Location: Whistler Blackcomb
Publication Date: Tue, 08 May 2007 10:00:00 EDT
WHISTLER, BC –Three weeks ago, Whistler Blackcomb announced the revolutionary Peak to Peak Gondola, a record-setting project that will allow the resort to continue to offer an experience to visitors like no other in the world. Today it was announced that IMG, the world’s premier and most diversified sports, entertainment and media company, was named as the exclusive sales agent for the naming rights to the historic project.
In addition to its well-known work marketing world-class events and top personalities, IMG works with many of the best known corporate brands to connect them with prestigious sponsorship opportunities around the world.
“We are thrilled to be teaming up with Intrawest to find the naming rights partner for this world-class project,” said Brad Pelletier, Vice President and Managing Director of IMG Canada. “In our mind, the Peak to Peak Gondola will be recognized as an engineering marvel and a true landmark, much like a Golden Gate Bridge or CN Tower. It offers a very exciting opportunity for companies to be a part of the history that this project will make.
The Peak to Peak Gondola will unite Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, setting records for length and height, while providing an unmatched experience for winter and summer resort guests. The Peak to Peak Gondola will travel 4.4 kilometres in just 11 minutes, transporting winter and summer guests from Whistler's Roundhouse Lodge to the Rendezvous Lodge on Blackcomb Mountain, giving them unprecedented access to both mountains' expansive and unique high alpine terrain and spectacular vistas.
“The Peak to Peak Gondola will be a key to Whistler Blackcomb’s future, and the corporate naming rights will be an important part of the project’s success,” said David Brownlie, Whistler Blackcomb’s Chief Operating Officer. “IMG’s global influence and demonstrated success made them the ideal company to lead the search for the right corporate partner for the Peak to Peak Gondola project.”
With 28 sky cabins each holding up to 28 people, total capacity will be 4,100 passengers per hour. The Peak to Peak terminal on Whistler Mountain will be located next to the Roundhouse Lodge and easily accessed from the valley by the Village Gondola. On Blackcomb Mountain the Peak to Peak terminal will be located next to the Rendezvous Lodge and accessed from the valley via the Wizard Express and Solar Coaster Express.
Construction will commence in May 2007, with the lift being manufactured and installed by the Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group (Doppelmayr) of Austria. The Doppelmayr 3S tri-cable gondola will span 4.4 kilometres (2.73 miles) in total distance from Whistler Mountain to Blackcomb Mountain with the world's longest unsupported (free) span of 3.024 kilometres (1.88 miles) between the two
towers furthest apart. The highest vertical point is over Fitzsimmons Creek at 415 metres (1,361 feet) - the world's greatest distance above a valley floor.
Consistently ranked as North America's top ski and snowboard resort, Whistler Blackcomb continues to raise the level of mountain excitement for its guests, and has introduced the Symphony Express, a new high speed quad accessing further into Whistler Mountain's spectacular high alpine this season.
Located a scenic two-hour drive north of Vancouver up the spectacular 'Sea to Sky' Highway, this resort is home to the continent's two greatest vertical-rise ski mountains - Whistler and Blackcomb. With over 17 alpine bowls, four glaciers, 200 trails, 8,171 acres of skiable terrain and a one mile vertical rise, the choices of where and what to ski/ride at Whistler Blackcomb from beginner to advanced terrain are staggering. Joined at the base by a vibrant pedestrian village filled with restaurants, patios, cafes, shops, galleries and spas, and surrounded by breathtaking scenery, this four season resort is spectacular. Check it all out at www.whistlerblackcomb.com.
About Intrawest
Intrawest is a world leader in experiential destination resorts. The company has interests in eleven resorts at North America's most popular mountain destinations including Whistler Blackcomb, a host venue for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Intrawest network also includes Canadian Mountain Holidays, the largest heli-skiing operation in the world, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Florida and Club Intrawest - a private resort club with nine locations throughout North America. In addition, Intrawest develops real estate at its resorts and at other locations across North America and in Europe. Intrawest is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. For more information, visit www.intrawest.com
About IMG
IMG is the world's premier Sports, Entertainment and Media Company. IMG is a diversified global business with two major business segments: IMG Sports & Entertainment, and IMG Media. IMG employs over 2,600 people in 30 countries. Forstmann Little & Co. purchased IMG in 2004.
IMG Sports & Entertainment includes: consulting services; event ownership and management; fashion events and models representation; licensing; golf course design; client representation in golf, tennis, broadcasting, speakers, European football, rugby, cricket, motorsports, coaching, Olympic sports and action sports. In addition, IMG Academies is the world's largest and most advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport training and educational facility, delivering world-class sports training experiences to over 12,000 junior, collegiate, adult and professional athletes each year.
IMG Media, which includes our content production subsidiaries TWI, Darlow Smithson Productions (DSP) and Tiger Aspect Productions (TAP), is recognized as a global leader in the delivery of traditional and new media content and services, with Internet, broadband and mobile expertise, transforming how audiences access and interact with content.
IMG Media produces and distributes over 11,000 hours of sports, documentary, drama, comedy, entertainment, popular factual and children’s content annually, over multiple platforms across 220 countries, including award-winning television and radio programming. It also represents the broadcast rights to many of the world's premier sporting events and has the world’s biggest sports archive with more than 250,000 hours of footage.