January Thaw

It comes every year, in one form or another ... the January thaw, that is. This year we got lucky. It landed on MLK weekend and the thawing temperatures are being accompanied by sunny skies. It looks like these temps are going to stay with us for the next couple of days - what a treat! A co-worker officially started his goggle tan today, but I think he may be jumping the gun a little. There's still a lot of winter ahead of us and I expect we'll see lots more cloudy days and snowfall before racoon eyes make their season debut.

MLK Weekend Special

Okemo is recognizing the upcoming Martin Luther King holiday weekend with a special offer that you need to take advantage of before time runs out. Okemo's MLK special must be purchased online 48 hours in advance.

Martin Luther King Online Ticket Offer - Come celebrate the life of Martin Luther King at Okemo with a special holiday three-day ticket valid Saturday, Sunday and Monday January 16, 17 & 18, 2010, for just $169 for Adults (regularly $219); $149 for Young Adults and Seniors and $119 for Juniors and Super Seniors. Offer may not be combined with other discounts, special price days or promotions. Must be purchased online, 48 hours in advance. Buy Your 3-day Martin Luther King ticket now!

And while you're thinking about the three-day weekend ahead, be sure to give some thought to the work that Martin Luther King, Jr. did to raise awareness for civil rights. He was a magnificent orator with a passion and conviction for delivering a message of equality for all. Imagine a world where his dream is a reality.

Labatt Blue Vermont Pond Hockey Regionals at Okemo

The temperatures were right today for the Labatt Blue Pond Hockey Regionals. Okemo's Ice House at Jackson Gore saw lots of action and some games that even went into overtime. The competition was fierce.

Enjoy a few shots:

Ross Powers Superpipe is open for the season

It's a pretty big accomplishment ro get a 450-foot superpipe open this early in the season - especially when you consider how much effort has been going into snowmaking and grooming on the other 118 trails at this time of year. It certainly shows Okemo's commitment to terrain variety.

Of course we had a little encouragement from Okemo's number one halfpipe enthusiast - Ross Powers. The winner of Olympic bronze and gold in halfpipe, Ross has his sights set on something a little different this year. He's now competing in snowboardcross and trying to claim a spot on the U.S.A.'s Olympic SBX team. He did really well at the World Cup Finals in Telluride and now he's headed to Europe and then Canada for three more weekends of qualifying oppportunities. He made the podium in Telluride (third), so let's hope he can do it again in the weeks ahead.

In the meantime, 18-foot walls and decks spaced 50 feet apart are calling. As an added bonus - and at Ross' recommendation - Okemo's ops team increased the pitch on the big pipe. With a 16 percent grade, it means "it's faster and riders will get bigger air," says Ross. He adds, "the pipe is showing some potential."

Okemo soon to be Hockey Town USA for a day

Labatt USA, importer of Labatt Blue beer, already announced that the third-annual Labatt Blue Buffalo Pond Hockey Tournament sold out in 24 hours. But teams of all skill levels still hoping to play in the two-day, regional event can do so by competing in the exclusive Vermont Pond Hockey Regionals on Jan. 9, 2010 at the Okemo Mountain Resort.


The first Vermont Pond Hockey Regional Tournament promises a four-on-four tournament with a minimum of two games. Divisional winners get an automatic bid to play on the icy surface of Lake Erie at the Erie Basin Marina in Buffalo on Saturday, Feb. 27 and Sunday, Feb. 28, 2010 at the Labatt Blue Buffalo Pond Hockey Tournament.

To enter a team in the Labatt Blue Vermont Pond Hockey Regionals, and for a list of rules, please go to www.okemo.com/hockey. Registration has been extended until Jan. 5, 2010. There is a registration fee of $150 and players must present proof of age.

Okemo makes a Christmas wish assist

When Okemo Mountain Resort’s Ski + Ride School Assistant Director Rob Bevier learned about a young boy’s Christmas dream to snowboard at Okemo with his Iraq-deployed dad, Bevier leaped into action to make it happen.

On Christmas Eve, masslive.com posted this story about an 8-year-old Palmer, Mass., boy whose only wish for Christmas was that his dad, Army National Guard Spec. Michael J. Hawk, make it home from Iraq for the holidays.

Although the plan was for the elder Hawk to surprise his son at school a couple of days before Christmas, a delayed flight moved the surprise to young Devan’s swim team holiday party – where Michael arrived, still in military uniform.

In the masslive.com article, Reporter Lori Stabile wrote, “The happiness on Devan's face was still evident two days after his father returned home, as they talked about their plans for the next two weeks, which include a trip to Toys R Us and snowboarding, possibly at Okemo in Vermont.”

That was all Rob Bevier needed to know to put the wheels in motion. A few days later, Devan and his dad were learning to snowboard together courtesy of Okemo Mountain Resort. Okemo’s Tyler Longland and Gordon Robbins, a living legend in the world of snowboard instruction, had Devan and his dad sliding, stopping and making turns in no time. When asked how he liked snowboarding, Devan replied, “I love it!”

twilight falls on the final day of the decade

So, the burning question on everyone's mind is, will it be twenty-ten or two-thousand ten? Okay, so maybe that's not exactly the burning question. Around Okemo Valley, the talk is all about the "New Year's" blizzard that probably isn't actually going to happen. It's shaping up to be ongoing snow showers with an inch or two here and there throughout the weekend. Sounds like it will be just enough to keep the trails nice with a new coating of pow on top of all the Okemo corduroy.

What's that, you're into natural terrain? Have you found Broken Arrow yet? It's so new, I don't think the sign is even up yet. It's an all-natural terrain park in the trees that's built entirely out of found timber. No live trees were sacrificed for this thrill-seekers folly. Let us know what you think of it when (and if) you find it this weekend.

Well, gotta go over to the Gore to help out with the festivities. Here's wishing you a happy and healthy new year!