Sweepstakes Celebrates Steamboat's 400-Plus Inch Champagne Powder® Season

March 17, 2006

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO (Promotional Release)—The Steamboat Ski Area wants to share the joy of its 400-plus inch snow season, nearly 33.5 feet and counting, with everyone during the second edition of the BigSno.com Ridiculously Deep Sweepstakes, offering a trip to Steamboat for eight people from April 6-10, 2006.

“With 400 snowy reasons to already celebrate this season, the resort is giving skiers/riders one more reason to celebrate with the recently unveiled bigsno.com sweepstakes, said Andy Wirth, vice president of sales & marketing for the resort. “With more than 33 feet of snow this year, spring skiing in Steamboat will take on a whole new meaning this year especially for eight lucky people.

In celebration of the big 400-plus mark, the Steamboat Ski Resort has brought back the famed BigSno.com Ridiculously Deep Sweepstakes, offering the ultimate prize of a dream vacation to Steamboat, April 6-10, 2006. One lucky winner will enjoy the grand prize of a dream vacation with seven other people, including three nights lodging in a luxurious penthouse suite at the Steamboat Grand Resort Hotel & Condominiums, three days of lift tickets for eight people, three days of high-end demo rental packages for eight people, three First Tracks clinics (weather permitting) for eight people and skiing with an Olympian.

To enter, log onto the official contest section of www.steamboat.com/bigsnosweep400 starting March 17, and fill out an entry form. The BigSno.com Ridiculously Deep Sweepstakes entries will end at 12:00 p.m. MST on April 3, with the grand prize randomly awarded on April 4. A complete list of Official Rules can be found on the site.

This is the fifth time the resort has reached the 400-inch milestone since the 1979/1980 season. In addition to the current season, Steamboat has recorded 400-plus winters during the 1983/84, 1992/93, 1996/97 and 1997/98 seasons. The 2005/2006 season is now considered the third snowiest season year-to-date on record in the past 27 years, and the conditions couldn’t be better at Steamboat. With weather forecasts calling for additional snow this week and the resort closing on April 9, the all-time snow record lies just in sight, only 60 inches more to top.

“With nearly four feet of Champagne Powder® having fallen at mid-mountain in the past nine days on top of already spectacular conditions, this is truly a season that powder hounds will be talking about for years to come, commented Wirth. “This is one of those legendary seasons that you’ll hear about and read about for years to come.

In the past nine days, 43 inches (3.58 feet) has fallen at mid-mountain and 49.25 inches (4.10 feet) at the summit. Since the resort opened on November 23, snow has fallen 71 out of 114 days (62.3 percent) with 38 of those days recording four or more inches. The resort is currently reporting a 77-inch base at mid-mountain and 105-inch base at the summit with powder/packed powder conditions

Visit www.bigsno.com for take-your-breath-away powder images, ski movies and more.