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PRESS RELEASES 2003/2004
SKI SNOWBOARD AMERICA & CANADA 16th Edition and SKI EUROPE 14th Edition NOW AVAILABLE IN BOOKSTORES
AND ON THE WEB Novermber 3, 2003
TOP 12 RESORTS FOR EARLY SEASON SNOW October 2002
YOUR ROMANCE WILL HEAD UPHILL AT THESE DOWNHILL SKI RESORTS — SKI AMERICA & CANADA EXPERTS RANK THE TOP 10 RESORTS FOR LOVERS January 27, 2004
TOP TEN RESORTS FOR SPRING SKIING April 1, 2003
CROSS-COUNTRY AND SNOWSHOE RESORTS GET A NORTH AMERICAN WEB SITE OF THEIR OWN
PRESS RELEASES FROM 2002/04 SEASON
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (617) 569-1966, fax (617) 561-7654
8 December 2002 E-mail: admin@worldleisure.com
Topselling ski guides to USA, Canada and Europe
on bookstore shelves and on the Web
He doesn't ski particularly fast, he doesn't have the best form, his skis are more than 15 years old, and he only just gave up his white rear-entry boots because they fell apart, but Charlie Leocha is an international skiing expert.
Creator of www.skisnowboardamerica.com, skisnowboardcanada.com, skisnowboardeurope.com and author of the best-selling guides to both Europe and North America - Ski Europe and Ski America & Canada - Leocha is an expert on where to ski, not how. He has skied at almost every major ski area in the Northern Hemisphere. His Web site and guidebook tell it as he (and a staff of contributors) sees it, not how the resorts tell you it is.
A 50-year-old bachelor, Leocha skis extensively each year (research), has gone to the running of the bulls in Pamplona every year for the past 25 (great party), and speaks four languages fluently (grew up in Italy) yet lives life on a shoestring.
His view of skiing is overtaking the Internet as his own Web site, www.resortspace.com, grows and the top travel sites like Expedia (www.expedia.com/ski/daily) feature his extensive ski "content."
"Every resort, whether here in the United States or Canada or in Europe, has its own quirks and specialties," says Leocha. "For over a decade, my books have been providing brutally honest, no-holds-barred reports on reality at ski areas." He smiles, "Now it is accessible to everyone on the Web as well."
In print and on the Web, learn if a resort is designed for families, or more geared for singles. If it's heaven for beginners, but boring for experts. Has great terrain, but no nightlife. Or even perfect all around, but a touch expensive -(don't worry, there are details on how to find the best deals).
Ski Snowboard America & Canada is updated annually, and Ski Snowboard Europe, now in its 14th edition, was completely updated for Winter 2004.
A team of prize-winning ski and snowboard journalists joins Leocha in supplying all the details needed to help readers and Web surfers find the resort, well known or not, of their dreams.
These two guidebooks are the topselling pair of ski guidebooks in the U.S.A. and Ski America and Canada is the world’s best selling guide to skiing in North America.
Whether skiers and snowboarders are only fantasizing about that trip to New England, Canada, the Rockies or the Alps, or actually making plans, these two guidebooks and the Web site answer all their questions and whet their appetite for a real on-snow adventure. Both books and the Web site provide the information that is needed to make intelligent choices (including updated pricing) and the phone numbers to make reservations and plans.
Ski America and Canada costs $24.95 and Ski Europe is $21.95. Between the two, the books supply complete information on downhill and cross-country skiing and snowboarding at winter resorts throughout the world. They can be purchased through www.Amazon.com or www.bn.com.
Digital images of the book covers and the author are available from leocha@worldleisure.com.
Request review copies by fax or email.
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Best resorts for early season snow.
Selected by the editors of www.skisnowboardamerica.com
and Ski America and Canada ($24.95 World Leisure).
The most important part of any ski or snowboard vacation is the snow. When snow lovers are planning an early-season vacation in December, they must take the snow into consideration. When planning ahead, history is the best indicator combined with the mountain terrain and the resort's snowmaking prowess.
Good snow can be found at select ski resorts across North America, according to the experts who regularly update Ski America & Canada, the country's best-selling ski guide, and its Web site, www.resortspace.com. But, you have to know what resorts have the best chance for heavy snowstorms.
If skiers and snowboarders are yearning for natural snow, they should head out West for the most part. New England skiing and much of eastern Canada's slopes depend on a steady blanket of manmade snow. That said, many experts caution eastern skiers to stick close to home in December, rather than chance poor natural snowfall in the Rockies, California and the Pacific Northwest.
Ski America & Canada's as well as www.skisnowboardamerica.com's award-winning staff have selected their "best bets" for the top dozen resorts that will keep smiles on a snow-lover's face. These are ski and snowboard areas that are resorts with extensive lodging, nightlife and dining combined with some of the best early-season snowfall statistics as compiled by bestsnow.net. Remote ski mountains that have lots of snow and not much more, such as Washington's Mt. Baker, the Guinness Book of Records most-snow champ, Colorado's Wolf Creek, and Vermont's Jay Peak, were not included.
1. Alta/Snowbird, Utah
These ski areas share a common box canyon in Utah that squeezes more powder snow out of storm clouds than any other spot in the state. These resorts have the best chance of being blanketed in dry fluffy powder snow.
2. Grand Targhee/Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Year after year, Grand Targhee gets plenty of early-season snow. The slopes here have been covered with snow in December for more than a quarter-century. Nearby Jackson Hole has almost as much snow plus the charm of the evocative old-western town of Jackson.
3. Steamboat, Colorado
A surprise resort for those who don't realize that these slopes lie in one of the snowiest corners of Colorado. The snow stays protected by Steamboat's legendary glades. Chances are that more trails here will be open in the early season than at any other Colorado resort.
4. Whistler/Blackcomb, BC, Canada
Our staff whined about occasional rain at this massive resort's lower altitudes. When there is drizzle down below, there's often sun and plenty of snow up high. Enjoy the upper mountain normally layered with plenty of snow, then ride the gondola down at the end of the day.
5. Vail/Beaver Creek, Colorado
Vail, according to the weather gods, is the better of the two. However, finding the back bowls open can be dicey. Between these two resorts, there is not much in terms of amenities that a skier or rider looking for the best can't find.
Other resorts such as Winter Park in Colorado, Fernie Mountain Resort, BC, Canada, and the resort collection that rings Lake Tahoe have good early snow statistics as well. At Lake Tahoe it is normally feast or famine. When the snow falls, it comes measured in feet not in inches.
On the other side of the country in New England, more than 75 percent of the trails are covered by snowmaking. This means skiers and snowboarders can rest assured that they will have good coverage on trails.
Killington, Vermont; Sunday River, Maine; and Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, are the champions of snowmaking in New England; and Le Massif, outside of Québec City, with trails dropping almost into the St. Lawrence Seaway, enjoys its own microclimate that makes finding snow a good bet.
1. Alta/Snowbird, Utah
2. Grand Targhee/Jackson Hole, Wyoming
3. Steamboat, Colorado
4. Whistler Blackcomb, BC, Canada
5. Vail/Beaver Creek, Colorado
6. Winter Park, Colorado
7. Fernie Mountain Resort, BC, Canada
8. Lake Tahoe Resorts, California and Nevada
9. Killington, Vermont
10. Sunday River, Maine
11. Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
12. Le Massif, Québec, Canada
Ski America & Canada, published by World Leisure ($24.95), is the leading guidebook to destination winter resorts in North America. It is available in bookstores and through www.amazon.com, www.bn.com and www.worldleisure.com. With www.skisnowboardamerica.com (Forbes Magazine Best of The Web), you'll be linked with the award-winning journalists who create Ski America & Canada and Ski Europe.
NOTE: Digital images of Ski America & Canada are available by e-mail. Contact each individual resort PR office for images of specific resorts. Susan Staples at susan@worldleisure.com can provide current contacts.
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TOP 10 RESORTS FOR SPRING SKIING AND SNOWBOARDING
Selected by the contributors to SkiSnowboard.net and
Ski America and Canada (World Leisure, $24.95)
For many skiers, spring is the best time to ski. Crisp snow softens into glistening mid-morning corn snow, goggles are swapped for sun glasses, temperatures are mild, no one has to dress for the cold, everyone can eat lunch outdoors and quitting early for sunny après-ski is part of the experience.
The award-winning contributors to SkiSnowboard.net Web site and the Ski America and Canada guidebook have selected their best bets for great spring skiing. These are resorts where skiing and snowboarding normally continue through Memorial Day and often into July.
These resorts have high altitude, northern exposure, steep slopes and massive snow packs or glaciers that will last through the spring and sometimes into the summer months providing plenty of skiing and snowboarding. Some of these resorts actually record their snowiest months in March or April.
When the rest of the world seems to be thinking of playing golf and looking forward to summer activities, these resorts give diehard skiers and snowboarders a place to enjoy the pleasures of spring skiing.
Mammoth Mountain, California
This is one of the kings of spring skiing. This area has perfect weather for spring snow -- freezing at night and warm during the day. The altitude varies between 8,000 and 11,000 feet. Some of the lower lifts may close, but the upper mountain remains open.
www.skisnowboard.net/mammoth/index.html
Mt. Bachelor, Oregon
This is a better mountain for spring skiing and snowboarding than for mid-winter skiing. In the spring the entire mountain is almost always open. In the winter the summit can be closed around 30 to 40 percent of the time because of high winds. Because this mountain has so many exposures, the snow conditions change during the day. This means plenty of great skiing and riding without slush.
http://www.skisnowboard.net/mtbachelor/index.html
Lake Tahoe, California
A handful of the Tahoe resorts offer wonderful spring skiing and snowboarding. Kirkwood is perhaps the best with the highest altitude, followed by Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows with excellent exposures. These areas allow visitors to combine sunny skiing and snowboarding with dramatic scenery and excellent nightlife, especially on the south shore of the lake.
www.skisnowboard.net/kirkwood/tahoeindex.html
Summit County, Colorado
This is county claims the highest altitude resorts in the state. Of the three main resorts, Copper Mountain has the best terrain and exposure for the late season. Nearby, Arapahoe Basin is a spring legend. The steep Palivaccini hold snow well into the summer and some Aprils have four feet of snow and May sometimes adds another two to three feet of snow. The scene at the base area is fantastic with hundreds of skiers enjoying tailgate parties. Nearby Loveland is also a springtime contender.
www.skisnowboard.net/copper/index.html
Whistler/Blackcomb, British Columbia, Canada
This area, especially the upper slopes, normally makes it almost to Memorial Day, however, its coastal proximity means variable spring weather. Blackcomb's big bowls and the glacier make this a perfect place to enjoy skiing and riding in the sun. The slopes into the village can develop very deep slush. Downloading here is not for sissies-It allows a head start on the party that is about as good as it gets in April.
www.skisnowboard.net/whistler/index.html
Sunshine Village, Banff, Alberta, Canada
This resort is legendary for its snow. It has no snowmaking. Nature always provides prodigious quantities of the white stuff. And Sunshine keeps its snow amazingly well through the late season. The resort is isolated at the top of a gondola, but Banff with its restaurants and nightlife is only a short ride from the base.
www.skisnowboard.net/sunshine/index.html
Snowbird, Utah
In Utah, Snowbird can claim the best spring conditions. The resort has the highest altitude of any Utah resort and the north-facing slopes keep excellent surfaces, even though the region gets warm. April normally sees more than five feet of new snow. The other nearby resorts in the Cottonwood Canyons can be good depending on the weather pattern. Check before you go.
www.skisnowboard.net/snowbird/index.html
Killington, Vermont
This has historically been the first-to-open and the last-to-close in New England for decades. This resort conserves snow better than any other northeastern resort. The late season terrain is far more limited than peak season, but the verticals are still daunting. Killington, known for partying during the frigid midwinter, really goes wild in the spring.
www.skisnowboard.net/killington/index.html
Tuckerman Ravine, New Hampshire
Tuckerman Ravine, carved in the side of Mt. Washington where winter winds pack in deep sure spring snow, is a New England rite of spring that can only be reached by a two-hour hike and then a near-vertical climb with skis on shoulders to the snow-filled cirque. The skiing is strictly expert. The party at the base is for everyone who makes the trek.
www.skisnowboard.net/wildcat/index.html
Sugarloaf, Maine
This mountain is considered the best overall skiers' mountain in New England. The elevation is more than 4,000 feet, the exposure limits the melt, nights are crisp and April is historically the second snowiest month of the ski season. Reggae Weekend, in mid April, is one of the East's biggest spring skiing and snowboarding parties. However, the mountain normally closes in late April--not for lack of snow, but too few skiers.
www.skisnowboard.net/sugarloaf/index.html
Ski America & Canada, published by World Leisure ($24.95), is the leading guidebook to destination winter resorts in North America. It is available in bookstores and through www.amazon.com, www.bn.com and www.worldleisure.com. With www.skisnowboard.net (Forbes Magazine Best of The Web), you'll be linked with the award-winning journalists who create Ski America & Canada and Ski Europe.
NOTE: Digital images of Ski America & Canada are available by e-mail. Contact each individual resort PR office for images of specific resorts. Susan Staples at susan@worldleisure.com can provide current contacts.
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CROSS-COUNTRY AND SNOWSHOE RESORTS GET A NORTH AMERICAN WEB SITE OF THEIR OWN
XCSkiResorts.com describes North America's top cross-country (xc) skiing and snowshoeing. It is the only Web site with such an extensive coverage of Nordic (xc) ski resorts in both the USA and Canada with convenient links to descriptions and contact information about nearby accommodations, restaurants and après ski.
XCSkiResorts.com lets cross-country skiers find the perfect place to go Nordic (xc) skiing at virtually every major cross-country destination. Roger Lohr, the site editor, has designed the xcskiresorts.com to include top-line trail systems associated with North America's best downhill resorts plus U.S. and Canadian resorts as well as resorts that focus on the cross-country skiing and snowshoeing experience.
People take cross-country ski vacations for different reasons - a romantic getaway, quality family time, trail skiing, skating, snowshoeing," according to Roger Lohr, the site editor. "Until the creation of xcskiresorts.com, there has never been a complete resource for planning a cross-country skiing vacation, whether for a week or a weekend," Charles Leocha, creator of skisnowboard.com, continued, "We want to give vacationers a chance to easily compare cross-country ski resorts and facilities."
"At XCSkiResorts.com skiers and snowshoers can find xc areas in any region, get contact information, find out how many trail kilometers are offered and see the basic services and amenities that are available at each area," commented Leocha.
Lohr said, "XCSkiResorts.com is is linked to the SkiSnowboard.com, which provides comprehensive information about accommodations, dining, Alpine skiing, resort facts, descriptions and current prices. There is no other Web site that provides this combination of information."
Lohr added, "We'll will regularly post timely information about resort special offers, events, programs and activities throughout the winter season, as well as details about products and services that might be enjoyed by xc skiers."
XCSkiResorts.com is packed with more than 100 pages of information. And it is growing. The site can also be accessed at www.crosscountryskiresorts.com and nordicskiresorts.com.
Roger Lohr and Charlie Leocha bring extensive experience from both the Alpine and Nordic ski worlds. Leocha has produced Ski America and Canada for more than 15 years and created SkiSnowboard.com, the most comprehensive snowsports resort site on the Web. Lohr was the Nordic liaison for SnowSports Industries America and produces the annual Best XC Ski Resort Poll and the CCSAA Skier Visitation Study.
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