SAM Magazine - Revelstoke, B.C. - The next big thing in Canadian skiing fired up the lifts last week. Revelstoke is now on line and operating, with five feet of snow; 4,735 vertical feet of lift-serviced terrain; 1,500 acres of skiing; and 27 new ski runs serviced by a $22 million Leitner Poma eight-person gondola and a high-speed quad chairlift. The mountain was developed by partners Don Simpson, Pobert Powadiuk, Hunter Milborne and Tom Gaglardi on the site of the former Mount MacKenzie ski area. An estimated 2,000 skiers and snowboarders, from the Revelstoke area and as far as Hawaii, the U.K. and Germany, were on hand for opening day.

"Revelstoke offers everything a skier could want--epic Selkirk powder, miles of largely untouched terrain, killer runs and awesome vistas of the Columbia River Valley," said Paul Skelton, president of Revelstoke Mountain Resort.

"The mountain's opening is a great Christmas present for Revelstoke, and for British Columbia, as it will help build awareness of the unparalleled recreational opportunities in our province," said Mark McKee, mayor of Revelstoke. "We anticipate 50,000 skier visits this winter, and these visitors will benefit local hotels, restaurants and retailers."

Revelstoke will ultimately boast over 20 lifts and more than 100 runs, transforming the hidden gem in B.C.'s Columbia Mountain range into an international four-season resort. Next winter, the gondola is expected to be extended down to a village and condo hotel area, now under construction. Upon completion of this link, Revelstoke Mountain Resort will have North America's longest lift-serviced vertical at 5,623 vertical feet, and will top out at over 6,000 vertical feet when a future lift is installed.

The $1-billion CAN, four-season Revelstoke Mountain Resort is expected to be completed over 15 years and include 5,000 new housing units, including hotels, a pedestrian village with shops and restaurants, and an 18-hole championship golf course \