Vail Resorts have announced they are buying the 2010 Winter Olympics venue and North America's largest ski area, Whistler Blackcomb.
It's the latest and arguably most audacious purchased yet by Vail which will now operate a dozen ski areas in three countries, including the two largest in North America, having created the latest 'biggest in the US' last season by merging two formerly separate areas at Park City in Utah.
Vail also own Perisher, Australia's largest resort and other famous centres such as Breckenridge and Heavenly.
"Whistler Blackcomb is one of the most iconic mountain resorts in the world with an incredible history, passionate employees and a strong community. With our combined experience and expertise, together we will build upon the guest experience at Whistler Blackcomb while preserving the unique brand and character of the resort as an iconic Canadian destination for guests around the world. We are delighted to add such a renowned resort to Vail Resorts and look forward to expanding our relationships in the Sea-to-Sky community, British Columbia and Canada," said Rob Katz, chairman and CEO of Vail Resorts.
Whistler Blackcomb was brought to prominence by the Intrawest Group, originally based out of the region, which found huge success by building modern resort bases at ski areas that didn't have them, or dramatically improved what was there. The business model was more property than lift-ticket sales based which meant rapid growth in the boom years of the property market and less seasonal impact from weather conditions. At its peak the company set up Arc 1950 in Les Arcs and a development at Flaine as well as operating an indoor snow centre in Madrid. Whistler was sold shortly before the global property crash and Intrawest has been contracting for much of the past decade, moving their head quarters to Colorado.
"Combining Whistler Blackcomb with Vail Resorts' portfolio of outstanding resorts provides Whistler Blackcomb with increased financial strength, marketing exposure, guest relationships and broadens the geographic diversity of our company with resorts across the United States, as well as in Australia and Canada. This relationship will bring greater resources to support our current operations and our ambitious growth plans, including the Renaissance project, the most exciting and transformative investment in Whistler Blackcomb's history," said Dave Brownlie, Whistler Blackcomb's current chief executive officer.