeast of Kelowna.

For more information, contact:

Michael J. Ballingall, Senior Vice President, Big White and Silver Star Resorts (250) 765-3101 – e-mail: mballingall@bigwhite.com

Steven Threndyle, Media Relations Officer, Big White and Silver Star Resorts, (250) 764-2143 - e-mail: sthrendyle@bigwhite.com

January 7, 2006
posted by Jerry Redman on Jan 13, 2006

Silver Star and Big White Dominate ‘Best Of Skiing in Canada’ Awards
For immediate release
January 7, 2006

VERNON, BC; Ski Canada Magazine Winter 2006 special issue titled “Best of Skiing in Canada" have just awarded Silver Star and Big White with a number of prestigious awards and accolades. “A year’s worth of praise and amusement, gossip and hearsay, make up our annual look at why there’s no place like home.” wrote Iain MacMilllan, Editor of Ski Canada Magazine.

“Every year the industry waits for this issue of Ski Canada magazine to be published” commented Michael J. Ballingall, Senior Vice President, Silver Star and Big White Resorts. “Our teams at both resorts strive to be the best and in a large way the recognition received from Ski Canada Magazine and its readers plays a role in congratulating them on their successes and continued hard work.”

This year Silver Star and Big White dominated the awards in a number of areas. Awards listed below are excerpts direct from the pages of Ski Canada magazine and they include:

SILVER STAR

Best New Terrain – A gold medal for Silver Star’s new mostly intermediate Silver Woods area, which increases the Vance Creek side of the mountain by 54 per cent. More than 145 hectares of new terrain and 341 metres of vertical drop are serviced by a high-speed detachable quad. A neat nine new trails and gladed tree islands will provide fabulous powder on northeast facing slopes.

Best New Terrain Parks – Silver Star’s new TELUS Park dials up tricks for beginners and experts. First-timers can use fat boxes to learn to slide and mini-hits for catching their first air. Advanced riders will grind the long boxes and killer S-rails, and launch off big hits. There are also a halfpipe, aerial training site, race centre and a dual-mogul race course.

Best Powder – Silver Star

Best Bumps in the West – Putnam Creek at Silver Star

Best Grooming – Silver Star

Best Family Skiing – Silver Star

Best New Digs – Silver Star’s luxurious new Snowbird Lodge with great ski-in/ski-out convenience and loads of extras that include an in-house cinema.

Best Non-Grooming Use of a Snowcat – Take a historic snowcat on a gourmet dinner tour to Paradise Camp, Silver Star’s refurbished mountaintop dinner spot.

Best Program to Keep Your Kids Climbing the Walls – Both Silver Star and now Big White have climbing walls that are open at night.

Best Place to Fly and Ski on the Same Day – Both WestJet and Air Canada offer daily service into Kelowna International Airport. The WestJet flights get in early enough to allow you to spend a half-day on Silver Star’s or Big White’s slopes to acclimatize to that champagne powder.

Best Place for an Old-fashioned Outdoor Hockey Game – Silver Star Brewers Pond

BIG WHITE

Best Place to Drop off the Kids and Get their Gear – Big White has now integrated its kids’ rental facility with the Kids Centre instruction area. Get the kids kitted out and ready for lessons in one easy step.

Best Party to get a Local’s Invite – The Shed Party at Big White is an annual invite-only shingdig that features Valdy, who’s a regular at the resort each winter.

Best Place to Celebrate Australia Day – Snowshoe Sam’s at Big White rocks with aussie aussie aussie/oy, oy, oy each January 24 as the Big White Aussie staff let down their hair – and dye it green and gold.

Best Powder – Big White

Best Grooming - Big White

Best Terrain Park (West) Best Place for an Old-fashioned Outdoor Hockey Game - Big White

Best Family Skiing - Big White

Best Place to Fly and Ski on the Same Day – Both WestJet and Air Canada offer daily service into Kelowna International Airport. The WestJet flights get in early enough to allow you to spend a half-day on Silver Star’s or Big White’s slopes to acclimatize to that champagne powder.

Best Place for Boys to Play with Heavy Machinery - At Big White last summer, more than 30,000 truckloads of fill were dumped onto 14 runs on Gem Lake. Apparently this makes for smooth runs – and happy Dumptruck Dans.

The Ski Canada awards recognize the uniqueness of these two Okanagan resorts and emphasize the family fun they try to put into the sport. Silver Star and Big White have just completed an attendance breaking Christmas, New Year's period and are continuously receiving fresh snowfalls of their world famous Okanagan champagne powder. As of this release at 10 am, January 7th, the current snowbase at Big White is 160cm and at Silver Star 149cm.

For more information on the above, contact Michael J. Ballingall, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Silver Star and Big White Resorts. (250) 765-3101 – e-mail: mballingall@bigwhite.com

For Immediate Release: Powder Chair Opens at Big White
posted by Jerry Redman on Dec 28, 2005

For Immediate Release: Powder Chair Opens at Big White

BIG WHITE, BRITISH COLUMBIA, December 28, 2005 - More terrain, more powder, more variety. The Powder Chair at Big White is scheduled to open tomorrow morning (Wednesday, December 28th) at 10:00 am. "This will be great for our season pass holders and destination guests alike spending their holidays with us. We thought it was important enough to send this breaking news as many of you have been awaiting its opening." commented Michael J. Ballingall, Senior Vice President, Big White Ski Resort. "The intermediate to advanced black runs in the area can now be enjoyed by all."

For more information contact Michael J. Ballingall, Senior Vice President, Big White Ski Resort at (250) 765-3101 or via email at mballingall@bigwhite.com