January 29, 2008

LIFT OFF. Revelstoke Mountain Resort officially opened on December 22, 2007, an early Christmas present for excited skiers and Revelstoke residents, many arriving at the hill before dawn. An estimated 2,000 skiers and snowboarders rode the new Revelation gondola and The Stoke high-speed quad chairlift to take advantage of the 27 runs offering 4,735 vertical feet (1,443 metres) of lift serviced terrain and 1,500 acres (607 hectares) of skiing. Construction begins this summer on the Anticipation gondola linking the future village to the Day Lodge and the Revelation gondola. When completed in December 2008, it will add up to the longest lift-serviced vertical descent in North America: 5,620 feet (1,713 metres).

GOOD NEWS. Journalists from around the world are raving about Revelstoke Mountain Resort: "the biggest thing to happen in North American skiing for years," Amie Wilson, Observer. "The ultimate ski resort," Sean Newsom, Sunday Times. "Every new ski resort loudly touts itself as the next big thing. This dynamic duo of town and resort might just have a legit claim," Susan Reifer, Ski magazine. "Revelstoke: North America's New Big One," Job Stifter, Powder.com. "A skier's fantasy come true," Martin Patriquin, National Post. "Revelstoke is bursting with so much mega-resort potential--incredable ski terrain, classic ski scenery and oodles of room for real estate development," Trent Edwards, Calgary Herald.

THAT'S THE TICKET. As of late January 1, 458 season passes have been sold, skier days are exceeding estimates, and cat and heli seats are booked almost to capacity for February and March. And for skiers who didn't snap up early bird passes in November, Revelstoke Mountain Resort is offering a grand opening special on lift tickets. Skiers with season passes at any ski resort in B.C. or Alberta will receive 25 percent off a lift ticket at RMR for the rest of the season by presenting their season pass at the Guest Services desk in the Day Lodge. In January, coupons in the Calgary Herald and Okanagan's Capital News offered adult lift tickets for $45 (regularly $56). The coupons were in effect weekdays only from January 21st-February 1st, but the offer may be repeated, depending on demand.

HOT PROPERTIES. Reservation to purchase the last 105 Nelsen Lodge condo homes open on February 1st--the first two Nelson Lodge condo buildings sold out in just three hours one year ago. The resort's first townhomes--just 24 at The Tangiers--open for reservations in early February, followed by the resort's second single-family estate lot neighbourhood in late February. Nelsen Lodge Two is closest of the three condo buildings to the slopes and will house the common amenities. The Tangiers luxury townhomes are walking distance to the village and the future heliplex. The Monashee Estate lots, several zoned for private helicopter pads, follow the successful October launch of the resort's initial estate lot project, MacKenzie Landing.