Category Archives: Scene

2015 Season Ski Passes Already?

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Are we really calling the end of the season already? It’s the second week of March and Vail Resorts has just put next year’s Epic Pass on sale while other resorts are rolling out spring pass offerings.

Make a $49 down payment on an Epic Pass before April 13, 2014, and lock in the $729 price for unlimited, unrestricted access to Canyons in Park City, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood at Lake Tahoe; Afton Alps in Minnesota, Mt. Brighton in Michigan, and five consecutive free days at Niseko, Japan,
for the 2014-15 winter season. The remainder of the balance won’t be due until mid-September even though you’ll be able to ride the lifts all summer.

Kirsten Lynch, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Vail Resorts said, “There’s a reason we sell the Epic Pass in 80 countries and all 50 states. This is the one pass that lets you chase the powder at the world’s finest resorts, including Japan. This is the pass for true skiers and riders.”

The price has gone up $40 but it’s still a decent deal to ski California, Utah, Colorado and Japan. Noticeably absent from the mix, however, are free ski days in Arlberg, Austria, and Verbier, Switzerland, that were part of the 2013/14 Epic Pass.

Purchasers of an Epic Pass will also receive six Buddy Tickets (that’s $74 each at Canyons) and six Ski With A Friend tickets ($91 at Canyons) that can be used this spring; but that’s nothing to rave about when you consider the straight ticket price after March 31, 2014 is $73. Best to save them for next winter.

Snowbird’s $499 spring tram unlimited pass went on sale March 1, 2014, but drops to just $329 on April 1. Most Utah resorts will close in mid-April but let’s hope we get some late season snow storms to keep Snowbird skiing sweet past May. The other Utah resorts have yet to release their 2015 pass pricing details.

 

UPDATE: 

“We are excited to announce a renewed partnership between Vail Resorts and Les 3 Vallées, France, as well as Verbier, Switzerland, providing ongoing access to truly legendary and world-class resorts in Europe. Epic Pass holders that have taken advantage of these partnerships have been nothing short of blown away by the experience that these resorts provide and we couldn’t be more pleased to be able to extend the opportunity for more of our most loyal skiers and riders to ski the world” said Kirsten Lynch, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Vail Resorts. “Each and every year, we look to further increase the already incredible value of the Epic Pass, and the 2014-2015 season will be no exception, with continued access to the best of Europe, in addition to five free days in Niseko, Japan.”

“We are very happy to continue our partnership with Vail Resorts. Les 3 Vallées is the largest ski area in the world and the premier destination in ski terrain choice, service and gastronomy in Europe” said Vincent Lalanne-Clouté, director of Les 3 Vallées. “It’s no mistake that we are aligned with the preeminent mountain resorts in the world. We look forward to once again having Epic Pass holders experience the special place that is Les 3 Vallées, during the 2014-2015 season.”

Deer Valley Aims For The World(s)

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Photos by Jill Adler


Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, is making a bid for the FIS Freestyle Skiing World Championships. The posh resort hosted the Championships in 2003 and 2011, and, if they get the 2019 event, they’ll earn the bragging right of being the venue of choice every eight years.

“I think it’d be huge,” Deer Valley president and general manager Bob Wheaton told the Park Record newspaper. “So far we’ve done World Cups every year, the 2002 Olympics, the 2003 and 2011 World Championships – the support is town-wide. It’s the atmosphere that everybody in town brings to the event.”


In the meantime, DV will walk the talk this March 28-30, 2014, by hosting the 2014 U.S. Freestyle Championships, again. Actually, the Championship moguls and dual moguls were at DV in 2008. Aerials took place at the Utah Olympic Park and the superpipe at Park City Mountain Resort. This year’s event was supposed to be at Heavenly Resort for the second year in a row but the dearth of snow in the Tahoe region prompted the move to Utah.

Two-time Olympians Ashley Caldwell (aerials) and Pat Deneen (moguls), and 2014 Olympian Bradley Wilson (moguls) are expected to be among those vying for the U.S. title in the final freestyle event of the season.

Deer Valley will make the bid for the World Championships when the FIS (International Ski Federation) meets in Barcelona, Spain, at the end of May.

That’s a Wrap. Sundance Winners Announced

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The 2014 Sundance Film Festival has officially closed out with the final night awards and party. The 10-day indie film celebration was relatively tame outside of the insane crowds over the first three days. This was good news for true movie buffs as available seats could be found for most of the buzz worthy films after Monday.

Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally were on hand to host the Feature Film Awards Ceremony at the Park City Municipal Recreation Center tonight.

Here goes. Now, just because a movie won an award does not mean you’ll get a chance to see it in theaters. Look for these titles down the road on NetFlix, HBO, Hulu, YouTube and any number of distribution channels.

The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary

Rich Hill / U.S.A. (Directors: Andrew Droz Palermo, Tracy Droz Tragos)

The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic

Whiplash / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Damien Chazelle)

The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary

Return to Homs / Syria, Germany (Director: Talal Derki)

The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic

To Kill a Man / Chile, France (Director and screenwriter: Alejandro Fernández Almendras)

The Audience Award: U.S. Documentary

Alive Inside: A Story of Music & Memory / U.S.A. (Director: Michael Rossato-Bennett)

The Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic

Whiplash / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Damien Chazelle)

The Audience Award: World Cinema Documentary

The Green Prince / Germany, Israel, United Kingdom (Director: Nadav Schirman )

The Audience Award: World Cinema Dramatic

Difret / Ethiopia (Director and screenwriter: Zeresenay Berhane Mehari)

The Audience Award: Best of NEXT

Imperial Dreams / U.S.A. (Director: Malik Vitthal, Screenwriters: Malik Vitthal, Ismet Prcic) — A 21-year-old released from prison, returns to his old stomping grounds in Watts, Los Angeles.

The Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic

Fishing Without Nets / U.S.A., Somalia, Kenya (Director: Cutter Hodierne, Screenwriters: Cutter Hodierne, John Hibey, David Burkman) — A story of pirates in Somalia told from the perspective of a struggling, young Somali fisherman.

The Directing Award: World Cinema Dramatic
Sophie Hyde for 52 Tuesdays / Australia— Sixteen-year-old Billie’s faces her mother’s choice for gender transition, and their time together becomes limited to Tuesdays.

The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award: U.S. Dramatic

Craig Johnson & Mark Heyman for The Skeleton Twins / U.S.A. – Estranged twins realize the key to fixing their lives may just lie in repairing their relationship.

The Screenwriting Award: World Cinema Dramatic

Eskil Vogt for Blind / Norway, Netherlands

The Cinematography Award: U.S. Documentary

Rachel Beth Anderson, Ross Kauffman for E-TEAM / U.S.A. – Follows the lives of four intrepid human rights workers.

The Cinematography Award: U.S. Dramatic

Christopher Blauvelt for Low Down / U.S.A. —Amy-Jo Albany’s heart-wrenching journey to adulthood while being raised by her father, bebop pianist Joe Albany, as he teeters between incarceration and addiction in the 1970s.

A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Musical Score –

The Octopus Project for Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter / U.S.A. – A lonely Japanese woman embarks on an impulsive quest to search for her lost mythical fortune.

A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent – Justin Simien for Dear White People / U.S.A.

The Short Film Audience Award, Presented by YouTube, based on web traffic for 15 short films that screened at the Festival ( www.youtube.com/sff) -:
Chapel Perilous / U.S.A.

The 2014 Sundance Film Festival screened 121 feature-length films from 37 countries and 54 first-time filmmakers, including 35 in competition. These films were selected from 12,218 submissions (72 more than for 2013), including 4,057 feature-length films and 8,161 short films. Of the feature film submissions, 2,014 were from the U.S. and 2,043 were international. 100 feature films at the Festival were world premieres.

Video of the ceremony in its entirety is available at www.sundance.org/live.

Outdoor Retailer 2014 Kicks Off With Demo Day

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It was a lovely spring day in the middle of winter as the Outdoor Retailer Show kicked off its annual five-day convention yesterday at Utah’s Solitude Resort. Blue skies and 40-degree temperatures is the next best thing to freshies but you could tell that the manufacturers were conflicted.

Everyone enjoyed the mild weather as they ran laps on the Eagle Express lift, demoing new backcountry skis and boots (front country gear is showcased in Denver at the SIA Show next week) but the day was bittersweet. You want storms and powder to sell winter gear. No one is more unhappy about the dearth of snowfall in the west this year than retail buyers who might be stuck with expensive product if things don’t pick up. They also might be less willing to place new orders.

Gerbings featured a new heated glove but it was so bluebird you skied gloveless. Guests at the demo day were more worried about getting feet wet than slipping on ice but, good news for YakTrax, runners still surrounded their table to learn more about the running-specific ice cleats. Jambu is featuring a unique retractable cleat system in some of their winter shoes but at a $200+ pricetag it may be a tough sell.


Nearly 22 thousand people have arrived to celebrate winter outdoors and take in the gear and clothing that will hit the market next October but after three bad snow seasons it will be interesting to see how it affects retail buying. Manufacturers will pitch new and updated products to buyers and media in the halls of the Salt Palace Convention center through Saturday.

The winter market is one of the largest conventions in Utah (only the summer version is bigger) and brings in more than $20 million for the state. The money’s important but people wouldn’t attend if it wasn’t one heck of a good time- even in Utah. One thing this weak season has done is make the backcountry more appealing. Desperate powderhounds are heading out in droves says Tyson Bradley of Utah Mountain Guides. Everyone’s signing up for classes and tours hoping to find something better than what’s inbounds.


For 2014/15, expect lighter skis with carbon, and more boots with a ski/walk mode. The challenge is in the binding system. Marker still leads the way for traditional alpine skiers who would prefer to use one hardshell boot for everything but models like the Baron are still heavy beasts for touring. Dynafit spent the day outfitting ‘testers’ with the stiff but lightweight carbon Denali ski and their Beast binding. Trouble is, you have to wear their boots to fit the pins in the system so for resort skiers it doesn’t make sense to have a whole separate setup.

In the end, a bluebird day is a bluebird day and you can’t complain about that. The sun softened the snow and backcountry mountain lovers (for whom this show is traditionally focused) are psyched to head indoors to see what’s in store- literally.

Today’s indoor portion kicks off with a keynote breakfast by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, former CEO of REI, where she’ll discuss engaging Americans in the outdoors. The rest of the week is filled with seminars, events and parties.

Sundance- Day 1 on Day 5

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*Disclaimer: We are not counting Thursday as Day 1 of the Fest as it’s not a full day.

I started Sundance with the best of intentions. I would write once a day from the scene of the crime. By Friday (Day 1) I was right on track. I kicked off the morning with a trip to the Quaker Oats Lodge to meet Brooke Burke and get the skinny (she’s that too) on her spokesperson gig promoting healthy, quick energy options from the cereal brand. We busy ski moms are all about getting the gear packed and the kids out the door in time for 9 a.m. lessons. Who’s got time for omelets and pancakes?

The lodge did actually feel like a cafeteria in a ski resort. They even had an oatmeal station with servers making three different types of oatmeal concoctions you could try at home.

Quaker premiered an emotional short film featuring our worst enemy- time. Several guests shed a tear or two. We were asked to add to their wall on the way out. Can you guess which statement is mine? J

A large part of the Sundance Film Festival is gifting. Companies pay big bucks to station themselves in “pop-up lounges” for facetime with celebrities, media, and industry professionals like publicists and sales agents. It’s networking with swag. I love this part because being from Utah we don’t often get exposure to style and fashion unless it’s for the slopes. Boy was I surprised to see ExOfficio showcasing their Give and Go boxers at TR Suites (one of the hottest popups of the Fest). If my boyfriend could replace his entire collection with these babies, he would. We just learned he can wear them into the shower, rinse and wring and be good to go with them that same day.

And who doesn’t need a Bluetooth speaker?

Caterpillar– yes, the heavy equipment manufacturer- is making heavy duty boots that are ideal for stomping around Park City whether you are a celeb or a ski bum.

Also at the Talent Resources spot in the Blue Iguana was Gardein. The meat-free ‘chicken’ strips are tasty. Not a huge fan of their other stuff but you might be. More quick, on-the-go foods for busy skiers and families!

On my way back down Main Street I had a close encounter with Paul Reiser. I even stopped him to get a picture with him only to find out that in the rush I forgot to turn my camera on! Ugh.

Speaking of celebs, can someone please tell me the name of this actor? He was in the short-lived HBO show with Nick Nolte called Lucky but he’s also been in a zillion other projects. You know you’re a great actor when people recognize your face but not your name. It means you become the character- not an actor playing a character.

Well, at this point, so far so good. But notice that today is now Tuesday not Friday. More on that in the next post!

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