Do you want to grow a ’stache and win a trip to Park City?

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Mustaches are amazing things.  I’ve grown a few in my day and so has Giambi.  How about growing a mustache for a good cause?

Movember, DC is stepping up for its second consecutive year of support with new contests and opportunities that raise money for men’s health awareness. Let’s face it; men just don’t get things checked out the way they should.  Last year, 81 DC employees dubbed ‘Mo Bros’ raised $48,497 to change the way men think about, discuss and treat their own health issues. This year, the DC ‘Mo Bros’ are back, and now the participation has extended to include DC’s team riders, a new limited DC sandal, and contests with multiple prizes. DC will offer five separate opportunities to participate so everyone can get involved. Movember is the biggest international event supporting prostate cancer. DC is a Park City-based shoe company.

Movember challenges men (Mo Bros) to grow a Mo (Aussie slang for moustache) for just the month of November, as a symbol in support of fighting men’s health issues and celebrating the Mo. Movember has turned into a global movement since 2003. Mo Bros and Mo Sistas in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, and Spain joined their Aussie counterparts by participating in the campaign in 2007. Since Movember’s inception, almost 200,000 Mo Bros have sported a Mo and more than $29 million has been raised globally for prostate cancer research, including $740,568 raised in the United States last year.

Below are four options of how to get involved in Movember.

The DC Challenge: Win a trip to Park City and snowboard at the private  DC MTN.LAB. Visit the Movember Web site to register a four-man team. The team who raises the most money wins an all expenses paid five-day trip to Park City, Utah, including airfares, lodging, meals, limo transportation to and from the airport, and a day of private snowboarding at DC’s private MTN.LAB. It’s a once in a lifetime trip valued at $14,000. Plus each winner will receive a snowboard gear set including board, boots, and outerwear (pants and jacket).

Bid in the Auction: eBay will host an online auction for Movember Nov. 1-30. A variety of items will be available for bid including DC products, autographed items from DC athletes, autographed music artist items, and more. One hundred percent of the proceeds raised from the auction will go to Movember.

Sponsor a DC Team Rider’s Mo: DC team members will document the growth of their Mo’s through photo and video updates.  Log on to donate to the Prostate Cancer Foundation by sponsoring a DC rider’s Mo.

Send a photo of your Mo: Snap a photo of your moustache. DC’s Renee Renee’s latest character, Philip Bradley, will hand select the four most gorgeous Mo’s e-mailed to movembercontest@dcshoes.com to win the $250 DC shopping spree. Each Friday, DC will announce the winner, and post their Mo’s.

Why does Utah have the greatest snow on Earth?

Answer here!

Proof:

Deer Valley

Park City Mountain Resort

The Canyons

Snowbird

Alta

Solitude

Livin’ the yurt life in Park City.

There is a pretty cool and very detailed article in Conde Nast Traveler about some of the finer things which Park City, Deer Valley, and The Canyons has offer from this author’s point of view.

How about dinner in a yurt?  Anyone had dinner in The Viking Yurt at The Canyons?  If so, let us know in the comments.  Enjoy.

How about a free pair of skis or a free snowboard?

Deals! Deals! Deals!!! I was reading this article on Forbes and saw a deal that was pretty amazing.  Forget those dang baggage fees with the airlines (at least on the first leg of your ski trip to Utah).

Book a reservation for 7 nights or longer this ski season at the Silver King Hotel in Park City, UT and they will BUY YOU NEW SKIS, BINDINGS & POLES!

That is right, they will buy you a brand spankin new set of skis, bindings and poles from Rossignol.If you are not a skier, they will buy you a new snowboard and bindings instead. The ski package has a retail value of $790! All you need to do is stop by Nordas in Park City on your day of arrival. They will size you to your skis, set them to your boots, and wax them up. You will burning up the slopes on your new skis in no time at all!

With room rates starting at just $199 nightly, a $790 ski package practically pays for the reservation! Word.

How about a free lift pass to Park City, The Canyons, or Deer Valley?

It’s a big claim: Catch a morning flight from almost anywhere and you can be on our slopes the same afternoon. The Park City Quick START (Ski Today and Ride Today) Vacation lets you convert your airline boarding pass into a same-day lift ticket to the Park City resort of your choice. It’s your chance to get a free same-day lift ticket at The Canyons Resort, Park City Mountain Resort or Deer Valley Resort.

You will need to bring the completed, required redemption voucher, along with your same-day boarding pass and out of state photo I.D., to the resort ticket window, to receive your same-day lift ticket. You’ll discover the best skiing and riding you’ve ever experienced, not to mention the most conveniently located resort town in the West. Park City is located just 35 short minutes from Salt Lake City International Airport.

Quick START offer valid: Respective resort opening - 12/24/08, 1/4/09 - 2/13/09, and 3/29/09 – 4/12/09.

More Details.

The best get better, part III.

Next up- the Park City area!

The Canyons Resort

Snowriders at The Canyons Resort will enjoy a new lift and gondola during the 2008-09 season. The new Frostwood gondola will transport guests staying in the Frostwood area, which includes the Miners Club, the currently under construction Dakota Mountain Lodge, and all other development projects in
the area to the resort base.

In addition, a brand new fixed grip quad chair will run from the Tombstone base to a location approximately one-half mile below the DreamCatcher lift base. The lift is the first step in the Iron Mountain expansion plans, and will initially be used to access the Tombstone lift at the end of the day.

Trees will be gladed in places such as Mystic Pines, off of the Peak 5 lift, opening up more tree-skiing and riding for guests. The Canyons will also upgrade snowmaking and grooming equipment guaranteeing a high quality ski experience.

Deer Valley Resort

Deer Valley Resort has invested $8 million in on-mountain improvements for the 2008-09 winter season. Improvements include the replacement of the existing Cushing’s Cabin at the top of Flagstaff Mountain, adjacent to the Northside Express, Quincy Express, Silver Strike Express and Ruby Express chairlifts. The new cabin will seat 40 to 45 guests, feature updated restrooms and house Flagstaff Mountain Ski Patrol.

In addition, Deer Valley has remodeled the Empire Canyon Lodge to allow more seating upstairs and improve the flow through the beverage and service areas. Deer Valley has also made improvements to snow making and maintenance equipment to ensure its signature excellence.

Park City Mountain Resort

Park City Mountain Resort will unveil $10.5 million in improvements for the 2008-09 winter season including a new high-speed chair lift, terrain enhancements and renovation of the Mid-Mountain Lodge.

Park City Mountain Resort’s new high-speed quad chair lift, Crescent lift, will replace and realign the existing Ski Team lift. The lift will begin near the base of the Resort and extend to Crescent Ridge (also known as Ski Team Ridge). The new chair lift will significantly increase accessibility out of the base area as well as to the front-side runs, some of the Resort’s best advanced terrain.

To complement the new lift, the Resort is making terrain enhancements to improve the skiing/riding experience on the mountain, including a new run addition and expanded snowmaking. Park City Mountain Resort will also assume operations for Mid-Mountain Lodge in the 2008-09 season. The Resort will renovate the Mid-Mountain Lodge to further develop on-mountain dining.

Finally, as part of its environmental commitment, Park City Mountain Resort is offsetting 100 percent of its power consumption from renewable energy sources beginning in June 2008. This purchase of 13.9 million kWh of renewable energy credits (RECs) will avoid nearly 19 million pounds of CO2 emissions annually, which is equal to removing 1,853 passenger vehicles from the road or powering 1,100 average American homes for a year. For more information, visit www.saveoursnow.net.

Where are all the State of Utah’s college ski and snowboard clubs?

Back in the day when I skiing my way through college (early Y2k) all of the major universities and colleges in Utah had established ski and snowboard clubs for their students. I recently went searching to see if any of the clubs still existed for the U o U, BYU, UVU, Utah State, ect and was disappointed to find that it appears that most of the clubs haven’t survived.

My favorite reason for have the club was to save a little money on season passes.  Discounts to Snowbird, Park City and The Canyons made the membership fees well worth the price.  Plus members often were invited to receive discounts at area retailers and had member-only activities.  For example, members of the U o U’s Freeskier Society can buy a “Chairs only” pass to the bird for $469 vs $539. That’s a savings of $70!  Plus you get a really sweet shirt to impress all the ladies with.

Props are due to the U of U’s Freeskier Society and Weber State as they appear to be the only ones to have survived as a pure college ski or snowboard club.

BYU- R.I.P. Snowrider’s (one lone rep)

UVU- R.I.P. Board Club (kind of )

Westminster- R.I.P. close?!?!

Utah State- R.I.P.

SUU- Help! They need a president…

Jealous…very jealous.

Ski in Utah, Even on a Budget

There was a great article written yesterday on thestreet.com about ways to save some money while still enjoying the legendary fresh powder which the Utah ski resorts have to offer.

Why Utah? The best reason to go is the snow. The ski resorts closest to Salt Lake City average 430 inches per year — many received 700 last year (58 feet!) — and it’s almost always light, fluffy powder. Colorado, the Sierra Nevadas and even the Pacific Northwest get plenty of powder, too, but Utah’s dry climate and the effect of Great Salt Lake means exceptionally dry snowflakes, containing as little as 4% water. The result? Ice, a staple for East Coast and Midwestern snow riders, is virtually nonexistent. And in February, the sun shines about 60% of days.

Access and variety also separate Utah from the rest of the country. Seven ski areas lie within 38 miles of Salt Lake City International Airport, a major hub with 800 nonstop arrivals every day. There’s also the Utah Transit Authority, or UTA, a public transit system that can get you from the airport, downtown or just about anywhere else in the metro area to the lodge quickly and cheaply.

Alta, Brighton, The Canyons, Deer Valley, Park City Mountain Resort, Snowbird and Solitude, each with its own character (and price range), offer a combined 14,000 skiable acres, compared to 5,800 for the combined membership of Ski Vermont.

Here are some of the articles suggestions to save some money:

Plan ahead. From lodging to lift tickets and equipment rentals, everything is cheaper if you book early in the season, often before early December. Once you’re on the ground, remember that buying lift tickets and renting equipment before you get to the mountain can also save you money.

Stay in town. Try hotels and condos in Midvale, Cottonwood Heights or Sandy for easy access to the Cottonwoods. Downtown Salt Lake also works well, offering a short trip to Park City and a slightly longer one to the canyons. Check rates at the Residence Inn Salt Lake City Cottonwood or the Best Western Cottontree Inn. If you’re focused on Park City, poke around The Canyons resort and the town’s outskirts, because the town has a fabulous, free shuttle system that runs morning, noon and night.

Take the shuttle or city buses. Loading yourself, your equipment and your ski clothes onto a bus doesn’t sound like fun, but it’s cheap ($2.25 each way). Besides, even with a rental car, you may have to take public transportation to the Cottonwood resorts. Avalanches and avalanche prevention often shut down the roads, or restrict them to buses or four-wheel drive. If it snows overnight, call the resorts’ ski conditions hotlines for road information before you decide where to ski. If you do rent a car, consider your winter driving skills or an all-wheel/four-wheel-drive rental if you’re planning to drive up the canyons.

Scout out discounts. Deals abound, online and on the ground. Wherever you stay, they’ll likely offer discounted lift tickets for nearby resorts. Many offer the Salt Lake Super Pass, with discounts on one to six days of skiing at Alta, Brighton, Snowbird and Solitude (with a free day if you buy three days or more by Dec. 1). It’s also available from Ski-SaltLake.com, CheapTickets.com and other travel Web sites. The vouchers include rides on the UTA buses to the resorts. For the Cottonwoods and the Park City resorts (The Canyons, Deer Valley, Park City Mountain Resort), you can also buy tickets at area ski shops such as Canyon Sports or Ski ‘N See in Salt Lake (but not at Park City stores). You can save up to $18 — provided you buy before you head up.

Ski Magazine Utah Resort Rankings 2008-2009

You probably already know that Utah has the Greatest Snow on Earth ®, well once again we’re a the top of the pile in many resort rankings.  Below are Utah resorts ranked according to Ski Magazine

Overall
#1- Deer Valley Resort
#5- Park City Mountain Resort
#13- The Canyons Resort
#22- Solitude Mountain Resort
#25- Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort
#28- Alta Ski Area
#30- Snowbasin

Snow
#1- Alta Ski Area
#2- Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort
#3- Powder Mountain
#5- Brighton Resort
#6- Solitude Mountain Resort
#9- Deer Valley Resort

Grooming
#1- Deer Valley Resort

Terrain/Challenge
#3- Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort
#4- Alta Ski Area

Value
#1- Powder Mountain
#3- Alta Ski Area
#5- Brighton Resort
#7- Solitude Mountain Resort

Lifts
#1- Snowbasin
#4- Deer Valley Resort

Service
#1- Deer Valley Resort
#3- Snowbasin

Weather
#1- Deer Valley Resort
#2- Solitude Mountain Resort
#4- Alta Ski Area
#5- Brighton Resort
#8- Park City Mountain Resort

Access
#1- Park City Mountain Resort
#2- Deer Valley Resort
#4- The Canyons Resort
#5- Solitude Mountain Resort
#6- Alta Ski Area
#7- Brighton Resort
#8- Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort

On-Mountain Food
#1- Deer Valley Resort
#2- Snowbasin

Lodging
#1- Deer Valley Resort
#8- Park City Mountain Resort

Dining
#2- Deer Valley Resort
#9- Park City Mountain Resort

Apres-Ski
#8- Park City Mountain Resort

Off-Hill Activities
#6- Park City Mountain Resort
#9- Deer Valley Resort

Family Programs
#7- Deer Valley Resort

Terrain Parks
#9-Park City Mountain Resort

Overall Satisfaction
#1- Alta Ski Area

#4- Deer Valley Resort

#6- Solitude Mountain Resort

Park City Mountain Resort to get new lift

I’ve enjoyed skiing Park City Mountain Resort this past season. If there was one thing I’d change it would be to improve the uphill capacity from the base. They must have been reading my mind.

On Wednesday they announced $10.5 million in improvements for the 2008-09 winter season including a new high-speed chairlift, terrain enhancements and renovation of the Mid-Mountain Lodge.

The new high-speed quad chair lift, Crescent lift, will replace and realign the existing Ski Team fixed-grip double chairlift. Unlike the existing lift, which begins several hundred yards uphill from the main base area along the Homerun trail, the new lift will begin near the base of the ski resort and extend to Crescent Ridge, also known as Ski Team Ridge. The new lift will lessen the load on the PayDay high-speed six-pack lift during peak times, and provide increased access to the ski area’s front-side runs, which are some of the resort’s best advanced ski terrain. The new lift takes guests almost twice as far as the existing Ski Team lift and in less time. In addition, the new lift will provide access to a majority of the resort and direct access to lifts including Silverlode, Bonanza, King Con, PayDay, Town, Pioneer and McConkey’s.

I’m already looking forward to the first day of riding the Crescent lift next season!