"Endless Winter Snow"

3.10.2008

Snow Alert - Mississippi Valley to New England

The storm battered a wide band from the lower Mississippi Valley to New England, dropping 17.5 inches of snow at St. Agatha, Maine; 14 inches at Milan, Ind.; and up to a foot in parts of Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, western New York state and other parts of Ohio.

Thousands of homes and businesses lost power along the storm's path.

Ohio had one traffic death linked to the weather, and four men died while shoveling snow. Two traffic deaths were blamed on the storm in western New York state and one in Tennessee. Two people were killed Friday as tornadoes spun out of the eastern edge of the weather system in Florida.

The Ohio Emergency Management Agency was monitoring the cleanup but no counties had declared emergencies and there were no requests for state assistance, officials said.

Relatively dry weather is forecast in the region for the next two to three days, reducing fears of flooding along the Ohio River, said Mike Ryan, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service station in Wilmington.

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National Ski Areas Association
The National Ski Areas Association is the trade association for ski area owners and operators. It represents 326 alpine resorts that account for more than 90 percent of the skier/snowboarder visits nationwide. Additionally, it has 400 supplier members who provide equipment, goods and services to the mountain resort industry.

NSAA analyzes and distributes ski industry statistics; produces annual conferences and trade shows; produces a bimonthly industry publication and is active in state and federal government affairs. The association also provides educational programs and employee training materials on industry issues including OSHA, ADA and NEPA regulations and compliance; environmental laws and regulations; state regulatory requirements; aerial tramway safety; and resort operations and guest service.

NSAA was established in 1962 and was headquartered in Springfield, Mass. In 1989 NSAA merged with SIA (SnowSports Industries America) and moved to McLean, Va. The merger was dissolved in 1992 and NSAA was relocated to Lakewood, Colo., because of its central geographic location. NSAA is located in the same office building as the Professional Ski Instructors of America and the National Ski Patrol in Lakewood, Colo., a suburb west of Denver.
EVENT
National Convention & Trade Show May 28-31, 2008

www.nsaa.org/

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Kirkwood - Ca
Over 400 Inches for the Season and Miracle March Still to Come!
Leave the One Piece at Home and Bring the Bikini to the Slopes This Weekend!

With another 60 inches from last week's storms, Kirkwood has now surpassed the 400 inch mark for the season. Sunny skies are forecasted for the entire weekend with temperatures in the upper 40's to 50's. Time to enjoy the corduroy and work on your tan! Take advantage of our slopeside accommodations and enjoy the après atmosphere and Live Music from "Acoustic Solution" this Saturday, Mar. 1st from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. This weekend's conditions will bring smiles to the faces of both competitors and spectators for the Kirkwood Cup Halfpipe Event taking place on Sunday, Mar. 2nd with registration from 8:00 to 10:00 am in the Red Cliffs Day Lodge.

Free your heel and Free your Mind at Expedition: Kirkwood's Annual Telemark Festival March 8th & 9th

Join Expedition: Kirkwood as we celebrate a "freeheeling" weekend filled with clinics, backcountry touring, gear demos, swag giveaways, a BBQ and much more! This is a great chance to spend two full days with some of top telemark skiers and backcountry guides in the region. Clinics will be offered for all ability levels and are designed to expose participants to the unlimited potential for exploration provided by telemark and backcountry touring equipment. Advanced reservations are recommended as availability is limited

Events
Mar. 15th & 16th All Mountain 2 Day Ski Clinic
$230 for passholders/$280 includes lift tickets

Mar. 15th & 16th Women's 2 Day Ski Clinic
$230 for passholders/$280 includes lift tickets

Mar. 15th & 16th Women's 2 Day Snowboard Clinic
$230 for passholders/$280 includes lift tickets

www.kirkwood.com

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Montafon - Austria
St. Anton im Montafon (650 m) lies at the entrance to the Montafon Valley and is popular with all holiday-makers. Here, within a radius of 2-6 km are all the requirements for an active winter holiday. The Skigebiet Golm ski area can be reached in approx 3-5 minutes free of charge and in comfort on the ski bus.

The Hochjoch, Silvretta Nova and Schafberg ski areas can also be reached in a very short time free of charge and in comfort on public transport. The athletically inclined can, depending on the snow conditions, also reach Schruns on trail-marked cross-country ski runs. St. Anton im Montafon and the parishes of Bartholomäberg and Silbertal are considered the “THREE CHARMERS

Events
"Swinging Spring" in der Silvretta Nova - 15./16.03.08

Musikfinale in der Silvretta Nova - 22.03.08

"King of the Water" in Gargellen & Hochjoch difrfernt dates - 29.03.08
A 20 m long pool - 2 skiers or snowboarders start at the same time and on their descent to the water have to pass through gates or over jumps. The one who arrives first on the far side of the pool goes into the next round. The event promises to provide an exciting day in Gargellen.

Großes Saisonfinale am Golm - 06.04.08

www.montafon.at/

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Chamonix - France
Chamonix's skiing extends over 3 main areas : Brévent/Flégère, offering south-facing slopes and exceptional views of the Mont-Blanc chain, the Grands Montets, high altitude north-facing slopes which dominate the village of Argentière and the Balme area, wide open slopes at the top of the Chamonix valley, bordering on Switzerland.

Sunny spells forecast for this morning, clouding over this afternoon. 1 cm of fresh snow at 2000 meters! Good snow conditions - snow depths between 110cm and 140cm at 2000 metres

Saturday 01 March 2008 RACE

Exhibition
ends Sunday 02 March 2008 Chamonix, January 1908 : the resort already has a well established summer season and an international mountaineering reputation, and it is now becoming a great winter sports resort, thanks to the enthusiasm generated by the International Ski Competition. It is the second major winter sports event organised in France by the French Alpine Club (after Montgenèvre in 1907. The organisation was entrusted to Dr Michel Payot, president of the Alpine Sports Club in Chamonix, local president of the French Alpine Club and the first to initiate the famous Chamonix - Zermatt "Haute Route" in 1903. The exhibition pays tribute to Dr Payot and retraces the programme of events for this International Concours where the Norwegian, Swiss and French troups distinguish themselves, aswell as amature teams of mountain guides. Even a female team of elegant skieurs are allowed to partake and they set the scene for the beginning of the 20th century... The considerable success of this cometition launches Chamonix decisively as a winter sports resort, thus fulfulling Dr Payot's dream. This tremendous sportsman and doctor, died prematurely on the 30th January of the same year.

www.chamonix.com

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Megeve - France Event
Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th : Enjoy the festivities and test new equipment, with demonstration of freestyle skiing - Mont Joux Snowpark Thursday 28th : 7 pm : Freestyle Contest and VTT Trial demo 9 pm : Haribo fireworks 9.30 pm : Lyricson and Captain Records in concert Closing of the indoor icerink from Wednesday 27th to Friday 29th included

www.megeve.com

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Whistler Blackcomb
TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival April 11 - 20, 2008
You are invited to the biggest annual celebration of music, arts, sports & culture on the planet. For 10 days and 10 nights, Whistler cranks up all the dials with 50 live concerts, major pro ski and snowboard comps, legendary arts events, endless nightlife and the best spring skiing & riding in the world. Bring your peeps, bring your mojo, bring your rage , and come to Whistler April 11 - 20, 2008

50 FREE Concerts, Legendary Arts & Nightlife, High Octane Sports

The action in Whistler is always hot. But every April, it gets even hotter during the TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival. It is a celebration of snow culture and all the gravity-defying thrills and adrenaline-fueled excitement that come along with it. Big name concerts , jaw-dropping half-pipe and big air competitions, legendary parties and enough action-packed excitement to make this festival a must for anyone who pledges to love skiing or snowboarding.

www.whistlerblackcomb.com/twssf

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Val d'Isère - France
Val d'Isère fills the tank with animations and events with each week: - the night ones of Thursday, - animations of snows. And throughout the season of many events like: -
From the 7 to April 10, 2008 "Scara" (international Competition of Alpine skiing for the 12 to 15 years) -
From the 15 to April 17, 2008 15th Festival "MUSICAVAL" Festival of chamber music -
From the 21 to April 24, 2008 the 12th Festival "Ventures and Discovered" (international Festival of film on the adventure and the discovery).

www.valdisere.com

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Mammoth Mountain
Mammoth Mountain Resort, California, USA, March 28-30 for the Fourth Annual Roxy Chicken Jam. The SIX(6)STAR contest on the Women’s Swatch Ticket to Ride (TTR) World Snowboard Tour will offer a combined prize purse worth $40,000. In addition to awarding titles in superpipe and slopestyle, the unique event will earn the girls +25% banked Swatch TTR ranking points and crown the new Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour Champion.

www.mammothmountain.com

Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour
Park City, USA – March 8th, 2008: The World Super Pipe Championships, a 5-Star Event on the Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour, took place on Saturday at Park City Mountain Resort in Park City, Utah USA. The 22-foot Superpipe remained in pristine condition despite slightly overcast conditions. The level of riding was incredibly high in a straight-to-final format with riders allowed three attempts to throw down their best run. Australian rider Torah Bright took the women’s top spot, extending her Tour lead as Shaun White (USA) once again dominated the pipe in hopes of defending his TTR Tour Championship Title. The women dropped first, and right off the bat Torah Bright and Kelly Clark (USA) were the standouts of the day with consistent sky-high airs and dialed spins. It was a battle to behold. Clark came extremely close to claiming the Superpipe title on a run that challenged the riding of some of the men. A hard hit to the deck on a monster McTwist cost her the top spot as she settled for second place. Clark remains in TTR World No. 3, behind current World No. 2. Jamie Anderson (USA). All eyes however, were on Torah Bright who was on point, showcasing her signature smooth style and taking the first place spot and adding another 850 TTR ranking points to her current score. Bright had some big straight airs and even threw a back-to-back 7 combo. With a first place finish at the World Superpipe Championships Torah extends her lead as World No. 1 in the TTR World Rankings. Ellery Hollingsworth (USA) also made a big move in the TTR Rankings with a fourth place finish in Park City that moved her into the TTR Top 10. On the men’s side, Shaun White, Mason Aguirre (USA) and Janne Korpi (FIN) put together great runs, earning their spots on the podium. Korpi claimed third place and moved into Swatch TTR World No. 8. Mason Aguirre was boosting some big airs and technical tricks to take second place moving him up a couple of notches to World No. 12. Andy Finch, World No. 4, and Peetu Piiroinen, World No. 3, took eighth and ninth places respectively in Park City and maintain their current positions in the TTR Rankings. With US rider Kevin Pearce absent from the World Superpipe Championships, it was Shaun Whites time to shine as he put another Halfpipe win under his belt, inching closer to the TTR Top 10. White’s third result for the 07/08 TTR season pushes him into Swatch TTR World No. 44. White will need three more results to maximize his point earning potential if he hopes to defend his Tour Lead and with just three more opportunities to do so, White will have to be spot on from here on out. The Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour is coming down to the wire with only a handful of 5 and 6-Star events remaining for top TTR riders like Kevin Pearce and Torah Bright to secure their lead and claim a large piece of the $250 000 end-of-season prize purse. Coming up soon is the 5-Star Chevy Grand Prix taking place next weekend in Killington, Vermont, leading into the Champion crowning events the 6-Star Burton US Open, and the 6-Star Roxy Chicken Jam. Stay tuned to www.ttrworldtour.com

*** Alyeska - Alaska
13" of new snow at midway & 15" at the top! In the last 48 hours we have received 28" at Midway & 35" at the top of unskiied snow! Off trail ranges from fresh wet & dense snow at midway to deep windblown snow at the top!

Skies are currently cloudy with some blue showing through; we have a window today before the next storm blows in!

For today we plan to operate Chairs 3, 4 & 7 from 10:30-5:30. Check the report for final opening times for Chair 6 & the Tram. For night skiing 1, 3 & The Tram from 4-9pm. Tonight is the last night for Town League Races! Come on out for the party!

On the upper mountain some main trails have been groomed and are fresh, soft corduroy! Off trail is deep awesome snow! On the lower mountain all main trails are fresh soft & smooth corduroy.

The temperature is 35 degrees at the base and 32 degrees at midway and 25 degrees at the top. The winds are currently 0-5 mph and are forecasted to increase to strong winds this afternoon

www.alyeskaresort.com

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Indoor Snow
Moscow’s First Indoor Ski Centre Scheduled To Open This Month

Although opening dates have been mooted on several occassions over the past 15 months, the latest suggestion of March 2008 comes from Moscow’s first indoor snow centre’s own website.
The centre, called Snej.com,is located on the Western side of the Russian Capital, next to the outer ring-road. It is reported to incorporate a 365m long slope with a 68m vertical. The slope is served by three Doppelmayr lifts, including a quad chair, drag lift and baby lift. There is a full length terrain park running down one side of the slope.
Snow cover is provided by Geneglace, with 100cm snow depths and temperatures maintained at minus four centigrade

www.snej.com
Patrick Throne Snow365.com
www.snow365.com
Kirkwood - Ca
Over 400 Inches for the Season and Miracle March Still to Come! Leave the One Piece at Home and Bring the Bikini to the Slopes This Weekend!

With another 60 inches from last week's storms, Kirkwood has now surpassed the 400 inch mark for the season. Sunny skies are forecasted for the entire weekend with temperatures in the upper 40's to 50's. Time to enjoy the corduroy and work on your tan! Take advantage of our slopeside accommodations and enjoy the après atmosphere and Live Music from "Acoustic Solution" this Saturday, Mar. 1st from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. This weekend's conditions will bring smiles to the faces of both competitors and spectators for the Kirkwood Cup Halfpipe Event taking place on Sunday, Mar. 2nd with registration from 8:00 to 10:00 am in the Red Cliffs Day Lodge.

Free your heel and Free your Mind at Expedition: Kirkwood's Annual Telemark Festival March 8th & 9th

Join Expedition: Kirkwood as we celebrate a "freeheeling" weekend filled with clinics, backcountry touring, gear demos, swag giveaways, a BBQ and much more! This is a great chance to spend two full days with some of top telemark skiers and backcountry guides in the region. Clinics will be offered for all ability levels and are designed to expose participants to the unlimited potential for exploration provided by telemark and backcountry touring equipment. Advanced reservations are recommended as availability is limited

Events
Mar. 15th & 16th All Mountain 2 Day Ski Clinic
$230 for passholders/$280 includes lift tickets

Mar. 15th & 16th Women's 2 Day Ski Clinic
$230 for passholders/$280 includes lift tickets

Mar. 15th & 16th Women's 2 Day Snowboard Clinic
$230 for passholders/$280 includes lift tickets

www.kirkwood.com

Mt. Hood Meadows

NIGHT OPERATIONS END SUNDAY, MARCH 9 Night operations come to an end Sunday, but we'll continue to operate daily from 9 AM - 4 PM through April 27, then weekends into May and possibly June with the May Challenge! Take advantage of our last weekend of special Safeway offers: Safeway Family Saturday - Two FREE 14 and under lift tickets with the purchase of a 1 - 10 PM adult shift ticket when you show your Safeway Club Card. Safeway Sunday night - $15 3 - 9 PM Sunday evening lift ticket when you show your Safeway Club Card!

FRIDAY NIGHT HIGH SCHOOL RAIL JAM MAR 7
It's a party on the mountain - with a rail jam in Shipyard with prizes tossed out for those ruling the jam and throwing call out tricks. Then the party goes indoors with a nachos and chili and music presented by SPUN Academy. Bus pick up at three Portland locations, lift ticket, dinner, rail jam and party all for $39! Purchae your bus package through eTickets, or come to the mountain and purchase the night lift ticket, rail jam and party package for just $25 at Concierge. (Rail jam participants must have parental liability release if under 18 and all competitors must wear helmets.)
ULL SAIL BREWING BANKED SLALOM MARCH 15-16
Bank till you crank! Second annual event that features a roller coaster ride of a course - both skiing and snowboarding divisions.

UPCOMING EVENTS
3/7 Friday Night High School Rail Jam
3/8 Women's Clinic
3/8&9 Demo Day
3/15&16 Full Sail Banked Slalom
3/15 Telemark Race
3/16 Telemark Clinic
3/21-23 USSA NorAm Finals
3/24-26 3 Day Holiday Kids Camp and Freestyle Camps
3/29 Salomon Jib Academy
4/5-6 Vegetate Snowboard and Ski Freestyle Event

SNOW PHONES :
PORTLAND: 503.227.SNOW

www.skihood.com

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Alpine Meadows
Alpine Meadows Ski Resort is offering an unlimited Spring Pass for just $139. On sale now and valid every day from March 30 until season's end, the Alpine Meadows Spring Pass gives skiers and riders full access to the best spring snow in Tahoe for less than the price of three lift tickets.

The Alpine Meadows unlimited Spring Pass is available for purchase now and use begins Sunday, March 30. Purchase at the Alpine Meadows Special Tickets window or at SkiAlpine.com. Apply your $139 purchase price toward your 2008/2009 Adult Full Season Pass.

Live Music and Events
Live music every Saturday on the sundeck, and unique spring events - including the Annual Snow Golf Tournament and Mad Cow Downhill - are perfect compliments to Alpine's beautiful spring terrain.
Music Line Up
3/15 Michael Kang & Chris Barry - from String Cheese Incident and Panjea. Acoustic World Beat Jam
3/22 Sugarshack - R&B Soul
3/29 Dug (Deep Under Groove) - Wicked Jam Funk
4/05 Haphrodesia - Funk and Afro-beat
4/12 BLVD - Live Hip Hop House and Breaks
4/19 Monophonics - 8 piece Latin Funk
4/26 Absynth - Ambient Groove
5/03 Delta Nove - Afrobean Jazz Funk and Reggae
5/10 Sol Jibe - Flamenco Roots Rock with a Gypsy Soul

don't miss teh D-8 Chutes, or Estelle Bowl or "Munchkins" for a thrill
www.skiapine.com

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Squw Valley
Squallywood Clinic with Rob Gaffney

March 8, 2008
The Squallywood Clinic
Dates: March 8, 2008
The inaugural season of the Squallywood Clinic, the world’s most unique ski and snowboarding clinic to date! These 1 day clinics will take place at Squaw Valley, U.S.A., “Hollywood” of the ski world and one of the best snow playgrounds in North America.

The clinic has three primary goals. The first is to provide you an opportunity to participate in a film and photo shoot and see yourself descend runs that have been featured in the movies. The second is to give you a mountain-wide tour of some of the most photogenic and interesting runs at Squaw Valley, as they are outlined in Squallywood, the book. The third is to provide you with an unprecedented skiing/snowboarding experience, which by the end of the day will permanently be imprinted in your memory.

Described as the “fantasy island” of the skiing and snowboarding world, the Squallywood Clinic immerses you into a real life film and photo shoot. With a group of similarly minded individuals, you will learn all aspects of a successful shoot including; how to work effectively with the photographer and cinematographer, how to choose a line so that it looks great on film, how to communicate with the group, how to use the group energy to your advantage, how to position your body so it works for you and the camera, and finally how to decide when to go for it versus when to say no.

Following the film and photo shoot, you will tour the mountain and have the opportunity to stand on top of and look down or ski -if you truly wish- some of the most dramatic and difficult runs on the mountain. Keep in mind for most of these runs, there are easier ways around and down. During the tour, you may just run into some of the celebrity skiers who established their careers on these slopes.

To cap off the day, you will head to one of the bars at the bottom of the mountain and watch yourself in a slide show and a movie pieced together by the shots we took earlier in the day. If you happened to ski a line that was in a past movie, you’ll see the actual movie clip right next to your own.

http://www.squaw.com/squallywood-clinic-rob-gaffney-0

If this clinic sounds interesting, send any questions you have to robbgaffney@hotmail.com.

College Student Discount Coupon
College Students Ski/Ride Squaw for $47
(with this coupon)
Every SUNDAY - FRIDAY all Season.*
NOTE: YOU MUST register and print the online coupon Squaw College mid-week coupon
AND BRING IT WITH YOU AND YOUR CURRENT STUDENT ID TO THE SPECIAL TICKETS OFFICE IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THE DISCOUNT.

Please remember that if you plan to visit more than one day you will need a separate coupon for each day so remember to print enough.

To take advantage of this great offer, simply register and print this online coupon. Come to Squaw Valley USA, go to the Special Tickets window and present the coupon (limit one coupon, per person, per day) along with a valid college photo ID and a second photo ID (if your college ID does not have a photo please bring some other form of ID with your name and photo on it, such as a credit card, passport, etc.).

Rules and regulations:

Limit one coupon per person per day. Valid only on adult all day lift ticket purchase.
Not valid with any other offers, discounts or programs.
Participant must be an active, registered student with valid ID from a recognized college or university.
Have fun and remember that any day skiing/riding is better than a good day at school.

Purchase Squaw Valley Lift Tickets & Lessons
www.squaw.com

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Whitefish Mountain
Super-G turns in and out of trees, over hill and over dale, all the long way down Hell Fire. I had forgotten the satisfying way that a freshly groomed Ptarmigan Bowl pushes back when you lean into your edges. I had forgotten what it feels like to go as fast as the air will let you pass through it. It's been rather joyous, I must say. And then, on Tuesday we woke up to 10 inches of new snow. It'll be like that for the rest of the year, here: A perfect-corn-producing freeze-thaw cycle here.

What's Happening
March 7-9
USAA Northern Division Alpine Championships
These youngsters can ski backwards and blindfolded better than this heartthrob.

March 8
Freestyle Ski & Snowboard Team Jump Show
Watch the illustrious young members of our competition teams show you what they've got.

March 14-16
Men's and Women's Workshops
Instruction, Video Analysis, Apres-ski, Good Times, and Great Skiing (or Snowboarding)

March 15-16
MSI Banked Slalom and Skier-Cross
Alpine AND Telemarkers! Woah.

March 16
Big Mountainside Easter Egg Hunt
More than your average piece of candy inside some of the eggs around the hill.

www.skiwhitefish.com

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Big White and Silver Star

On Monday and Tuesday that left both Big White and Silver Star caked in more than 30 centimetres of fresh snow. On Wednesday and Thursday, the sun came out and provided some of the best skiing and snowboarding of the year. With Spring Break just around the corner (and starting this week for our friends in Ontario), the snow conditions are the best they've been all season. We've also extended the operating hours of several chairlifts at both resorts – check our websites for details. As March Break quickly approaches, remember we have lots of great specials happening from now through the end of the season.

Don't miss out on Big White's last Cruz The Blues for the 07-08 season! See how well you know Big White at this free two-day event running Saturday March 22nd and Sunday 23rd! Big White will provide participants with a Cruz the Blues passport, which can be picked up at the Activities Desk in the Village Centre Mall, then guests head out on the mountain to collect as many 'Blue Run Stamps' as possible. This great event is sponsored Tim Horton's and Dockside Marine! For more information or to register please see the activities desk in the Village Centre Mall or call them on 491-6111

Okanagan Springs 1516 Drop-In Rail Jam — an awesome display of talent and courage. The village comes alive with great music, amazing talent and wicked prizes. Register the day of the event up until 5:30 p.m., and don't forget that helmets and signed waivers are mandatory.

www.bigwhitesilverstar.com

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Sugarloaf - Maine
With more snow historically than any other month of the year, there's no better time to be at Sugarloaf than March. With tons of powder, smooth groomers, and some of the biggest events of the year, March truly has something for every Sugarloafer out there.

Forecasts are calling for this snowy pattern to continue for quite some time, so head on up and join us for all that March has to offer. Check out the details below, and we'll see you soon!

Introducing the 08/09 New England Pass With tons of new snow in the forecast, this season is far from over, but it's never too early to start thinking about next year, which is why we're introducing the all new New England Pass for the 08/09 season. Ski or ride at Sugarloaf, Sunday River, and Loon, all on one pass, all for one low price. Buy your pass now and you can start using it this season beginning March 23 at all three resorts, plus other Boyne Resorts including Big Sky, Montana. Purchase yours by April 30, and receive the lowest prices plus other great benefits.

Bud Light Presents Molly Hatchet and Blackfoot, March 15 Two of Southern Rock's biggest names will share the stage in the King Pine Room as Sugarloaf and the Bud Light Concert Series present rock legends Molly Hatchet and Blackfoot. The two iconic rock bands have toured the world and shared the stage with numerous legend of rock and roll, including The Who, Deep Purple, AC/DC, ZZ Top, Aerosmith, Bob Seger, and the Rolling Stones

Nature Valley US Alpine Championships
Make your plans now to be here March 22-26, as the US Alpine Championships return to Sugarloaf, presented by Nature Valley. Come watch as the Nation's top ski racers fly down the Narrow Gauge trail at speeds topping 80 mph. Events will include a parade of athletes, daily award ceremonies, and an autograph session, and the spectator friendly course will get you right on top of all the action www.sugarloaf.com

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USSA News Vonn's Second At Whistler Means First US Ski Team member Lindsey Vonn clinched First Place in the World Cup Downhill season competetion. Even with races remaining no one can surpass her point total and today at Whistler she missed tieing winner Nadia Styger by one-hundredth of a second. Julia Mancuso also of the USA completed the podium in third place

With the staging of the TELUS Whistler World Cup Alpine Ski Races this weekend, the 2010 Olympic Alpine Race Venues will get a live testing and Linsey Vonn of the USA could give them a welcome not to be forgotten before 2010. Vonn needs only to finish 4th or better at the Whistler Mountain Women's Downhill, on Friday, to clinch the the Audi FIS World Cup Downhill title. The Women's DH race and Super Combined will be run on Wild Card / Jimmy's Joker / Lower Franz's and the men's Super G and Giant Slalom on the Upper and Lower Dave Murray. These are the tentively scheduled courses for the 2010 Olympic races.

The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) will be testing the VANOC workforce; the chiefs of course; approximately 800 on-hill volunteers; snowmaking; grooming; safety systems; technical and logistical components of race day operations; and collaboration with the International Ski Federation (FIS).

Check the FIS web site for official times www.fis-ski.com
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