December 22, 2005

Whistler Blackcomb Open with 4500 Acres/5280 Vertical Feet of Skiing and Riding

Holiday spirit not dampened in Whistler - powder is accumulating above mid-mountain

WHISTLER, BC, December 22, 2005 - Media reports of mild, rainy weather and rumours of resort closings around BC are not dampening the holiday spirit in Whistler. With 4,500 acres open, skiing from top to bottom of the resort's 5,280 vertical feet, and powder accumulating above mid-mountain, Whistler Blackcomb is anything but closed.

"I was up skiing earlier today and the snow conditions on the mountains were good," said Sara Aldridge, senior public relations officer for Whistler Blackcomb. "We're in the middle of a major storm right now which is dumping lots of snow at the top of the mountain. The bottom half of the mountain has softened up considerably which, after last week's hard-packed conditions, is a good thing. There are thousands of people on the slopes enjoying their holidays, and hundreds of kids in ski and snowboard school adventure camps across both mountains."

Whistler Blackcomb's mountain manager Doug MacFarlane confirms that the conditions are holding up well. "The lower mountain is holding up well against the rain due to the significant amount of snowmaking we've done over the past few weeks. Generally, man-made snow holds up better than natural snow. Mid-mountain and above has been getting hammered with snow. Temperatures are remaining steady up there and we're expecting another 10 centimetres tonight."

Elsewhere on the mountains, all activities are in full gear. The new Coca-Cola Tube Park has been a big hit with 'kids' of all ages since it opened last Friday. The Tube Park is open daily from 10am to 9pm through the holidays except for closing at 4pm on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Night Moves is also opening this evening for night skiing and riding under the Magic Chair at the base of Blackcomb. Night Moves will run nightly from 5pm to 9pm except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

"This is a wonderful time of the year to be in Whistler," continues Aldridge. "The twinkling lights, bustling stores and cozy restaurants create a very festive atmosphere throughout the village and there are guests here from around the world enjoying what the resort has to offer. We would love Santa to bring us snow to the valley on Christmas Day, but if not, it's still going to be a white Christmas up on the mountains."

For daily snow conditions, alpine weather forecasts, great hotel deals and information on all the on-mountain activities Whistler Blackcomb has to offer check out www.whistlerblackcomb.com