Spring Means Abundant Sun and Awesome Events In Taos Ski Valley

Wet and Wild
"A Long Cold Winter" usually has a negative connotation, but in the ski industry, it often means there has been lots of wintry weather and that's a good thing. Taos Ski Valley experience, what seems to be the new-norm in the Southwest, which is big snow storms all winter long. Now is the time to shed the down parka's and expose a bit of skin, skier-style. One of Taos' marque events is the Bud Light Pond Skimming Championship held at the base of Strawberry Hill. It seems competitors look for any reason to shed their clothes (and in some cases, almost all of their clothes!) during this event. This year's event will be held April 4, 2010 at 2:30 PM. Competitors must skim across an 80 foot pond of icy cold water for slush supremacy. Entry is $10 and will be held at the administrative offices.

The Record is 28
Fallen local, Ben Myers, was crazy about his home mountain and was known for "living on the ridge" during powder days. When he succumbed to cancer, his friends decided the best way to honor his life was to raise money for cancer research and ski the ridge. Out of those two thoughts came the Ben Myers Ridge-a-thon. The idea is to hike the Highline Ridge, West Basin Ridge and Kachina Peak as many times as humanly possible in one day. What is amazing is the record is 28 hikes in one day! Consider that at 11,000 feet, you receive less than 50% of the oxygen you get at sea level and that once you have made your hike up to Taos' famed steep terrain, you have to ski down it as fast as you can (if you are going for a record). Don't worry. If you aren't going out to impress everyone and just want to raise money for a good cause, you can go at your own pace. Everyone is welcome to participate, but if you hear heavy breathing and fast foot steps behind you, you may want to step aside. More information can be found at http://www.taoscf.org/about_us/news.php?ID=58

Don't miss our spring deals to see these great events with packages from $71/person/night.

More Snow At Taos Ski Valley, Ready for Extreme Competition

The Storm
Whether it is global warming or El Nino or some other phenomena, Taos Ski Valley has benefited from it. Another 18 inches of snow fell yesterday in Taos and the conditions are epic. Everything is open and the ski area already recorded one of the snowiest February's on record. The big 40 inch storm that hit last week turned the mountain into a virtual powder playground. "Yahoooo's" and "Oh Yeah's" were heard all over the chutes and glades. And of course there were a bunch of snorkel sightings too. Kachina Peak, sitting at 12, 491 feet, was caked with snow and provided the perfect turns every skier remembers for the rest of their lives.

The Event
This storm comes at the perfect time as Taos Ski Valley is hosting the Salomon Extreme Freeride Championship March 11-13. Whenever there is this type of snow before the competition, spectators should keep an eyes out for the really big cliff jumps that the competitors seem to take on without a thought. The first day of the event takes place on the West Basin Ridge, home to 80 foot cliff drops and some of the steepest chutes in the country. Spectators should watch from the top of chair 8 in the viewing gallery. Day two is back at the West Basin Ridge where half of the competitors get cut. The final day of competition brings competitors to famed Kachina Peak where athletes must first make the hour-long trek to the peak before going all out for the glory of being crowned champion. The Salomon Extreme Freeride Championships at Taos has inked a partnership deal with the SCOTT Big Mountain Fieberbrunn / Pillerseetal event, Austria. As part of the relationship, the winners of the Fieberbrunn event will receive complimentary entry and accommodations to the Taos event, March 10 – 13. In addition, the event is a Freeride World Qualifier (FWQ) event, allowing athletes to gain entry to the FWT's four showcase events: The Nissan Russian Adventure (Sochi, Russia), Nissan Tram Face (Squaw Valley, USA), Nissan Freeride de Chamonix (Chamonix, France) and Nissan Xtreme (Verbier, Switzerland). Taos also joins an elite group of venues, from Italy and Norway to Austria and Slovakia as a FWQ venue. The Taos event is one of the great spectator events in ski country and we've put some super discounted packages with $14 Off Lift Tickets and 30% Off Lodging to get you hear.