News
| Back to News Listing | Previous | Next |
Big White and Silver Star sweep "Best of Skiing on Canada" awards
January 2006
Western Canadian ski resorts Big White and Silver Star have scooped the pool of Ski Canada Magazine’s annual “Best of Skiing in Canada" awards in its Winter 2006 special issue.
“A year’s worth of praise and amusement, gossip and hearsay, make up our annual look at why there’s no place like home,” Ski Canada Magazine editor Iain MacMilllan said in the magazine.
The two resorts dominated the awards including:
SILVER STAR
Best New Terrain – A Gold medal for Silver Star’s new Silver Woods area, which increases the Vance Creek side of the mountain by 54 per cent. More than 145 hectares of new terrain and 341 metres of vertical drop are serviced by a high-speed detachable quad. Nine new trails and gladed tree islands will provide fabulous powder on the northeast facing slopes.
Best New Terrain Park – Silver Star’s new TELUS Park has tricks for beginners and experts. First-timers can use fat boxes to learn to slide and mini-hits for catching their first air. Advanced riders will grind the long boxes and killer S-rails, and launch off big hits. The Park also features a half pipe, aerial training site, race centre and a dual-mogul race course.
Best Powder – Silver Star
Best Bumps in the West – Putnam Creek at Silver Star
Best Grooming – Silver Star
Best Family Skiing – Silver Star
Best New Digs – Silver Star’s luxurious new Snowbird Lodge with great ski-in/ski-out convenience and loads of extras that include an in-house cinema.
Best Non-Grooming Use of a Snowcat – Take a historic snowcat on a gourmet dinner tour to Paradise Camp, Silver Star’s refurbished mountaintop dinner spot.
Best Program to Keep Your Kids Climbing the Walls – Both Silver Star and now Big White have climbing walls that are open at night.
Best Place to Fly and Ski on the Same Day – Both WestJet and Air Canada offer daily services into Kelowna International Airport. The WestJet flights get in early enough to allow you to spend a half-day on Silver Star’s or Big White’s slopes to acclimatise to that champagne powder.
Best Place for an Old-fashioned Outdoor Hockey Game – Silver Star Brewers Pond
BIG WHITE
Best Place to Drop off the Kids and Get their Gear – Big White has now integrated its kids’ rental facility with the Kids Centre instruction area. Get the kids kitted out and ready for lessons in one easy step.
Best Party to get a Local’s Invite – The Shed Party at Big White is an annual invite-only shingdig that features Valdy, who’s a regular at the resort each winter.
Best Place to Celebrate Australia Day – Snowshoe Sam’s at Big White rocks with “aussie aussie aussie/oi, oi, oi” each January 26 as the Big White Aussie staff let down their hair – and dye it green and gold.
Best Powder – Big White
Best Grooming - Big White
Best Terrain Park (West) Best Place for an Old-fashioned Outdoor Hockey Game - Big White
Best Family Skiing - Big White
Best Place to Fly and Ski on the Same Day – Both WestJet and Air Canada offer daily service into Kelowna International Airport. The WestJet flights get in early enough to allow you to spend a half-day on Silver Star’s or Big White’s slopes to acclimatise to that champagne powder.
Best Place for Boys to Play with Heavy Machinery - At Big White last summer, more than 30,000 truckloads of fill were dumped onto 14 runs on Gem Lake. Apparently this makes for smooth runs – and happy Dumptruck Dans.
Sue Thorley from specialist ski travel wholesaler Ski Tours Canada said Big White and Silver Star were proving to be increasingly popular skiing destinations for Australians.
“The Ski Canada Magazine awards recognise the uniqueness of these two ski resorts with their bountiful champagne powder and the excellent emphasis on family fun put into both Big White and Silver Star,” she said.
“Silver Star and Big White have just had a record breaking Christmas and New Year's period with visitors – particularly from Australia - taking advantage of the fresh snowfalls. ’’
