Gaylord, MI, Feb. 24, 2011 – Serving as the North American training ground for elite international snowboarding athletes, the Otsego Club and Resort will once again play host to some of the world’s most talented boarders as several international snowboarding teams will be training at the Gaylord, Michigan ski club February 28 – March 6.
Confirmed to stop by and train, on their way to the U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships in March, will be teams from New Zealand, Ireland, Switzerland, Korea, Spain, and Norway. Top riders making the trip include James Hamilton, Christian Haller, Pat Burgener, Jan Scherrer, Iouri Podladtchikov, and Ursina Haller to name a few.
The O-Park, which developed an avid following among elite snowboarders after the club hosted twelve of the top international Olympic teams last year, continues to attract the top riders in the industry to train at the elite facility.
Kris Klay, General Manager of Michigan’s only private ski club, is very excited about having the International teams return to the club.
“We are very excited about how the O-Park has become a training ground for not only these world-class athletes, but also elite riders everywhere who want to train in a similar environment that they find out west,” said Klay. “We are looking forward to having the International teams training here at the O-Park and preparing for the upcoming U.S. Open Snowboard Championships.”
These top riders are making the journey back to northern Michigan because of the commitment that the Otsego Club has made in creating this unique terrain park and super-pipe. Not only is the park unique to the region, but also the conditioning and maintenance of the O-Park by its designers, Planet Snow Design, is world-class, which is critical for the top boarders and riders to compete and avoid injuries. Planet’s crew is the same crew that designs and builds the top parks and venues around the world for elite competition. This is a big reason why the private ski club is attracting so many of the elite snowboarding athletes.
James Hamilton, one of the top riders from New Zealand, is excited to return to the O-Park.
“The half-pipe is perfect and this is why we come back to train. It is world-class and as good as any pipe you will find in the world,” said Hamilton. “It’s great here because we can stay right here at the resort and the chair lift goes right up alongside the half-pipe making training very efficient. I am looking forward to coming back this season and training here for the remainder of the season.”
For families who love to ski and want to expose their young snowboarding kids to elite riding, the Otsego Club is offering some limited “Test Drive Package” opportunities to board alongside and see these world-class athletes in action. The “Test Drive Weekends” start at $595 for the weekend for a family of four. This includes two-nights lodging, two adult lift tickets, two kids lift tickets, and breakfast daily in the Duck Blind Grille. Lift tickets are good all day Saturday, and all day Sunday.
In addition, the resort also offers a new “Test Drive Membership” opportunity for the public to experience the best in private club skiing and riding along side these top riders. The “Test Drive Membership”, which starts at $395 for a family, allows access to the private club for one-season. Families just have to stay on property and purchase lift tickets each time they visit the club.
To find out more information on the Otsego Club and O-Park and riding along side the world’s top riders, call 800-752-5510 or visit www.otsegoclub.com and www.the-opark.com.
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Kevin Frisch
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About Otsego Ski Club and the O-Park
Founded in 1939, Otsego Ski Club is the oldest private ski club in America and a prominent fixture in Northern Michigan. Otsego Ski Club is a family winter destination with the Midwest’s only full-service private ski facility with 31 runs, five chairlifts, Nordic skiing, and the #1 terrain park in the Midwest.
The O-Park, located at the Otsego Club, is the premier all mountain terrain park in the Midwest. No other resort in the region offers the rails, jibs, jumps, and terrain, as well as the maintenance and conditioning that goes along with having a world-class elite terrain park. In addition to having over 50 rail features and jumps for riders of all skill levels, the O-Park is the only resort east of the Rockies to have a 22-foot Monster Pipe. This Olympic sized half-pipe is attracting top riders from all over the world to train on. When you combine the unique design of the O-Park with the only private ski club in Michigan, you get more time on the slopes for skiing and boarding and less time in the lift lines making it the best place to ski and snowboard in the Midwest.
The Resort offers 117 lodge rooms, suites, and condominiums, over 24,000 square feet of meeting space, and three restaurants including: The award-winning Duck Blind Grille and the Pontresina (a multi-year winner of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence). The Otsego Ski Club is open for limited public access and offers special membership opportunities.
