DECEMBER 3, 2009 ISSUE
7th Annual SugarFest Takes Over Sugar Mountain Resort December 12 and 13
1992 Olympic Silver Medalist Paul Wylie to Skate During Annual Event
Paul Wylie, the 1992 Olympic figure skating silver medalist, will perform two short ice skating exhibitions during SugarFest on December 12 and 13. Spectating is free to the public and skating during the sessions Wylie will be on the ice costs the normal skate ticket price. Photo submitted
How many snowball snack cakes can you eat? How many deep discount deals on snowboard and ski equipment can you pass up right before the holidays? Are you good enough at snowboarding to win a rail jam session? Do you like warm food and drinks when it’s cold and snowy outside?
All these questions will be answered next Saturday and Sunday, December 12 and 13, when the 7th annual SugarFest—sponsored by the Village of Sugar Mountain Tourism Development Authority—takes over Sugar Mountain Resort from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday and from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Sunday.
The two-day celebration features free admission to all activities; the only costs are for those who opt to ski, snowboard, tube or ice skate.
Attendees will discover a host of winter activities for all ages, including ski and snowboard demos from top manufacturers, ice skating, skiing, tubing, snowboarding, a snowball eating contest, the annual Edge of the World/Burton Rail Jam Session, ice sculpting, food and drink specials, celebrations for Sugar’s 40th anniversary and a not-to-miss fireworks display.
The event features an appearance by 1992 Olympic ice skating silver medalist Paul Wylie, who will dazzle guests with two on-ice performances. SugarFest also coincides with Sugar’s 16th annual Adult Preseason Ski Clinic, which will be led by 1994 Olympic gold and 1992 Olympic silver medalist Diann Roffe and two-time (1992 and 1994) Olympian Krista Schmidinger.
And attendees can definitely look forward to some time on the mountain as Sugar Mountain Resort trumped the weather and opened at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, November 27.
“Sugar Mountain opening last weekend did more for the mountain economy than anyone can imagine,” said Tom McAuliffe, Sugar Mountain golf director. “So many folks were here for the holiday weekend, and to have a ski slope, not to mention an ice skating rink, meant so much to our High Country economy.”
SugarFest Events
Both Saturday and Sunday, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., 2009 ski and snowboard equipment will be available for demo from Salomon, Volkl, Nordica, Burton, Head, Never Summer, K2, Atomic, Dynastar, Rossignol, Ride, Line, Fisher and Forum. Attendees must have a valid driver’s license or credit card in order to demo the equipment.
Sugar’s tubing park and ice skating rink will both be open for two-hour sessions between 10:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
At 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, guests will gather at Sugar’s base lodge to stuff their faces full of snowball snack cakes during the annual snowball eating contest. Participants will have two minutes to eat as many snowball look-alikes as possible. Following the contest, at 5:00 p.m., guests will enjoy cake, ice cream and refreshments at the same location in celebration of Sugar’s 40th anniversary.
After the cake is eaten, partons will head outside to witness a thunderous fireworks display from the base of Sugar Mountain Resort at 5:45 p.m. and then reconvene inside by the fire for warm drinks, good food and live music from Boss Hawg until 7:00 p.m.
At noon on Sunday, the annual Edge of the World/Burton Rail Jam Session will take place featuring some of the best snowboarders from the area. Simultaneously, an ice sculptor will amaze onlookers by creating a fresh, frigid piece of art right before their eyes.
An Appearance by Paul Wylie
As part of SugarFest, 1992 Olympic figure skating silver medalist Paul Wylie will take to the ice at Sugar Mountain and perform two short exhibitions on Saturday, December 12, at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
The public is invited to watch the approximately 10- to 15-minute exhibitions and to get Wylie’s autograph free of charge, said Kim Jochl, director of marketing for Sugar Mountain Resort.
The only cost is the usual skate ticket price for those who want to skate at either the 10:00 a.m. or noon skate sessions while Wylie is also on the ice.
“We’re honored and really excited to have a silver medalist coming to Sugar Mountain, especially in an Olympic year,” Jochl said.
Wylie will be accompanied by a few aspiring young skaters under his tutelage, Jochl said, adding that Wylie, who lives in Charlotte, trains and coaches young ice skaters from across the country.
Sugar’s ice rink is located next to the Dave Nixon Pro Shop adjacent to parking lot D.
For more information and/or to view the full schedule of events, click to www.seesugar.com/sugarfest. For more information, call 828-898-4521.
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