Winter Is Coming - Whistler new and improved

#WinterIsComing and Whistler has never been more ready than this year.  Whistler Blackcomb has invested in several major capital projects this past summer to continue to make this resort the best on the planet.  So get those boards shined up... here is what is new this coming season!

Harmony 6 - Whistler Mountain

The Harmony high-speed quad chair on Whistler Mountain will be replaced with a new high-speed chairlift capable of transporting six people on each chair, called the Harmony Six.

• Carrying capacity will lift by 50 percent from 2,400 skiers per hour to 3,600
• New lift will follow the same alignment, servicing terrain from the edge of Symphony Amphitheatre over to Glacier Bowl.

Crystal Ridge Express - Blackcomb Mountain

The Crystal Zone will undertake a dramatic transformation when the fixed-grip triple chair is superseded by a high-speed quad chairlift with a radically different aspect.

• The bottom terminal of the new chair will start at a lower elevation on Blackcomb Glacier Road
• New lift will simplify access to the Crystal Zone, eliminating the need to use the Excelerator Chair to access many Crystal Zone favourites such as Ridge Runner, Rock ’N’ Roll and gladed trails including Outer Limits
• Return access to the Glacier Express Chair will also be faster, allowing quicker access to the Horstman Glacier, Blackcomb Glacier and Spanky’s Ladder
• Skier carrying capacity will improve by 65 per cent to 2,400 skiers per hour

Crystal Zone Snowmaking Upgrades

To complement the opening of the new Crystal Chairlift, Whistler Blackcomb has invested in extensive snowmaking infrastructure for the Crystal Zone. The upgrade will ensure excellent early and late season coverage in the popular area, and boost the mid-mountain skiing options on Blackcomb Mountain.

Reminder... for all Washington and Canadian Residents make sure you purchase your Edge Card for the best value on and off Whistler Blackcomb this season with daily rates starting at just $65/day vs. the $100+ at the window.  For non Washington and Canadian Residents, make sure you book your hotel and ski package by November 15th for the best deals.  Call 1.866.787.1966 or visit online at whistlerblackcomb.com  The 22nd annual Gay & Lesbians Ski Snowboard week - GayWhistler's WinterPRIDE is January 26th - February 2nd, 2014.  Host Hotel Aava Whistler is getting geared up to make this an even better year!  Remember to get your festival tickets by November 30th for the best value.  Tickets now on sale!

Advertise with GayWhistler

Are you looking to reach out to the LGBT community?  Do you have a product or service you would like to launch or promote at one of the leading LGBT Mountain destinations?  GayWhistler's WinterPRIDE is an excellent venue to advertise and to promote your company.

There are a variety of ways in which your company can be promoted at the annual Gay and Lesbian Ski/Snowboard week in Whistler - WinterPRIDE January 26 - February 2nd, 2014.  

• You can place an ad in the 2014 Festival guide (3,000 printed guides and over 7,100 downloads annually)
• You can place an ad on the website of gaywhistler.com 
• You can participate in the Welcome Expo on Sunday, January 26th, 2014
• You can participate in the welcome bag program
• You can have an activation during the festival

Fill out the form below and a member of our team will be in touch with you to fulfill you marketing and activation needs.

Last year's WinterPRIDE 2013 Festival Guide for reference.

Visit

GayWhistler.com

for more information. Booking deadline is December 1st, 2013

WHISTLER BLACKCOMB SKIERS AND RIDERS PASSIONATE ADVOCATES OF RESORT

Key Strengths Of No. 1 Ranked Resort Include Friendliness Of Staff, Variety Of Trails And Sense Of On-Mountain Safety

WHISTLER, BC September 17, 2013 – As the mountains in North America receive their first

Photo by: Paul Morrison | Whistler, Canada

dustings of snow, Whistler Blackcomb is planning for the launch of two new chairlifts in December. While annual accolades from ski and snowboard magazines regularly position Whistler Blackcomb as one of the top ranked ski and snowboard destinations in the world, as the saying goes, “The customer knows best.”

Every winter thousands of skiers and riders are surveyed on the mountains to help Whistler Blackcomb assess their key strengths as well as their “Net Promoter Score (NPS).” This score determines a customer’s loyalty by asking how likely they are to recommend the resort, and to scale their answer from one to ten. With 87 per cent of Whistler Blackcomb’s customers rating the likelihood of a recommendation at either 9 or 10 out of 10, it is clear the resort has loyal customers that are passionate about everything the mountains have to offer.

“We see over two million skier visits every winter season,” says Dave Brownlie, President and Chief Executive Officer, Whistler Blackcomb. “We are the most visited ski resort in North America; that many skiers and riders can’t be wrong! Out of every metric we use to evaluate our success as a business, the NPS is one of the most important things we look at.”

RRC Associates is the third-party company that evaluates and reports the results of Whistler Blackcomb’s surveys. The data is gathered through intercept surveys where on-mountain guests are asked to evaluate the facilities, amenities, employee service, and overall aspects of their visit.

Besides sitting in one of the highest percentiles of NPS for ski resorts in North America, Whistler Blackcomb’s customers also recognized the following attributes as key strengths:

·         Friendliness of staff

·         Variety of trails

·         Overall ski and snowboard experience

·         Sense of on-mountain safety

·         Grooming

·         Snow conditions

·         Terrain park and halfpipe

“Whistler Blackcomb is constantly focused on improving every aspect of our business,” says Brownlie. “The $18 million capital expansion of the New Harmony 6 six-pack chairlift on Whistler and the new Crystal Ridge Express on Blackcomb opening this December are a testament to our commitment to providing the best possible experience for our guests year over year. However at the core of it all are our people. Every Whistler Blackcomb employee works together to exceed expectations, and when the results of our winter surveys tell us a story of success, we can’t be more proud of our team and the positive impressions they make on our guests’ experiences.”

Whistler Blackcomb is scheduled to officially open on Thursday, November 28, 2013. Guests looking to book a vacation at Whistler Blackcomb for the 2013.2014 winter season can save up to 39 per cent by taking advantage of the Early Booking offer. Stay and ski/ride packages start from $97 per person, per night and are available until November 15, 2013. Visit whistlerblackcomb.com/lodgingdeals or call 1-866-787-1966.

About Whistler Blackcomb

Whistler Blackcomb, the official alpine skiing venue for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, is situated in the Resort Municipality of Whistler located in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia 125 kilometres (78 miles) from Vancouver, British Columbia. North America’s premier four season mountain resort, Whistler and Blackcomb are two side-by-side mountains which combined offer over 200 marked runs, 8,171 acres of terrain, 16 alpine bowls, three glaciers, receives on average over 1,174 centimetres (462 inches)  of snow annually, and one of the longest ski seasons in North America. In the summer, Whistler Blackcomb offers a variety of activities, including hiking and biking trails, the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, and sightseeing on the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola. 

Proud to be a venue for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

Twitter: @WhistlerBlckcmb | Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/whistlerblackcomb