WinterPRIDE 2011 Welcome Party TWEET Up

GayWhistler's WinterPRIDE is just 10 days away and the Welcome Party TWEET up is going to be the place to get social and win some great prizing!! Sunday, January 30th at the Whistler Conference Centre - Grand Foyer from 8PM-10PM.

Finlandia, Whistler Beer & Barefoot Wine will be on hand ready to get the party started! The WinterPRIDE shot Ski will be back and in full force and did we mention all the prizes up for grabs? New this year we will be TWEETing and doing live status updates on Facebook - giving you clues and asking questions and when you Tweet or comment on Facebook your "answer" you could win some of these great prizes!
@gaywhistler #wp11 #gayskiweek

Some of our vendors include:
TRAVEL:
Echo Valley Ranch & Spa
Holiday Inn Aruba
Air New Zealand
North America Outgames
BMW Canada
SpyGuy

Resort Partners
Araxi
Ric's Grill
Starbuck's
Scandinave Spa
Healing Hands
Whistler Dental - Brighten your Smile!
ZipTrek
Canadian Snowmobile
Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre
SatSports
Hayden Beck Gallery

So come on out and meet new & old friends, learn what is new in the resort, do some TWEETing and win some great prizes!
After party will move over to Buffalo Bill's for some dancing and then up early for our first day of Skiing on Blackcomb - including LIVE TV coverage from our friends at Breakfast Television on CityTV!

Call 1.866.787.1966 for all of your travel needs or visit online at GayWhistler.com Our host hotel is the Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa

Travelocity Never Roam Alone Ski Guide - Training

Jan. 8th, 2011 was our first WinterPRIDE event of the season with the Travelocity Never Roam Alone Ski Guide Training day. Ski Guide Manager, John Sutherland, took a group of guides up onto Whistler & Blackcomb mountains for safety and coaching training.

The Snow conditions were incredible and a lot of great tips on how to be a better guide were learned. The day started out with a breakfast meeting at the Dubh Linn Gate Irish Pub within the Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside. The guides learned about safety, the ski guide perks along with a presentation from Whistler Blackcomb, followed by an update on some of the programming for WinterPRIDE.

Next it was time to get out on the slopes and get some hands on experience - or at least "ski/board on experience!" We traveled up the Excalibur Blackcomb Gondola and raced around the various zones of Blackcomb including: The Glaciers, Terrain Park, Crystal, GMC Race Course and then down for lunch to the Glacier Creek Lodge. After lunch we headed over to the Peak 2 Peak and crossed over the valley to Whistler. Incredible views and within 11 minutes we are on Whistler Mountain!


After a great day on the slopes it was time to do some Apres Ski action at Dusty's with the local gay & lesbain ski club - skiOUT! Nothing like the crisp clean taste of Whistler Beer after a great day on the mountains. For more photos of the day click here to visit our Flickr photo stream!

GayWhistler's WinterPRIDE is January 30th - February 6th, 2011. Visit GayWhistler.com for more details on how you can be part of the magic of WinterPRIDE. For hotel reservations visit online or call 1.866.787.1966

WinterPRIDE Charity Ski Race

Test your skills and guess your time for the annual WinterPRIDE Charity Ski Race. Minimum donation $5/run proceeds benefit the Whistler Health Care Centre. Great prizes up for grabs including:

- 1 x Salomon Shogun Ski (retail $749.99)

- 1 x Descente Winter Wear ( retails $99.99)
...
- 1 x Spy Goggle (retail $109.99)

- 1 x Oakley A Frame Goggle (retail $129.99)

- RC Accessories (retail $20)

- Ski Sock (pair) (retail $30)

- Beanies (retail $30)

- Smith Goggles (retail $60)

- Kombi Gloves (retail $50)

- Ryders Sunglasses (retail $30)

- Hot Chilly’s Thermals (retail $30)

Prizes generously donated by the Whistler Salomon Store & Whistler Blackcomb

Friday, Feb. 4th on Blackcomb Mountain: GMC Race Centre
The GMC Race Centre is located on Cougar Milk on Blackcomb Mountain. The Race Centre is groomed and re-set daily with a dual Giant Slalom course.

The timed GS course is $5 minimum donation/run. The course is set on an intermediate slope and is open to skiers, snowboarders and telemarkers of all ages.

For more information visit gaywhistler.com

WinterPRIDE 2011 Volunteer Prizes & Perks

GayWhistler's WinterPRIDE is successful because of the hard and dedicated work of our volunteers! Our community recognizes this and has offered the following prizes for our volunteers to win! Thank you to our community partners in playing an important role in the annual WinterPRIDE festival.

Prizes Include:
- Three Night Stay at the Holiday Inn SunSpree Aruba
- Scandinave Thermal Experience
- Goodies from the Love Nest
- Whistler Blackcomb Ski Gear like googles, gloves, face masks
- Barefoot Wine & Bubbly
- Finlandia Vodka

To volunteer contact volunteers@gaywhistler.com

Thank you to our sponsors for helping to make the festival possible! GayWhistler.com

Happy Holidays from GayWhistler's WinterPRIDE

WP Holiday Video 2010 Final

Travel Tips for GayWhistler's WinterPRIDE

We all love stretching our dollar just a wee bit more and this year is no exception. Here are 3 of our top tips:

#3 Pack light! No need to haul your ski boots, and all your ski gear when you can rent everything at the resort!
Whistler Blackcomb has a huge array of equipment for rental and you can switch out your gear both on and off the mountain at any of their rental locations. It is hassle free, easy and best of all it is all 2011 equipment! They even rent outer wear so all you have to pack is your helmet, gloves and goggles! Now you have extra room for that extra Apres outfit you so wanted to bring! For more information click here or call 1.866.787.1966. Make sure you inform the agent you are with WinterPRIDE and save up to 30% when booking online!

#2 Travel Discount Codes, Airline Discount Codes and web specials! Some of our travel partners have some wicked deals including our partner at Travelocity! Visit GAYtravelocity.com and take $150 of your Vacation package with the PROMO CODE: GLWHISTLER

The airlines have some great deals out there including our friends at
American Airlines: Use Promo Code: 9211BA Business ExtrAA Account Number: 527604 - using this code will track our loyality and help keep the AA.com/Rainbow programs going.

Alaska Airlines is offering a 10% Discount: Discount Code, ECMB32 - Winter PRIDE -Whistler Ski Week – into
Vancouver, BC, Canada from any AS/QX US (except Hawaii and Deadhorse/Prudhoe Bay, Alaska) city. Travel dates are January 26, 2011 through February 09, 2011. Not valid for Mexico, Hawaii or Deadhorse/Prudhoe Bay, Alaska.
Book Online at: alaskaair.com/gaytravel

#1 January 24 - February 6th is Vancouver's most popular event of the year "Dine Out Vancouver" or DOV.
We hope you're hungry! Indulge in your love of food and BC VQA wine at over 200 restaurants with 3-course meals at $18, $28 or $38 and why not sleep around... at these prices, you can't afford not to. Book a hotel room for $68, $98, or $138 per night making Vancouver the perfect destination for your pre or post WinterPRIDE "city" experience. For more information on DOV visit: TourismVancouver.com

WinterPRIDE 2011 Shuttle & Transport Options

Looking to get the party started right away? Then you need to take the WinterPRIDE Shuttle and meet other guests on the ride up the scenic Sea to Sky highway!

WinterPRIDE is thrilled to be working with our friends at Whistler Glacier Group for another incredible season. Whistler Glacier Group prides itself in providing a high quality limousine service with a unique Whistler flavour. With their luxury fleet of sedans, SUVs, coaches and limos, whether you are an individual or part of a large group, they can meet your transportation needs.

Please ask one of their reservation agents about the WinterPRIDE shuttle service that we are providing. This shuttle will run from Vancouver airport to Whistler on January 30th and from Whistler to Vancouver Airport on February 6th with a stop at the Sandman on Davie for those doing a pre/post stay in the city.

January 30th: Airport 11AM, Sandman on Davie 11.30AM, Airport 2PM, Sandman on Davie 2.30PM, Airport 5PM, Sandman on Davie 5.30PM **Times subject to change depending on passenger demand.

February 6th: Whistler to Sandman on Davie & Airport: Departures starting at 9AM

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** Custom Shuttle & transfer times also available **
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For reservations or more information please call 1-604-905-7779 or book online WhistlerGlacierGroup.com and a member of staff will be more than happy to help you. WinterPRIDE attendees will receive a 10% discount from the published rates so make sure you let the reservations agent know, or put in the comment box, that you are with WinterPRIDE. GayWhistler's WinterPRIDE - the annual Gay Ski Week runs January 30th - February 6th, 2011. For more information on the festival visit GayWhistler.com