Story Ideas

Building on the momentum of the last two seasons generated from the new BreckConnect gondola and Imperial Express, North America’s highest chairlift, Breckenridge is moving toward a new era. During the 2006-2007 season, the resort set another new skier visit record and became the most popular resort in the America with more than 1.65 million skier visits.

WHAT’S NEW: Breckenridge Develops Park Progression System on Peak 8

In the last five years, terrain parks have become big business. Twintip skis are the fastest growing ski equipment category with sales growing 70 percent in units and 65 percent in dollars over the last three seasons. Snowboarders continue to raise the bar on innovative features, pushing for 22 ft. pipes and bigger hits. And, Breckenridge is known for having the best pipes and parks in the world, continually ranked in the top three by industry leaders. Not a resort to rest on its laurels, Breckenridge is building a new park on Peak 8 that will allow the resort to offer a park progression system located in one place. Breck’s terrain park team is designing a multi- level park pod that will feature a beginner park and pipe, an intermediate park as well as the famed expert superpark and pipe on Freeway. To accomplish this, Breckenridge has committed to adding a snowmaking system on Peak 8’s Park Lane and to turning the entire run into a mid sized, intermediate park. Park Lane sits next to Breck’s famed Freeway Terrain Park but features a longer, milder pitch than the award-wining Freeway. This makes it an ideal place for intermediate hits and rails. By building parks for all three levels in one place, skiers and riders will be able to move seamlessly from Trygve’s beginner park and pipe to Park Lane’s intermediate sized jumps and rails while watching the pros hit Freeway. In the past, the parks were located in several different areas across two peaks, making it difficult for guests to find Breck’s various levels of parks. By building an entire system at Peak 8, skiers and riders will be able see the levels of progression. In addition to the system on Peak 8, beginners and intermediate park lovers can still ride County Boy and Eldorado on Peak 9.

Interview Opportunities:

Steve Fisher, 2007 X Games Gold Medalist and Breckenridge Team Rider

Nick Simon, Colorado pipe-builder of the year; architect and builder of the No. 1 pipe in North America

TREND: FAMILY TRAVEL

Nearly 60 percent of family travelers use children’s services offered, according to the Travel Industry of America. Breckenridge Ski Resort understands how important this aspect is to any family vacation and has developed programs that deliver what kids and parents both want during vacation. And, Breckenridge makes it easy for families of all types to streamline their travel plans with the ability to book airfare, hotel, lift tickets, rentals and ski school online at www.breckenridge.com.

NEW! Kids Mountains of Discovery Changes How Kids Learn to Ski and Ride

Breckenridge is turning children’s ski school into an adventure for kids 3 – 13. The new Mountains of Discovery gets kids out of the ski school yard and onto the mountain, exploring while learning. Combining elements of passion and creativity, instructors are able to teach the fundamentals of the traditional ski and ride school while building a sense of passion for the sport. This differs from the conventional method that uses a very specific lesson plan that is taught in a designated teaching area or run for teaching all levels of kids. Mountains of Discovery divides students into four groups based on ski or snowboard level – Mt. Quandary, Mt. Massive, Mt. McKinley and Mt. Everest. Each category is given a list of things to “discover” over the course of the lesson that incorporates both the passion and skills of skiing or snowboarding as well as the concept of making learning fun. For example, the Mt Quandary or beginner student is challenged to ski or ride one of Breckenridge’s peaks, ski or ride one designated kids trails such as Ripperoo’s Forest or Sidewinder Junction and then ski or ride 3 trails at the resort. The list of goals changes with each level and is designed to teach skills in a way that conveys the adventure to be had with snowsports.

Interview Opportunity:

John Buhler, Breckenridge Ski & Ride School Director

TREND: EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES

Travelers are putting more stock into the value of extraordinary service, even if that means paying more. Breckenridge takes the guesswork out of customer service with the industry’s most robust survey system and in-house staff dedicated to collecting and analyzing guest feedback. Using this information, the resort tailors new programs and services to meet guest needs and desires. For example, after listening to guest feedback, the resort had added a new beginner run on Peak 9 that will cater to those who want to learn to ski or ride in a quiet slow skiing zone. 

Linking Main Street to the Mountain and the Breckenridge Peaks

Breckenridge Ski Resort is continually looking at ways to make the vacation experience seamless for all of its guests including how they get to and from the resort. The BreckConnect, which debuted Dec. 31, 2006, has transformed the way visitors access the town and mountain and starts the first of two new base villages at Peak 7 and 8. Breckenridge’s new gondola sets a new standard in the role of mass transit in growth and development. The gondola represents a unification of the community as the public and private entities work together to build an environmentally progressive resort transit system that also creates a streamlined link to transport large numbers of visitors between the town and the ski resort’s Peaks 7 and 8.The gondola enables the town and resort to strike the ideal balance that maintains the character and vibrancy of Breckenridge’s Main Street and Downtown. 

As the resort steps into a new era of resort villages with the development of Peaks 7 and 8, the need for a first-class mass transit system that seamlessly moves all types of visitors becomes essential. This May, Vail Resorts Development Company broke ground on the first building of the Breckenridge Peaks project. The Crystal Peak Lodge sold 45 of 46 units during the winter season, demonstrating the strength of the Breckenridge real estate market. The Breckenridge Peaks will consist of the new Peak 7 base area and the redeveloped Peak 8 base area.

Interview Opportunities:

Alex Iskenderian, VP of Development for VRDC

Ernie Blake, Breckenridge Mayor

Tailoring the Mountain for each guest through Ski & Ride’s Private Lesson Club

As the demand grows in Breckenridge for high-end lodging, dining and service, the resort has developed a new focus on it products that cater to that demographic.  While the Ski & Ride School is known for the top-notch children’s lessons and specialty classes, the resort has also concentrated efforts on its private lesson program. Private lessons allow the school to serve up exceptional service, guided skiing or riding to the best kept secret stashes, a tailored instruction program for each guest and no lift lines. And, Breckenridge has developed a way to take its private lesson program to next level. The Private Lesson Club is a unique thank you program for the Ski &Ride School’s best customers. Visitors who take advantage of the specialized service given with private lessons will receive gifts that include dining and retail vouchers, Breckenridge Ski & Ride School apparel as well as services such as ski check, alternate meeting times and locations.

TREND: ADVENTURE TRAVEL

Adventure travel represents the fastest growing segment of the travel industry, with an estimated 2006 U.S. expenditure of $55 billion, according to the Adventure Travel Trade Association (www.adventuretravel.biz).  This trend is translated in increased backcountry use by skiers and riders which has prompted resorts to offer expert-level extreme terrain in-bounds.

Highest Chairlift in Northern Hemisphere Equals Easy Access to 550 acres of High-Alpine Terrain

As a leader among world-class resorts, Breckenridge Ski Resort responded to this demand by installing the Imperial Express Superchair, North America’s highest lift and Breckenridge’s crown jewel. Added two years ago, the new high-speed quad enabled advanced-intermediate and expert skiers and riders access to 400 acres of Breckenridge's famed existing in-bounds double-black diamond and extreme terrain previously only accessible by hiking approximately 45 minutes to the summit of Peak 8. The lift proved to be so popular that the resort added SnowWhite, 150 acres of terrain that features chutes, cliffs and cornices as well as above-timberline, open terrain.

Breckenridge’s Ski and Ride School also is responding to increased interest in the chutes, cornices bumps, steep glades and tree skiing with a bit of change in the old ski school philosophy. As people look to take more enriching and experimental types of vacations, the Breckenridge Ski and Ride School serves up a dose of discovery and adventure with the Big Mountain Experience, the only program of its kind. This unique ski ride school offering takes advanced intermediate and expert skiers and riders to new heights in the 550 acres of expert terrain accessed by the Imperial Express SuperChair as well as Breck’s famous tree skiing and bumps off of Peak 9.

Interview Opportunities:

Jon Mauch, director of lifts at Breckenridge

Tommy Banks, supervisor of the Big Mountain Experience program

Media Contacts:

Nicky DeFord, office: (970) 453-3210, ndeford@vailresorts.com

Ryan Whaley, office: (970) 547-7402, rwhaley@vailresorts.com