Olympians Are Coming to Otsego Ski Club

Olympic Snowboard Athletes will train this winter at Otsego’s 22-foot Super Pipe
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GAYLORD, Mich., November 12, 2009 – The Otsego Ski Club, Michigan’s only private ski club, will host some of the world’s top Olympic snowboard athletes training for the February 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Top board riders from teams from the United States, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand will gather at the club in Gaylord, Michigan for practice sessions through December and January. The primary attraction to the Otsego club is the facility’s 22-foot pipe, the largest east of the Rockies. The pipe is very similar to the one they will perform on at the Olympics.

Otsego Ski Club members and guests will have a unique opportunity to “shred” alongside some of the world’s best riders in a perfectly manicured pipe, maintained by Pat Malendoski of Planet Snow Design. Malendoski and his Planet Snow team designed and built Otsego’s 22-foot pipe. They created similar snowboard facilities for prior Olympic and national championship sites.

The Midwest’s only 22-foot Olympic style pipe and the seclusion and privacy offered by the Otsego Ski Club made for a perfect training site for these top snowboarding teams from around the world to train.

“We are very excited to have some of the top snowboarding talent in the world utilizing our facility for their training,” said Mike Biber, owner and managing partner of Osprey S.A. Ltd., the owner of the Otsego Ski Club. “For these teams to select Otsego Ski Club and come to northern Michigan for the first time ever to train, is a testament to the hard work and dedication that Planet and the Otsego Ski Club have put forth in creating the facilities, snow conditions, and atmosphere needed for these world-class athletes.”

Working closely with Planet, Otsego Ski Club has invested in significant improvements to its terrain, snowmaking, and equipment, making a reality of its ambition to host these top Olympic snowboarders. The season opens in late December for Otsego’s members and guests who will have access to the 22-foot pipe throughout the entire season.

The monster pipe isn’t the only attraction for Otsego’s skiers and snowboarders. With three separate terrain parks and a full-length boarder-cross course, the O-Park has fun for every rider. This unique park is similar to some of the great terrain parks snowboarding enthusiasts find out West at places like Park City, Winter Park, and Vail.

In addition to its terrain park rails and boxes, Otsego, with Planet’s expertise, developed an indoor skate bowl that will be open all season. The skate bowl, a favorite among kids and boarders, will be located in the special events center.

For more information about the Otsego Ski Club and how you can snowboard next to these top Olympians, call 1-800-752-5510 or visit www.otsegoclub.com.

Media Contact:

Fusion Media Strategies
Kevin Frisch
(989) 614-0241
kevin@fusionmediastrategies.com

About Otsego Ski Club

Founded in 1939, Otsego Ski Club is the oldest private ski club in America and has been a prominent fixture in northern Michigan ever since. Otsego Ski Club is a family winter destination, boasting the Midwest’s only full-service private ski facility with 31 runs, five chairlifts, tubing, Nordic skiing, and the #1 terrain park in the Midwest.

In addition, 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.