Hopeful Early Opening, Tap into Winter Party, Snow Therapy Winter Season Deals

Highmount, NY - Last Friday afternoon, the Belleayre Mountain snowmaking staff tested the snow guns in order to be prepared for the dropping temperatures. It is the goal of the DEC to open Belleayre Mountain’s season doors on Saturday, November 14th with their Annual Tap into Winter Party, beginning at 1:00pm. An open rail jam event, Fashion Showcase, and Bar Party will be a great celebration, with a promotional ticket price of $25. Read more »

Friday, October 30 at 7:00 pm (doors open at 6 pm) at the State Theatre of Ithaca in Ithaca, NY

Warren Miller’s Dynasty, the largest action sports film on the planet, is coming to kick off your winter for the 60th year!

Cortland, NY - Narrated by skiing icon Jonny Moseley and presented in striking high-definition, Warren Miller’s Dynasty showcases fresh cinematography that will get you craving vertical lines, deep powder, and epic adventure. This year’s film takes you on a breathtaking global tour of some of the world’s most impressive terrain, including Alaska, Norway,California, Colorado, China, British Columbia and more. Join Chris Anthony as he treks into China’s interior on a search for the birthplace of skiing, and get a rare look at historic clips from Warren Miller’s vault of vintage footage. Read more »

Belleayre Mountain offers new programs and new discounts for November 14th Opener

Highmount, NY - The leaves have fallen and temperatures are beginning to drop; Belleayre Mountain is waiting for just the right evening to kick start their snowmaking guns. Tony Lanza, superintendent of the 2009 Ulster County Tourism Business of the Year, Belleayre Mountain, is eager to open for full-time operation on November 14th. The mountain’s winter operation has proven to show its vital significance to the local region, “because of its devoted returning visitors and countless recreational opportunities.” The earlier Belleayre Mountain opens its doors, the earlier the local region can expect tourism dollars for the 2009- 2010 winter season. Read more »

Ellicottville, NY - Readers of SKI Magazine rated Holiday Valley Resort in Ellicottville (Cattaraugus County; Chautauqua-Allegheny Region) as the 4th best winter resort in eastern North America for 2009.  This survey was mailed to 40,000 SKI Magazine readers at the conclusion of the 2008-09 season.  This ranking places Holiday Valley among the top ten in the East for the 6th consecutive year. Some of Holiday Valley’s features that were highly ranked include Lifts (2nd), Après Ski (3rd), Dining (4th), Family Programs (4th), Service (6th), Off Hill Activities (6th), Terrain Parks (7th) and Overall Satisfaction (8th).

Wilmington, N.Y. - The Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) has named Bruce McCulley the new General Manager for Whiteface Ski Center, located in Wilmington, N.Y.  McCulley is replacing Jay Rand, who will become the new Executive Director of the New York Ski Educational Foundation (NYSEF) as of September 3.

McCulley has worked at Whiteface since 1981. He first started as a lift operator and snowmaker, moving into the supervisory and foreman positions throughout his career. In 1996 McCulley was promoted to Assistant General Manager, a role he held until his appointment as General Manager. Read more »

Lake Placid, N.Y. - The greatest alpine skiers in the country are set to return to the Olympic venue of Whiteface/Lake Placid March 20-23, 2010 as the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) and Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) announced Whiteface as host of the 2010 U.S. Alpine Championships.

Located in nearby Wilmington, the 1980 Olympic alpine venue will feature athletes fresh from the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver including two-time World Cup overall champion and double World Championships gold medalist Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo.) and 2006 Olympic gold medalist Ted Ligety (Park City, Utah). Read more »

The Empire State Ranks Fourth in National Skier Visits with Over 4 Million Visits; Developments Underway for Upcoming Seasons

NEW YORK, June 4, 2009 - New York State (www.iloveny.com) surpassed four million skier visits over the ‘08-’09 season, according to the State’s ski areas, a record-breaking number for the State moving into the top fourth position ahead of Utah for the first time in decades. Read more »