LET’S HAVE A SKI-SKI!

Elevation Does it Again in Mammoth, Park City… and Now Quebec!

by Chad Callaghan

If you’re anything like me, your legs are already itching to be on the slopes. Or maybe they’re just itching because I live in SoCal so I’m not used to wearing pants, AKA LEG PRISONS. Luckily, Daddy Christmas has been good to his boys this year and blessed us with plenty of early-season snow and, drum roll please… a brand new ELEVATION Gay Ski Week! (**waits patiently for a chorus of “yas kweens”**) Producer Tom Whitman is bringing his Midas touch to the slopes of Tremblant, the #1 ski resort on the East Coast.

ELEVATION Mammoth has long been the gay ski week gold standard for California 

Boys, so you’ll understand my excitement that Whitman is adding another one to the list. It’s a long trek from California to Quebec’s “trembling mountain” (yes, I googled it, that’s actually what Tremblant means in Algonquin), but if you’ve been to ELEVATION Mammoth or ELEVATION Utah, you know it’ll be worth the trip. Plus, who doesn’t love a man from Montreal? Whitman says he’s always wanted to expand East, and Tremblant checks all the boxes. “It’s one of the best ski towns in North America and Quebec is famously welcoming to the LGBTQ community. It’s a great place to taste a little Quebecois culture, drink in some natural beauty, and hang out with sexy, friendly boys and girls from Toronto and Montreal.” This year, Whitman’s three Elevation events, The Triple-Crown of Gay Ski, are well-spaced enough that you could conquer all three.

First up is the freshman event in Tremblant. Taking place January 31st to February 3rd, it’s just far enough after New Years that you’ll be ready for a midwinter gay getaway. In its inaugural year, ELEVATION Tremblant is sure to draw a massive crowd of ELEVATION enthusiasts, sporty New Yorkers, and Canadian first-timers (be gentle, they’ve never done this before), so this one will be worth using a few frequent flyer miles.

Next up is the 9th annual ELEVATION Utah. Set February 21-24th, that gives you three weeks to recover from your Canadian kiki before you meet up with 1,000+ bromos and slope sisters for the annual invasion of the gays in Park City, home of Sundance, the Salt Lake CIty Olympics, and plenty of former-Mormons who just wanna let loose.

ELEVATION season ends with a little spring skiing. March 13-17 (St. Patrick’s Weekend) marks the 17th annual Mammoth Gay Ski Week, the crown jewel for ski huntys and board bros alike. This year, they’re expecting almost 3,000 guys and gals to take over the village, transforming this sleepy ski town into a bonafide boy buffet. And if you’ve never been before, expect to be pleasantly surprised by how friendly everyone is. Whitman says he started ELEVATION Mammoth to offer an alternative to the gay party scene in the great outdoors. “What makes ELEVATION work is the attitude of the attendees, or lack thereof. We encourage everyone to leave their ‘city attitude’ at the door. Every year people return because of the friends they’ve made and the connections they’ve forged.”

While each ELEVATION event has its own local flavor and flair, there are a few parties I personally look forward to every year: The Onesie Apres Ski is a classic (seriously, don’t forget your onesie. If you don’t have one, you’re doing life wrong); the Mammoth Apres at 10k is the only time I’ve seen someone twerk in ski boots; and the all-new main event, GEAR, is perhaps the sexiest party of the week. It’s like a warehouse party at altitude (don’t think about it too hard). The dress code is in the name: transform your ski equipment into something a little kinkier, just put some THOT into it… or go ahead and pack your harness. I know you’ve got one.

Every year, I have a different experience at ELEVATION. You can ski all day and crash early, party hard and sleep in, or be the first-chair-last-call hero we all wish we were. My body is ready. Let’s have a ski-ski. Some events will sell out due to capacity limitations at certain venues. To guarantee that you don’t miss an event, please buy your pass in advance. The price of passes is very reasonable, and with considerable savings, so even if you miss an event or two it’s worth it to buy the pass.

Visit: tremblantgayskiweek.com utahgayskiweek.com mammothgayskiweek.com