Reno native, David Wise won his first Winter X Games gold medal in the Ski SuperPipe, unseating two-time defending champion Kevin Rolland of France.

One of the most notable runs at the 2012 Winter X Games was two-time Olympic gold medalist Shaun White, whose home mountain is Northstar California, taking home his fifth consecutive gold medal in the men’s Snowboard Superpipe with an unprecedented perfect score of 100.

Squaw Valley athlete Nate Holland claimed his sixth Winter X gold medal in the men’s Snowboarder X January 28, bringing his total Winter X Games medal tally to nine with five consecutive gold victories from 2006 to 2010.

Jayson Hale, of Sugar Bowl Ski Resort on Donner Summit, proudly represented North Lake Tahoe, taking home bronze in the men’s Snowboarder X on January 28.

The ladies of North Lake Tahoe were fierce competitors as well at Buttermilk Mountain.

Northstar California’s Elena Hight won silver in the women’s Snowboard Superpipe and Torstein Horgmo won silver in the Snowboard Big Air.

Squaw Valley athlete and Squaw Valley freestyle coach Brita Sigourney (a silver medalist at the 2011 Winter X Games) received a bronze in the women’s Ski Halfpipe and landed the competition’s only 1080.

It’s a great time to ski and board North Lake Tahoe, alongside the Winter X Games athletes. Sun’s bright, snow’s bitchin’.

For more information about North Lake Tahoe ski resorts, the best deals on lodging, special events, dining and winter activities, click to www.GoTahoeNorth.com.

Here are some quick facts on what you can expect at a few of the resorts. And it’s only getting better…

• Squaw Valley was pounded with close to 6ft in the past 72 hours. 650 acres opened today.
• 18 new trails opened at Northstar California Resort after being greeted with 29” at the summit.
• 28” in the past 24 hrs at Alpine Meadows. Tons of expert terrain is now open.
• Royal Gorge XC was graced with 3 ft of fresh. Opening tomorrow.
• 50” of powder in the last 72 hours at Boreal, 48” at Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe, 38” at Heavenly, and 24” in 24 hrs at Diamond Peak.

Endless blue skies, fresh corduroy, and savings adding up to over $60 per person… there’s really no better time than the present!

Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows
$39 per person (ages 13+) through January 29
Includes beginner half day lesson (10am – 1pm), lift ticket and equipment rentals

Homewood Mountain Resort
$44 per person (ages 13+) through January 31
Includes 2.5 hour beginner lesson, lift ticket and equipment rentals

Diamond Peak Ski Resort
$29 per person through January 13
Includes 1hr 45min beginner lesson, lift ticket and equipment rentals

Sugar Bowl
Through January 31
Ticketed guests (ages 13-69 and all season pass holders ages 4+) enjoy free rentals for the day and a free two-hour group lesson at any level.

Mt Rose Ski Tahoe
$10 lift tickets (17 and under) through January 20
$69 Learn to Ski Packages include beginner lift ticket, 90 min lesson and equipment rentals

Boreal Mountain Resort
Boreal Mountain Resort offers its popular 1-2-3 Ride Free program. Participants taking lessons at Boreal have their days tracked. After the third lesson, skiers and snowboarders (valid for 4 years and older) get a free season pass. Lessons are intended for beginners only.

The Play It Safe campaign is aimed at addressing slope safety by communication how guests can ski and snowboard more responsibly while still enjoying a great day on the mountain. To effectively reach skiers and boarders of all ages, Heavenly and Northstar are implementing enhanced on-mountain Play It Safe messages through a variety of channels, including videos featuring Olympic and world champion athletes Lindsey Vonn and Shaun White.  Play It Safe messages will be found in critical locations such as trail merging areas and terrain park exits.

In addition to signage and videos, guests can also expect to see a greater presence of mountain safety personnel, whose primary focus is to enforce the mountain rules, allowing ski patrol to focus on assisting injured riders. A special training program has been designed to equip safety employees with new tactics for enforcing safety laws and rules, including the ability to revoke skier’s and snowboarder’s passes for safety violations and requiring them to attend a safety and awareness class. In addition, the presence of safety personnel will be more prominent on busy days.

Written by, Cody Haener

Located inside Heavenly’s spectacular Tamarack Lodge at the top of the Heavenly Gondola, Unbuckle at Tamarack will run from at 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily from December 17-23 and 26-31 featuring DJs, dancers and half-priced drinks. After the New Year, Unbuckle at Tamarack will be daily from 3:30-5:30 p.m., with the EpicMix Chix dancers being featured exclusively on Fridays and Saturdays.

A live DJ will set the tone for the party, as the Heavenly Angels pass out prizes and giveaway items, mingle with guests, and pose for photos. In addition to half-price drinks, a specialty food menu will include staples such as Tamarack’s famous BBQ nachos.

Heavenly is operating 18 lifts and 20 total trails of varied levels of terrain equaling nearly 11 miles of skiing. See for yourself what’s happening at Heavenly from this video of last weekend’s skiers!

Santas and holiday helpers in costume will get a $39 lift ticket. Don’t miss the photo op with fellow Kris Kringles at the Main Lodge at 11:00am, right before the “Red Parade” when all Santas are to meet at the top of Kit Carson Bowl for one large Santa run at 11:30am.

Everyone knows Santas have a hearty appetite, so the Mt. Rose kitchen is offering various specials on food and beverage at the Main Lodge!

Check out pictures from past Santa Crawls on our Reno Santa Crawl group on Flickr!

“This storm packed a good little punch, really supplementing what we’ve been able to accomplish with the West Coast’s largest snowmaking system,” said Pete Sonntag, Heavenly’s general manager. “We’re looking forward to a rocking opening week, with awesome entertainment and the finest snow quality and surface conditions.”

Heavenly is making snow at the top of the Gondola, California Trail and Ante Up Terrain Park.

“This first storm system has not only helped our efforts with the addition of natural snowfall, but the cold temperatures it has brought with it will allow us to continue our snowmaking efforts in the coming days,” said Bill Rock, vice president and chief operating officer of Northstar California Resort. “We’re looking forward to welcoming our guests back for another incredible winter season.”

Northstar is making snow on several trails including Main Street, Lower Pioneer, Pinball, Lumberjack, in the Big Easy beginner learning area, and on Cat’s Face where Shaun White’s signature 22’ halfpipe will be built.

Opening Weekend

Winter Ignite, a 24 Hours of Heavenly event, kicks off on Opening Day, November 18, 2011, with an après ski party at Heavenly’s spectacular Tamarack Lodge and the South Lake Tahoe premiere of “Like There’s No Tomorrow,” the latest installment of the Warren Miller movie franchise, and a concert by Grammy-winning American blues and rocker Jonny Lang. The fun continues through a wild week of parties, music, entertainment and giveaways, culminating with a pool party inside MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa and a concert by British alt-rockers BUSH on November 26, 2011.

At Northstar, opening weekend includes live music from the Village Stage featuring super-charged acoustic rockers Ike and Martin, country crooners Curtis and Luckey, and indie band, The Novelists. Northstar will also hold its very first Epic Mixer at the Big Springs Day Lodge, celebrating the resort launch of Vail Resorts’ award-winning mobile and online app with drink specials and EpicMix experts who will help new users activate their accounts.

The Tahoe Value Pass – The Best Deal in Snowsports!

The 2011-2012 winter season is scheduled to run from November 18, 2011 to April 15, 2012, weather and conditions permitting. Season passes are now on sale, starting at just $389 for the Tahoe Value Pass, which provides seven-day-per-week access to Heavenly Mountain Resort and six-day-per-week access to Northstar California Resort. Some restrictions apply. Other pass options are available, including the Epic Pass, priced at just $669. The Epic Pass offers unrestricted access all season long to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado, and both Heavenly and Northstar California Resort at Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada. For more information, visit www.epicpass.com.

Now boasting the largest ski resort in the nation, and the largest cross-country resort in North America, Reno Tahoe is going to be the hub of another unforgettable record-breaking season.

Be one of the heads to hit the first runs of the season. Here are the opening dates (weather dependent) for the region’s ski resorts:

Boreal Mountain Resort – OPEN

Heavenly Mountain – OPEN

Northstar – OPEN

Mt. Rose – Ski Tahoe –OPEN

Squaw Valley USA –OPEN

Sugar Bowl – Nov 24-28 & re-opening Dec 2

Tahoe Donner Ski Resort –December 9

Alpine Meadows – December 10

Diamond Peak Ski Resort –December 15

*List will be updated as resorts continue to announce their opening dates. For more information on local ski resorts and other wintertime activities, visit our website at VisitRenoTahoe.com.

We believe everyone should have the opportunity to learn how to ski/board (without spending an arm and a leg) so here it is. North Lake Tahoe is giving you a weekend to get it all – lift ticket, equipment and lessons – all for only $30! You’ll cruising down the slopes in no time.

The 12th Annual Learn to Ski and Board Weekend, scheduled for December 10-11, is geared for beginners, costs only $30 and includes an all-day beginner lift ticket, group lesson and gear rental.

Pick from one of our top resorts  which includes Alpine Meadows, Boreal Mountain Resort, Granlibakken Resort, Homewood Mountain Resort, Northstar-at-Tahoe, Squaw Valley USA and Sugar Bowl. Several resorts are also offering guests a bounce back offer with unbeatable savings good on a return visit to show off your newly learned skills to all your friends!

Reservations are not required, but participants should arrive early. Lesson packages can be purchased at each individual resort the day of lessons. Students should contact resorts directly for resort-specific information.

Some restrictions apply. Resorts not open December 10-11 due to early conditions may offer a Learn to Ski Weekend later in the season when weather permits.

For more information about Learn to Ski, the best deals on lodging, events, dining and winter activities, click to www.GoTahoeNorth.com.

North Lake Tahoe is a 45-minute drive from the Reno Tahoe International Airport, two hours from Sacramento International Airport and just over three hours from San Francisco International Airport. For lodging reservations, recreation and event details, call North Lake Tahoe at 1-877-949-3296 or visit www.GoTahoeNorth.com. Visitor information centers are located at 380 North Lake Boulevard in Tahoe City and 969 Tahoe Boulevard in Incline Village. The North Lake Tahoe Visitors Bureaus, Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau and the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association, work together to promote North Lake Tahoe as a premier, year-round destination.

Boreal’s Operating Schedule

Friday, October 28th –        3:00pm – 8:00pm*

Saturday, October 29th –    9:00am – 2:00pm*

*conditions permitting.  Operating schedule post October 29th TBD.

Lift tickets will only be $15 for all ages!

Resort services will be available including season pass sales, food, beverages, and retail.  Gated access to the mountain, valid lift tickets and passes permitted in the gated area only.  Lift tickets subject to sell out.  All Boreal season passes are valid October 28th and 29th and will be available for purchase onsite at a discounted rate.  Due to limited terrain, no beginner terrain or ski school will be available this weekend.

To celebrate the beginning of the season, the 7th Annual Jibassic Public Invitational (JPI.7) will take place on Saturday, October 29th from 10am – 2pm.  This season JPI.7 will be open to the public.  Boreal is set with $1,000 cash to be handed out in the public park, open to all and built to Boreal terrain park perfection.

Boreal’s early season operations will continue as conditions permit.  Stay tuned for updates at www.rideboreal.com.