DECEMBER 22, 2009 ISSUE
Midnight Blast Weekends Begin at Appalachian Ski Mountain December 26
Shred for the Cup Series Back for Fourth Consecutive Year
The usual night skiing hours of 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. will be extended to midnight on Friday and Saturday nights, from December 26 through February 20, for Appalachian Ski Mountain’s Midnight Blast Weekends. And, best of all, the extended hours will be offered at no additional cost.
Night skiing enthusiasts across the southeast have a reason to celebrate this holiday season as Appalachian Ski Mountain will offer nine Midnight Blast Weekends on Friday and Saturday nights, from December 26 through the weekend after Presidents Day, on February 20. The usual night skiing hours of 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. will be extended to midnight on these special weekends and, best of all, these extended hours will be offered at no additional cost.
“With challenging economic times, people looking for a good value will discover that this is the best ticket value that we offer, at a time that is actually convenient,” said Appalachian Ski Mountain General Manager Brad Moretz. “As the closest ski destination to significant markets within a two hour drive, such as Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston Salem, High Point, Hickory and Gastonia, we feel that Appalachian Ski Mountain is in the best position to offer many skiers and riders a night option that wouldn’t otherwise be possible without a longer night session.”
In addition to extended night skiing opportunities, Appalachian Ski Mountain is also excited to be presenting the 4th annual Shred for the Cup series. During its tenure, the Shred for the Cup series has become a well-respected and popular competition in the region. Part of the reason the series is so successful with such far-reaching appeal is the fact that it is a four-event-series that offers participants a chance to win big prizes, and the opportunity to keep coming back for more.
Both snowboarders and skiers alike share the board park in a variety of different styles of competition. The competition is open to participants of all ages and offers riders a chance to throw down their best runs in different events like the slopestyle competition, the big air contest and the rail jam event. The series runs throughout the winter season with the first event coming up on Sunday, January 3, 2010. Registration is limited to the first 150 participants per event and all event participants will receive lunch and a Shred for the Cup series t-shirt, in addition to a chance to win a number of other prizes.
“[Appalachian Terrain Park] is fortunate enough to work with several companies who provide tons of prizes for both our Fresh Friday and Shred for the Cup series events. We’ll be handing out tons of products, including goggles, gloves, clothing, backpacks, headphones, videos and more,” said Drew Stanley, Appalachian Terrain Park manager.
Stanley has been working hard to provide both locals and visitors with some of the best park features on the East Coast, and the hard work has paid off with rising popularity among the up-and-coming generation of talented skiers and boarders.
“The future looks great,” Stanley said. “As we continue to build our base of experience and knowledge, the park will only become more refined and progressive.”
Part of this progression is incorporating the newest in design technology, along with the ever-changing style of the sport.
“We always try to listen to what the riders want and make them feel like their voice really counts,” Stanley said. “Part of this aspect is our website that I hope to utilize to help get people involved with this.”
This interactive marketing approach, centered around App Terrain Park’s website, is one of the reasons that people continue coming to these events. The site, which can be accessed by clicking to www.appterrainpark.com, features a wide variety of different options for visitors looking to stay motivated between sessions. Nearly every event that happens is captured on video and available to watch on the site. Most of the videos are created by Charlie Jonas, a park staff member, and Jake Sutton, a North Carolina native who filmed last season for Airblaster, a snowboard company based out of Tahoe.
“These guys have been critical in creating dynamic content for our site throughout the season, and both are very talented videographers,” Stanley said. “I think being able to keep our guests informed of what is going on in the parks every day, let them view a list of available features and allow them to get the latest news, media and updates regarding events and park news is huge.”
The site was the brainchild of Appalachian Terrain Park’s Creative Director Chris Reynolds.
“Chris had a vision of creating this content powerhouse style of a website, and, even though the site looks great, he isn’t content just sitting still,” Stanley said. “We already have a slew of updates and changes we hope to implement this season to provide skiers and snowboarders a more personalized and dynamic web experience.”
Part of this personalized, dynamic approach is the interactive slope camera that allows viewers to control what they want to see. Viewers can make the camera pan around the mountain—from the lifts, to the park, to the slopes—all with simple movements of the computer’s mouse.
The cutting edge website, combined with late-night skiing and a constantly evolving terrain park, all point toward a bright future at Blowing Rock’s only ski slope. A future that, on some Saturday nights, looks extraordinarily bright; but part of that just may be the glow from the thousand watt lights staying on well into the night.
To learn more about the Midnight Blast Weekends at Appalachian, click to www.appskimtn.com.
To use the interactive camera, watch videos from recent events and/or read more about the upcoming Shred for the Cup Series and other Terrain Park events, click to www.appterrainpark.com.
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