Park City Mountain, Deer Valley and Canyons Resorts announce the 3rd Annual Wasatch Backside Lifty Invitational

Park City, Utah (March 26, 2011) —  The Park City Resorts of the Wasatch Back including Park City Mountain Resort, Canyons Resort and Deer Valley Resort,  announce the ^3rd annual Wasatch Backside Lifty Invitational (WBLI), March 28 - April 1, 2011.

“We created the WBLI in an effort to recognize the hard work of our lift operations teams,” said Jeff Marzka, lift operations manager at Park City Mountain Resort. “WBLI is a way for these team members to let loose, have some fun and gain recognition for all their hard work at the end of the season.”  

The Wasatch Back Lifty Invitational consists of 12 events, four held at each resort, taking place over a three day period.  The event kicks off March 28 at Park City Mountain Resort, with the Ski Boot Relay, Ski Pole Spin, Gear Return Relay and Snow Scoop Race.  March 30, the event moves to Deer Valley Resort where lift operations team members will compete in Clock Discus, Boot Toss, Stop Gate Javelin and Snow Scoop Heft.  The finale of the event, held at Canyons Resort on April 1, includes Lost and Found Mound, Trash Can Fill, Maze Set-up and Tug-O-War.  Each day the events will begin at 5:00 p.m.

“Lift Operations can really be a thankless job,” said Deirdre Riley, lift operations manager at The Canyons  “All three resorts have great teams that work hard and play hard!  What better way to focus all that energy then to challenge each other at the skills we use every day.” 

Paul Hedman, lift operations manager at Deer Valley Resort, explains “At this point in the season, we’re looking for ways to have fun and swap stories with our counterparts at other resorts.  It really brings people together when they realize that we all have the same challenges and experiences regardless of where we work.”

Lift operations team members include lift operators, ticket scanners and maze coordinators.  These team members are a crucial part of the day to day operations of a mountain resort.  The events that make up the WBLI take skills perfected over the course of the season and allow the team members put a new spin on their daily duties.  Event descriptions and additional details can be found at www.parkcitymountain.com.

About Park City Mountain Resort 
Park City Mountain Resort, named the most accessible mountain resort in North America by the readers of SKI magazine, is located in the heart of Park City, Utah and is only a 40-minute drive from the Salt Lake City International Airport. With 3,300 acres of unspoiled terrain, the Resort offers groomed Signature Runs™, bumps, powder, trees, eight peaks, nine bowls, three terrain parks, and the Eagle Superpipe. Park City Mountain Resort was recently named the most family friendly resort by viewers of onthesnow.com and once again ranked a Top-five resort by the readers of SKI and Transworld Snowboardingmagazines. For more information, visit www.parkcitymountain.com or call (800) 222-PARK.

About Deer Valley Resort

Deer Valley Resort was rated the #1 ski resort in North America an unprecedented four years in a row in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 by the readers of SKI Magazine, we never stop striving to better our guests’ ski vacation experience.  Celebrating our 30th Anniversary, Deer Valley revolutionized the ski industry by being the first North American resort to provide the first-class service one would find at a five-star hotel. We offer luxurious amenities such as three beautiful on-mountain day lodges, groomed-to-perfection slopes, powder-laden glade skiing and ten on-mountain restaurants offering unforgettable award-winning cuisine.

About The Canyons Resort

Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah is the largest single ski and snowboard resort in Utah and the third  largest in the United States. Located just four miles from Park City's historic Main Street, The Canyons averages 350 inches of light snow annually while offering 4,000 acres of diverse terrain over nine  mountains with 182 trails. Lodging properties managed by The Canyons are located in the Resort Village and consist of the AAA rated Four-Diamond Grand Summit Hotel, Sundial Lodge, Silverado Lodge, as well as the newest luxury accommodations: Waldorf Astoria, Park City. The Canyons maintains over 35,000 square footage of flexible meeting space available for any event or gathering. A variety of dining options ranging from fine dining to more casual atmospheres can be found both on the mountain and within the Resort Village. Additional details are available at: www.thecanyons.com

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For further information, please contact:

Park City Mountain Resort:
Meisha Lawson
(435) 658.5502
meishal@pcmr.com

Canyons Resort:
Caitlin Martz
(435) 615.3308
cmartz@thecanyons.com

Deer Valley Resort:
Emily Summers
(435) 645.6518emily@deervalley.com