Whiteface Wins About.Com’s 2011 Readers’ Choice Award for Best Ski Resort in the East LAKE PLACID — The New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority recently announced that Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington has been selected as the About.com 2011 Readers' Choice Award winner for best ski resort in the eastern United States. Now in its fourth year, the About.com Readers' Choice Awards honor the best products, features and services across more than a dozen categories, ranging from technology to hobbies to parenting and more, as selected by its readers. "This year's Readers' Choice Awards program had a record number of nominations submitted across more than a dozen categories and featured hundreds of finalists," said Margot Weiss, managing editor, About.com. "We are thankful to all our readers for their participation and congratulate ORDA and Whiteface on their success." Whiteface which boasts the greatest vertical in the east, as well as 283 skiable acres and 86 trails, was the only New York ski resort in the finals. The other finalists included Vermont’s Killington, Mount Snow, Stratton and Stowe. In December, About.com also recognized Whiteface as one of the nation’s top family ski destinations, one of only three eastern resorts to make the list. The on-line article touted the mountain as “an ideal venue for a family ski vacation,” and also describes many of the off-hill activities found in Wilmington and in Lake Placid including a tour of the Olympic sites, ice skating and partaking in the full schedule of winter events for the family. On Sunday, March 13, Whiteface had nearly 4,000 skiers and snowboarders on the slopes. As of Wednesday, the mountain had 83 trails open with nine chairlfits operating on wet packed and granular conditions, according to the daily mountain report. It aslo gives a total snowfall of 228 inches for the year.
Passes now on sale Season passes for next season recently went on sale, beginning at $419 for adults (ages 23-64), $299 for juniors (7-12) and $30 for skiers or riders six and under. Those who buy a season pass for the 2011-12 skiing and riding season now will ski the rest of this season free. Also, through Saturday, March 18, current and new season pass holders will receive 50 percent off all regular price merchandise at Centerplate gift shop locations including Mt. Van Hoevenberg, the Olympic Jumping Complex and Whiteface.
Springfest continues It’s Reggae Weekend, March 19-20, with music in the Cloudspin Lounge from the Big Take Over, Saturday, March 19, and the following weekend, March 26-27, it’s a Pirate Party at Whiteface, featuring music from Y Not Blue. For more information, call 518-946-2223 or visit www.whiteface.com. —Richard Rosentreter
