January 22, 2004

Who's Really Living the Dream?

Whistler, BC -  When Whistler Blackcomb employee Jeremy Roche saw the name of the first 'Living the Dream' contest winner, he was shocked to see that the winner was in his 80s. George Huxtable, a Whistler retiree, had skied more days in a month than anyone else at Whistler Blackcomb. The next month, a retired couple tied for most days skied. At the end of the contest, George Huxtable had skied 99 days in a 99-day period, and took the contest's grand prize. The second and third place winners were also over 50. Whistler Blackcomb is hosting the Living the Dream contest again this January through April, and resort employees wonder if the older crowd will again take the prize?

"I couldn't believe how many days some people skied, especially retired people," said Jeremy Roche, the Whistler Blackcomb Marketing Coordinator who created the contest. "With all of the professional skiers and riders living in Whistler, and the people who work at night, I thought the winner would be in his or her 20s. It'll be interesting to see who wins this year!"

The Living the Dream contest took off on Monday, January 19 and will last until Sunday, April 11. The rules are simple - the Whistler Blackcomb Unlimited Season passholder who skis or rides the most days, wins. Prizes will be given monthly (based on four week periods), and a grand-prize winner will be awarded a pair of skis or a snowboard with bindings during the World Ski and Snowboard Festival in late April. Can-Ski and Showcase Snowboards donated all of the contest prizes.

Since winning the contest, George Huxtable has created quite a name for himself. Articles about him have appeared in the National Post, Vancouver Sun, Skier magazine, Whistler Question and Pique Newsmagazine.

When asked about this year's contest, George responded confidently. "Of course I'm going to try to win this contest again. I skied this much before the contest and I will continue to ski every day!" He went on, "I'm in for the competition. I'm a skier and a glider and I always want to go higher and faster than the other guys!"

To enter the Living the Dream contest, simply go skiing or riding: Whistler Blackcomb will take care of the rest. For more information about Whistler Blackcomb, please visit www.whistlerblackcomb.com or call 1.800.766.0449.

Site of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

Whistler Blackcomb is owned and operated by Intrawest Corporation. Intrawest Corporation (IDR:NYSE; ITW:TSX) is the leading developer and operator of village-centered resorts across North America. The company owns nine mountain resorts, including Whistler Blackcomb, North America's most popular mountain resort. Intrawest also owns Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Florida and has a premier vacation ownership business, Club Intrawest. The company has a 45 per cent interest in Alpine Helicopters Ltd., owner of Canadian Mountain Holidays, the largest heli-skiing operation in the world. Intrawest is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia and is located on the World Wide Web at www.intrawest.com.