Opening Day Last Winter
Mammoth Mountain (www.MammothMountain.com) opens for the 2011-12 season this Thursday 10th November 2011. The resort's Big Winter Kick-Off (BWKO) will begin the party in Californian style with a weekend of snowboarding and skiing, live music, film premieres, parties and more.
The first chair of the 2011/12 season will depart at 8:30am on Thursday 10th November with the Annual Opening Day Champagne Toast following on the Main Lodge Sundeck at 11am where there'll be live music from noon. At 7pm DC Snowboarding will present the premiere of TB20 by Standard Films and Good Look by People Films at Hyde Lounge and from 9pm until 'Late' - The After Party with DC Snowboarding at Hyde Lounge,
The next three days will see many more band and dj performances and parties as well as ski and board celeb autograph signing sessions.
A weekend highlight will be the The Black Lips and Ra Ra Riot concert on Saturday 12th November marking the first of eight scheduled music events for the Mammoth Concert Series taking place throughout the coming winter and spring. To date The Naked and Famous on 17th December and Handsome Furs and Soft Pack on 14th January are confirmed. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door and is open to those aged 21+.
With 1.3 million annual skier visits, Mammoth Mountain is currently the third most frequented ski resort in the United States. If you want to get there for the opening of its (probably) nearly eight month season, Ski Independence (0131 243 8097; www.ski-i.com) offers 7 nights there from £789 per person. This price includes seven nights slopeside in a standard room at the Mammoth Mountain Inn (room only), direct return flights from London Heathrow to Los Angeles with British Airways and car hire for 7 days, and is based on two people travelling in December (so it might be even cheaper in November!).