it's national safety awareness week

"Safety First" is a motto you'll hear often from the staff of Okemo Mountain Resort. It's a mantra that is drilled into us from the start. We're reminded to be safe and watch out for one another daily in our GM's morning mountain-status update. Accidents still happen but we're doing our best to minimize those accidents.

Okemo celebrates National Safety Awareness Week through Jan. 22 with some fun events and activities to help educate skiers and riders of all ages and promote on-mountain safety.


The National Ski Areas Association named Okemo Mountain Resort winner of the Best Helmet Safety Program in its 2009 Heads Up National Ski Area Safety Awards. Nine resorts were recognized in different safety program categories and Okemo was the only New England resort to receive honors. Each season, the awards recognize those resorts that have done an outstanding job of educating employees and guests about skiing and snowboarding responsibly.
Starting Jan. 16 and running through National Safety Awareness Week, anyone who purchases a new ski or snowboard helmet at Okemo's Snowsports Shop will receive a coupon for 50 percent off a full-day lift ticket, or 50 percent off a full-day equipment rental or high-performance demo, or 50 percent off a group lesson or adult clinic. New this year, $10 from every helmet purchase will benefit the Vermont Children’s Hospital Phat program: $5 from Okemo and $5 from the helmet manufacturer.

Today, Okemo will host a “Helmet Head” contest. Staff members will be out on the mountain taking pictures of willing candidates showing their best helmet head – that cool, disheveled look of matted hair that happens when a skier or snowboarder removes his helmet after a great day on the slopes. A panel of judges will select the top-ten best helmet heads and post those photos on this blog for voting by blog visitors. The candidate who receives the most votes will win two complimentary lift tickets for a day of skiing or riding at Okemo.