Category Archives: Scene

Celebrity Ski Race at Canyons Supports Smiles

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It was smiles all around for the gang that showed up at Canyons on Saturday; and it wasn’t just the gorgeous spring weather and the Gruv setting up in the Village below. The impromptu idea to have a celebrity ski race and raise a couple hundred grand for a charity called Operation Smile wasn’t long in the making.


Five months ago, a young boy approached the founders of Operation Smile, a non-profit that pays for the operations to repair cleft lips and palates in underprivileged children. The 10-year-old – who just happened to be the son of the president of NBC Entertainment, Jennifer Salke (who, BTW is married to the brother of a girl I went to high school with. Yes, Ryan, everyone from my past is “successful” but me), wanted to give back. Since Henry was born with a cleft lip but had the means to overcome the condition, he decided to help those who didn’t.


Soon Billy Bush from Access Hollywood was on board promoting the event and encouraging his friends from popular television shows to join in. Yesterday, marked the first annual Smile Challenge and you can bet they’ll be back next year. It’s hard to beat a weekend of good fun for a good cause.

The celebs were able to hop a couple of private jets to get to Park City on short notice and many like Lisa Kudrow and Scott Wolf already call Utah, ‘Home #2.’ “I love Utah,” said Kudrow. “We have a place here. Everyone is really nice.”


The former Friends star didn’t ski in the race but said she does know how to ski. She’s just not good enough to have anyone watch her race. Wolf has come a long way since his first days on the slopes during breaks on Everwood. He was schooling Holly Flanders in the course.



Both celebrated the opportunity to support Operation Smile. “It’s so pervasive, the help [kids] are getting,” Kudrow said. “It’s not just a smile, it’s confidence and belonging and feeling like, ‘Yes I’m part of a group and I go to a school and can do well.’ They all just soar afterwards.”

Glee’s Cory Monteith may be the next celebrity to buy into Park City. He gushed with admiration for the Wasatch. “I love this, look at this,” he said. “It’s God’s country. It’s amazing.” The locals welcomed him too. Young girls trembled with excitement to stand next to him for photos. And, no, I wasn’t the one trembling.



A couple of Modern Family stars also turned up for the event. “Our face is our livehood. It’s what everyone judges you on unfortunately; and a great smile is a beautiful thing and to give kids back that confidence is a beautiful thing,” said Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Mitchell). Neither Ty Burell nor Jesse took their chances in the spring slop. They chilled at the Alpine House for the after party. Jesse didn’t know how to ski in the morning but said he had a private lesson later.



Next time, he needs to call me. I’ll be the first to tell him to take a lesson in the morning, not the afternoon, on the last day of March during an excruciatingly hot, dry ski season.

The celebs didn’t have much time to prep before the race. They arrived Friday evening and met their Olympic team leaders Saturday morning before the 11 a.m. start just below and to the right of the Sunrise Lift. Billy Demong, Fuzz Feddersen, Kaylin Richardson, Derek Parra, Holly Flanders, Tracy Evans coordinated the teams of six. Spectators could walk up to the finish area and were treated to a variety of Pro Bar flavors. Good thing too as the gluten-free, vegan nutrition bars would be the best vegetarian alternative to the Schnitzel and corned beef the Alpine House was serving. Unless you have a thing for beet salad.

Food aside, the First Annual Smile Challenge seemed to go off without a hitch and the casualness of the event made it feel like old pals out for a Saturday on the hill rather than some glitzy inauthentic Sundance-ish affair. The smiles were genuine.

Canyons’ Kaylin Richardson smoked the entire field. Billy Demong

Kate Walsh was loving the sun and time with friends and Family.


Tony Hawk, who has his own charity building skateparks for underprivileged kids, gladly came out to ride in Utah for a complementary charity.


Get Your Spring Ski Groove On; Utah Resorts Get Ready To Close

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I’m making jokes about summer being here. We had all of six days of winter, a sh*tload of spring and now everything’s toast. Sure, we may get a few random storms but for the most part, with less than a month left, the 2011/2012 “ski” season is wrapping up. The good news is that the trails should be clear to bike and hike sooner rather than later. (Last year we couldn’t bike in the Wasatch until August) and the extra good news is that the sunny weather is lifting spirits disappointed with the winter turnout.

Canyons (Closing April 15)

March 31- April 1 – Don’t know how they did it but Canyons’ celebrity list trumps Deer Valley’s. DV always opens their season with their CBS Celebrity Classic but the starpower is frequently lackluster. Now, Canyons Resort closes their season with the inaugural 2012 Smile Downhill and stars from blockbuster shows like Glee, Modern Family and Grey’s Anatomy have agreed to show. Katherine Heigl, Lucy Hale, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Josh Kelley, Kate Walsh, Chris Case, Billy Bush, Naya Rivera, Lisa Kudrow, Scott Wolf, and Jennifer Salke will race to raise funds for Operation Smile, an international children’s charity that rebuilds smiles for thousands of children born with cleft lips and cleft palates. Anyone can watch the races along the Sunrise trail with the finish line near Canyons Resort Village.

March 31 – Spring Gruv continues with the Red Bull Schlittentag. Three-person teams build the craziest, fastest sled in the Wasatch then it’s all downhill.
The party continues in the Village at 3 p.m. with a free concert from Martin Sexton.

April 1 – Orgone free
concert starts at 3 p.m. 

Utah Residents receive up to 50% off
on lodging rates at select Canyons Resort properties. Anyone booking will also receive special 2 FOR 1 single and multi-day lift tickets. 888-CANYONS.

Park City Mountain Resort (Closing April 15)

April 8- The Easter Bunny arrives at 9 a.m. sharp in the Resort’s Kid’s Korral. Pastries, hot chocolate and coffee will be served. But be ready to roll for the best egg hunt in Utah. The annual “Hunt for the Golden Egg” takes place all over the mountain with two golden eggs containing 2012/2013 season passes.  Non-golden eggs have prizes like 2012 Summer Activities, 2012/2013 lift tickets, clothing and more.

Little kids get an Easter egg hunt for candy on First Time face.

Deer Valley (Closing April 15)

DV doesn’t host any spring events or deals but it doesn’t cost a dime to chill at “the Beach” at the Silver Lake Lodge.

The Easter Bunny makes a stop on April 8 but if you want the little ones to go egg hunting, try PCMR, Solitude, Snowbird or Alta instead.

Alta (Closing April 15, reopening Fri.-Sun. through April 29)

March 29 – April 2 – Ladies, don’t put away those boards just yet. The Alta Lodge Women’s Ski Camp brings together the best of the Alf Engen Ski School’s instructors for three days of instruction and four nights of lodging, breakfasts and dinners. You’ll be in a fun environment where you can challenge yourself, improve your technique and meet some new ski buddies. You’ll also get the scoop on the newest women-specific skis so we can help you pick the right skis for you.

April 6-15 – Alta in April. Alta Chamber & Visitors Bureau present a week of après ski events, live music, an on-mountain ski scavenger hunt, a costume contest and more.

April 7:  Spring Ski Demo Day presented by Powder House Ski Shops and Alta Ski Shop, free ski demos, live music on the GMD Deck; Beer and Brats at Alf’s Restaurant (mid-mountain in Albion Basin, 11:00-2:00pm, $10)

April 8:  ACE Easter Egg Hunt (for the kids, 11:00am start) and Skier’s Photo Scavenger Hunt, an on-mountain hunt for gear and prizes (12:30-3:30pm)

April 9:  Apres Ski Pool Party at the Alta Peruvian Lodge – Pool Deck (4:00-6:00pm) 

April 10:  Apres Ski Wine and Appetizers at the Alta’s Rustler Lodge – Eagle Nest Lounge (4:00-6:00pm) and Open Mic at the GMD Saloon (8:00-10:00pm)

April 11:  Apres Ski at the Shallow Shaft Restaurant featuring Epic Brewing (4:00-6:00pm)

April 12:  Apres Ski at The Snowpine Lodge with the Alta Historical Society Fireside Chat- Alta’s Wild Old Bunch (4:00-6:00pm)

April 13:  Freaky Friday Stretchpants and Sunglasses Costumed Ski Day – show off your most wild spring style, and you may win the “Best Dressed” prize! Prizes and drawing on Goldminer’s Daughter Lodge deck (3:30pm)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snowbird (TBA but closing sooner rather than later. No way they’re making it to Memorial Day this year.)

April 8 – Easter Sunday starts with a free sunrise service on Hidden Peak. The
last Tram up departs at 6:43 a.m. so be in line by 6 a.m. to make sure you get on.

The free Easter Egg Hunt for kids under 11 takes place at 9 a.m. on Chickadee.

April 9 – Daredevil Dummy Downhill. Build it and send it down Gad Valley at 5 p.m. Prizes are awarded in a variety of categories including Best Crash.

April 17 – Plaza Deck Bash. Music, giveaways and $40 lift tickets.


Solitude (Closing April 15)

April 8 – Peter Cottontail visits the Moonbeam Center and eggs on the little ones as they hunt.

Brighton (Closing April 22)

It’s not too late to learn. Brighton’s 3-day Learn to Slide package includes a free Smith helmet. Sign up for three group lessons, three full-day rentals and three learner lift tickets all for $199.

March 31- Red Bull Minors Cup is a big mountain “invite only” event for juniors under 18. The judging panel, comprised of top industry pros, will score the difficulty of line, fluidity, innovation of tricks, and speed.

April 14 – Neff Beach Bash Snowboard Jam. First 125 to register get to compete. The rest can party, enjoy the DJ, food, swag and sun.

Sundance (Closing April 8)

It’s one of the first mountains to close but Sundance has a robust summer with some of the best mountain biking in the north. Makes sense to get the skiers off the mountain so the snow can melt.

Snowbasin (Closing April 15)

Spring weekends are filled with music on the Needles deck Friday and Saturday beginning at 2:30 p.m

April 8 – Annual Snowbasin Easter Buffet. $37 for adults, $17 for youth and free for kids under 6. Call 801 620-1021 for reservations.

Powder Mountain (Closing April 8)

HAPPY EASTER?PASSOVER!!!

Day Three of Dew Tour Up Next

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You don’t have to be a halfpipe or slopestyle athlete to appreciate the competition throwing down at Snowbasin Resort in Utah this weekend. In fact, Saturday’s ski halfpipe finals for the 2012 Dew Tour drew huge crowds from skater teens to families.

The annual event debuted in 2008 as the first-ever winter action sports tour with a stop in Utah. Like the X-Games, the Tour crowns champions in six disciplines (Men/Women Snowboard Superpipe, Men/Women Snowboard Slopestyle, Men/Women Freeski Superpipe and Freeski Slopestyle). Over $2.5 million and the Dew Cup are at stake for the overall winners. For spectators, there’s a Festival Village with video gaming, giveaways, product demos and athlete autograph signings.

Louie Vito
stomped the afternoon’s snowboard superpipe finals and earned his second Dew Cup in a row with a double crippler, followed by a double Michalchuk, front double 1080, cab double 1080, and frontside 1080, ending with a cab 720. Snowbasin’s pipe is the world’s longest ever built for competition.

The ski girls stalked the pipe at dusk after the lifts closed. Devin Logan won the Cup and the Finals with a Japan grab, to 5 tail grab, flair, mute grab, alley oop critical, 7 mute, to finish with a switch alley oop 5.
“I had slope this morning, so I was a bit tired,” Logan said. “But I got some energy, found some deep down and ended up doing it, so I’m thrilled.” Canadian freeskier Rosalind Groenewoud took second, with favorite Maddie Bowman finishing third.

As the sun went down, the action heated up. The top men in the world hit it big under the lights. David Wise won the Freeski Pipe Finals but it was Kevin Rolland who walked with his second consecutive Dew Cup. Sixteen-year-old phenom Torin Yater-Wallace was third. Wise pushed full throttle on the second run with his first-ever 14 in addition to the switch double 1080, and alley oop flatspin 5 tail to end with a double cork 12. “My first run was good, so I kind of felt like I had to add a little bit of something to it,” Wise said. “The 14 was the first thing that came to mind, so dropping in I was like, ‘OK, I’ll go for that 14 at the end.” He didn’t stick the 14 but it was enough to keep him in the winner’s spot.

Rolland, in 11th place after the first run, pulled it together with a switch into a 900, to switch 720, back-to-back double flips to finish with a double cork 1260.

Yater-Wallace lost a ski when he landed his last trick of an outstanding first run that included a double cork 12 mute into an alley oop flat 5 and a double flair. He skied it out on one ski while the crowd cheered. Boos followed when the judges deducted for the equipment gaff. His second run with a double cork 12, alley oop double, double cork 9, left 10, into a switch 9 edged out Simon Dumont for a 3rd place finish.

The Sunday action starts on the slopestyle course with the women’s and men’s snowboard and ski finals before moving back to the superpipe for the Gatorade Free Flow (junior) Tour.

Dew Tour organizers say it was Snowbasin’s handling of the 2002 Olympic Downhill that attracted them to the resort. In honor of the 10th anniversary of the Winter Games, Snowbasin will offer $20.02 lift tickets to everyone who shows up wearing their Olympic volunteer jackets or credentials on February 16th

In Case You Missed The Swag

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Sundance May Be Over But The Fashion Lives On….


The games and gifting were slightly off from the years where stereo systems, Playstations and cars were doled out but it was no less engaging to watch the bags of swag spilling onto Main Street, Park City, this year. The idea behind ‘gifting’ is that you get to know the products, the people behind them and most importantly take it home with you for free. At the Timberland Lodge on Lower Main Street (the west side is for VIPs, the east for Public), men and women were treated to the perfect winter attire for the raging blizzard that finally appeared- SNOWBOOTS! And down jackets.

My favorite was the “Long Down” with the faux fur hood. Very Hollywood while being very Utah. The boots are wrapped in goose down all the way up to your knees. They’re a bit funky and not for everyone but super warm on your legs.



I was asked if I could write about alcohol when I entered the TR Suites at the Gateway Center. Huh? Apparently if you live in Utah you can’t write about liquor. I got a kick out of that one. Not only was I thrilled to see zero calorie margarita mix from Refine (sold in World Market) but these naughty Vice Merchants bedsheets also got my sexy on.





But of course it was too early to drink that day so I grabbed Hint Fizz instead. Unlike most flavored waters, these taste ‘infused’ rather than juiced. Kind of like those cucumber waters you’re handed at day spas.


Shoes were a big thing at Sundance this year and the styles appearing from Matt Bernson mixed the mountain look with fashion in a way that makes even a flat-soled gal like me sparkle.


As cute as heels are, though, they had to take a backseat to the new Sorels I gathered up at the Vevo Powerstation and Sorel Suite. I’m starting to feel like the Imelda Marcos of winter boots.



I have never heard of DL1961 Denim but now I know. That’s the thing about Sundance. The exposure to brands and fashion you never knew existed. DL1961 is the only jean with 4-way stretch Lycra so it will never sag, bag, or lose its shape. When you’re used to wearing Lycra baselayers all winter it’s not a stretch- so to speak- to include it in your outwear.


Friendship bracelets, layering bangles and rings are popular according to the Rachel Roy rep. But these friendship bracelets are nothing like you find at ClubMed. The touch of bling makes them all Hollywood and all Sundance.


You can’t get away from the harsh climate in Utah so Hollywood and New York brought their skincare saviors to us. Prasad Medical Skincare was gifting gels, lotions and potions designed to minimize free radicals, fine lines, and sagging skin. I walked with a skin survival kit of sunscreen, eye rescue and “intense vitamin serum”. Great stuff when you live in Park City. Throw in Burt’s Bees Shea Butter Hand Repair Cream (CW3PR Re:Treat), Amala Hydrating Yogurt Mask (EcoHideaway Lounge), Lumene Firming Day Cream (Bertolli Soup Chalet), Phytomer
(pronounced Fee-Toe-Mer) sea water bath to revitalize skin and lip plumping duo (at the Alive Green Expo Pavilion), a Fresh Cosmetics lipgloss (from Vevo), and a makeover at the L’Oreal Beauty Suite and I looked like one of those celebrities. Okay, at least I felt like one. My skin never felt better despite the lack of sleep and abundance of free-flowing alcohol over those first few days of the fest.


You can’t be beautiful without being thin and the Sensa rep vowed that clinical studies showed users lost 60 pounds in 6 months just by sprinkling the virtually tasteless crystals on every meal. I’ll be trying that before ‘buying’ that one.


And there is was! A little table of SHRD. I discovered this magical hair protein crème at last year’s Sundance but ran out in the fall. I missed it badly. I’ve tried two other leave-in conditioners since then but nothing smoothed my hair without making it feel dirty like SHRD. The stuff’s expensive so it was a sweet to see them back again for Sundance.


Eventually the space inside those suites fill up and you start to feel mushed. Nothing takes the edge off like hovering over snack food from various “sponsors”: Cream O’ Wheat and Sabra Hummus (TR Suites)- Yes, they have gotten in on the celebrity scene, Udi’s Gluten-free, organic snickerdoodles and bread (Maimi Oasis), Tembo Trading Company Watoto Coffee (Alive Lounge), and hearty, yummy Bertolli Meal Soup.


The ‘gifting’ ended long before the actual Festival did but while the curtain closes on those films I’ve just begun to try out my goodies. Now, the real party starts. And, no, you can’t borrow my boots!

It’s All About The Parties At Sundance 2012

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All the people at the party were drinking wine in one room at Zoom but I wanted food and a bit less ‘scene’. As I hovered but the bounty of greasy appetizers during the Focus Forward party I started chatting with Paul Bunyan in a cowboy hat. I asked him what movies he had seen and liked. Then he said judgmentally, “You haven’t seen much have you?”

“I cover the scene in Park City during the Sundance Film Festival,” I explained. “I don’t have time to see movies.” The cold chill crept in. “Films are the essence of Sundance,” he said with disdain. “Everything else is a waste of time.” The irony of the fact that this statement was made while standing in a party and eating free food was not lost on me. What’s worse is that Tex had no clue of his hypocrisy. Sundancers often split into two camps: the film camp and the party/lounge camp. But both are very much intertwined. Without networking, without parties, without music, without cast dinners, without swag (hell, think product placement and endorsement), these independent films would not be made. Those who can embrace all aspects of Sundance are the ones who get the most out of it. Maybe poor Tex (owner of his own little movie review website) just wasn’t invited onto enough Sundance VIP lists this year.

Exclusive cast dinner were all the rage this past fest with meals and bashes at places like the Supper Suite at the Montage, the LIVEstyle Film Lounge (HBO party), the Bertolli Meal Soup Chalet (7 For All Mankind Fresh Faces party), the Grey Goose Blue Door, The Fender Lodge music sessions, the new STK space, Hyde and Goodnight Gansevoort, TAO, Bing Bar and the Sundance Channel Headquarters, Chefdance and more. The only way in was to know someone.

One way to do that was Tweet. The Tweethouse party rocked and all you had to do to get in was send them a Twitter message asking to come. FYI- if you want to attend Sundance parties it’s best to RSVP long before the Festival actually starts.

The Tweethouse party of free booze and a cold veggie platter preceded a social media panel discussion. Celebs and press both attended and although they never did give away that Sony Tablet they promised to raffle if you tweet “#sonytablet”, I made some killer contacts.


With the editor of Backstage MagazineWith a star from one of my favorite inappropriate TV shows- Outsourced.

Entertainment lawyers throw the best party. Dive and Cozens got down at the Spur with live music, good food and tequila for everyone. There, I met the communications chair for Women in Film and a fellow blogger Christina Kotlar Turchyn.

After tequila comes Vodka, and the cast dinner and after party for Richard Gere’s new film Arbitrage featured free-flowing Grey Goose disguised as a fruity juice shot. IE Trouble.

Richard Gere and wife Carey Lowell were in the crowd somewhere at the Grey Goose Blue Door but I only caught Gere’s profile in the distance.

photo credit Jamie McCarthy / WireImage


I expected a sitdown dinner but it was a buffet so the dinner felt no different than the party at the Spur except the healthy, colorful food was fantastic. Wish I had gotten the name of the caterer.

The Sky Lodge partied from 24/7 throughout the first weekend of Sundance as ReTreat took over the upstairs, downstairs and sideways spaces.

Most of the hoopla has ended as we enter the last weekend of the Festival. To find a place toget your rock on, you’ll have to hunt deep. Head over to one of the final screenings and start networking. There’s a big fat “official” Sundance party tomorrow night but that is usually lame and you need a ticket. The food is picked over in less than an hour, the lines for your free plastic cup of wine or beer is slow and people just stand around in a loud, dark, crowded football-field-sized room while video clips of award winners flash in the corners. Skip it; especially if you partied hard at the Nas show tonight.

The rapper headlines at Sugar, 9 p.m. at 268 Main Street. The tickets aren’t cheap ($65) but there’s bound to be a guest list somewhere you can sneak onto. The Massachusetts-based electronic-pop band Passion Pit will perform on Saturday.
www.ticketcake.com.

Tomorrow (Saturday) singer-producer Akon should take the stage around 11 p.m. after the doors open on Park City Live (old Harry O’s). $50 at ticketcake.com and, yes, there’s a VIP list floating around.

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