What's New for 2011/2012
Resort Developments
From the after glow of the 2011 International Children’s Games, to the thrill of the new 60-foot ice climbing tower, to family-friendly dedicated Family and Seniors Skiing and Snowboarding Zones, Big White Ski Resort is amidst another spectacular season.
New Webcams
Big White has added 2 new webcams to the line up! One at the top of the Bullet Chair and one at the top of the Gem Lake Express Chair. Now you can see what the conditions are like at the top of the mountain.
Extended season
Big White had excellent skiing conditions right to the end of last season and due to customer feedback, we are thrilled to have extended our 2011/2012 closing date of the season to April 15th, 2012 to give you an extra week to hit the slopes! We also opened 2 days early on December 1st as we were blessed by some sweet, sweet snow via La Nina and had an awesome time kicking off the season, check out some of the Opening Day Photos!
FREE Online Payment Plan
Can you get more convenient than free? Simply purchase your pass online and you can take advantage of our payment plan absolutely free. The sooner you buy, the longer you can spread your payments out, from now all the way to November 15th. The deadline for payment plan sign up is midnight September 25th, 2011.
Club 65 for Pass Holders Aged 65+
All of our 65 plus members will be in the new Club 65 and receive their very own benefits. Members of our Club 65 will receive FREE coffee daily, extra discounts on food, FREE 50+ Lesson, FREE Tune Up, FREE High Performance Rental, and many more exclusive discounts.
Rotating Slow Zones
Safety and education is always foremost at Big White Ski Resort and with that in mind we implemented the rotating “Family/Seniors Skiing and Snowboarding Zones” last season. We will continue with the success of our slow zones for the 2011/2012 season. Thousands of people have had the opportunity the ski and ride down our slow zones in comfort knowing those runs are designated for beginner skiers.
Three runs are selected each day and these runs will have signage, gated entry and the addition of extra slope watch and patrol to ensure that speed and slow skiing and riding are monitored. The theme of these selected runs is slow with extreme caution. This allows our more senior guests as well as families with small children to explore more than just the green runs on the mountain and be at a pace that is slower.
Family Après Ski at Happy Valley
Spend some time with your family after a day on the slopes in the relaxing atmosphere of the Moose Lounge in the Happy Valley Day Lodge for our Après Ski. Free popcorn and coloring books, bottomless pop, mock-tails, specials and prizes are all on offer for this fun family evening. Explore our wide selection of spirits, beers and wines from around the world and the Okanagan Valley. Live music and the stunning views of the Monashee Mountains await!
Every Monday will now be Magical Mondays Family Après Ski at Happy Valley - This one is for the kids! Join our family entertainment of clowns, magicians and singers for some fun in the Happy Valley day lodge.
Minute to Win it
Every Wednesday, our events crew will present you with unique challenges to be completed in one minute, complete the task and move onto the next round! These games are for the whole family to get involved with, cheer each other on as these seemingly simple tasks are attempted. There will be tons of prize giveaways, so come down to Happy Valley for your chance to participate.
For a complete list of daily events, click here!
New Food & Beverage Outlet - The BullWheel
Look out for a new restaurant coming to Big White. Located in the Whitefoot lodge, across from Snowshoe Sam’s will be a new sports bar & family restaurant. The menu is in the works!
New packages for the holiday of a lifetime!
At Big White we want your holiday to be the best it can be, whether you want action packed or a relaxed retreat, we've created some amazing packages for your next trip.
Downhill Divas
Looking to getaway with the girls? Big White’s new Downhill Divas package is the perfect answer for a winter escape filled with fun and frolic. The Edge, the resort’s premium condos inspired by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright provides accommodation and inspiration with breathtaking views and the perfect atmosphere. The Downhill Divas package also includes welcome basket filled with goodies, Edith Rozsa’s Edge Camp to sharpen your skills, private shopping at Big White’s Envy Boutique, massage, and choice of private boot-camp or yoga class. The 2-night package is priced at $660 per person for a gaggle of 6 ladies.
VIP Private Chair Lift Access
February through March, enthusiastic skiers wanting some VIP action can enjoy Big White’s new VIP program. The program offers the Bullet or Black Forest Chair for one-hour first thing in the morning. From 7:30am, skiers and boarders can have the chair all to themselves and enjoy all the fresh powder Big White is known to offer. The VIP program includes a one-hour private lesson and coffee delivered to you at the chair. The VIP program is specially priced at $550 for 2 people, including lift tickets.
Sip & Savor
Beyond the slopes that beckon skiers and boarders, the Okanagan is famed for its award winning wines. Together with Distinctly Kelowna Tours, the Sip & Savor package takes guests on a jaunt of the East Okanagan including a tasting and tour at Cedar Creek Estate Winery, Calona Winery and Summerhill Pyramid Winery, Canada’s largest organic vineyard. The tour includes a stop for lunch at The Sunset Bistro, the only wild and organic restaurant in the valley with each dish expertly paired with one of Summerhill’s many award winning, organic wines. The Sip & Savor package priced at $285 per person and includes a two-day lift ticket for Big White and the winery tour. Lunch not included.
Hockey 101: Hockey for Beginners
Hockey 101 is designed for those looking to discover the fun and joy of Canada’s beloved sport. The program provides expertise from a Big White hockey pro teaching want-to-be hockey families how to skate, shoot a puck, pass, score, as well as the lingo and rules behind the game. The program also includes a private limousine ride to the Kelowna Rockets Hockey Game and a monogrammed Big White hockey jersey. Big White’s Hockey 101 is priced at $940 for a family of four.
Christmas Winter Wonderland Holiday
Christmas is the most magical time at Big White and the perfect place to spend your family holiday! We’ve designed a Christmas holiday package like no other. Your kids will be talking about this trip for years and the memories will last a lifetime.
More information
For booking inquiries and availability, please contact Guest Services at guestservices@bigwhite.com.
Mountain Developments
There have been a number of projects taking place on the mountain over the summer, all of which will improve the guests experience.
New TELUS Park Features
Big White is amping up for winter with a 10K budget for new features in TELUS Park. Flynn Seddon from TELUS Park says, "We are looking at some large diameter tube features for the small and medium lanes that will allow people to make the transitions from boxes to rails more fluid. The Tube rails will also include a few larger feature designs built for Large and Extra Large park lane users as well. DV8 board shop has stepped up their partnership with Big White's TELUS Park and they will be unveiling a huge stair set with features mounted on the stairs. To add to that Big White is hoping to build a massive ledge box that will be added to the stair set to make it one awesome technical set up."
New Winch Cat
Big White has acquired a $500,000 Bombardier Sherpa winch cat. This will be the third winch cat added to the fleet of grooming equipment at Big White. Winch cats are generally used for steeper terrain, where they have the ability to move the snow around, rebuild the slope, while keeping the shape of the run better. This winch will often be used on runs like Powder Gulch, Surprise, Corkscrew, Blue Ribbon, Blue Sapphire, Exhibition, and Paradise. The cat creates an overall better skiing product with better coverage.
TELUS Terrain Park
Rated as the ‘Best Place to session a precision terrain park’ by the 2009 SBC Ski and Snowboard Resort Guide, Flynn Seddon, Big White’s Director of Terrain Parks promises that the 2011/12 rails and urban inspired features will definitely live up to this kudos. The TELUS Park is also open till late throughout the season for night park sessions. The progression system is based around Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large park features. The features are marked with signs at the entrance of the feature according to its size. This concept allows the skier or snowboarder to understand the size and shape of features found in terrain parks. The progression system allows the user to make choices on which features to use depending on their individual ability. The Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large features are designed in progression so a person can essentially start small and work their way up at their own pace.
For a complete list of park events, click here!
Local Developments
Kelowna Internal Airport Runway Extension
The Kelowna runway extension is now complete and has increased the runway length from 7,300 feet to 9,000 feet. International flights no longer have to connect through Calgary or Vancouver to reach Kelowna. This places Kelowna as the third international gateway in BC.
