Keystone Resort Embraces Summer, June 15-17, with a Weekend of Family Fun
KEYSTONE, Colo. — May 28, 2012 — In celebration of longer days, warmer temperatures and outdoor activities, Keystone Resort has a summer season of entertainment, excitement and adventure on tap, beginning with Opening Weekend, June 15-17. Guests will enjoy the seasonal opening of activities including the Keystone Bike Park, scenic lift rides and the family-friendly Adventure Park, as well as a weekend schedule of events and entertainment including live music in River Run Village, a children’s Strider Cup balance bike competition, a BMX showcase and the debut of the new Keystone Bike Park pump track. Setting the tone for a summer season that will be filled with animated events, exciting competitions and plenty of outdoor recreation, Keystone’s Opening Weekend is the perfect sampling of summer fun in the High Country.
Opening Weekend Celebration, June 15-17, Keystone Mountain and River Run Village
Guests will enjoy Opening Weekend perks including free hot chocolate and donuts beginning at 8am each morning at the River Run Gondola, free children’s fishing derby at 9am on Sunday and free bike inspections all weekend at Keystone Sports. For equipment that needs a few tweaks or a complete tune before hitting the mountain, Keystone Sports will offer 10% off tunes from their trained technicians. Live music from the River Run Village stage is free 1pm-3pm on Saturday and Sunday with prime seating available on the patio of 9280’ Tap House. Daily entertainment will include a children’s Strider Bike competition on Saturday, 9:30am-12pm, free to all participants, and a free BMX stunt show featuring former America’s Got Talent contestants Yellow Designs BMX, 10am-12pm on Sunday. For guests looking to stock up on clothing and gear for the season ahead, the River Run merchants will be hosting a Tent Sale, Friday through Sunday, all day.
The weekend celebration will also include the first Friday Afternoon Club gathering of the season, with free lift access 2pm-7pm. The Summit House will be animated with free live music and lawn games, as well as drink and food specials. Free lift tickets may be picked up at the River Run Ticket office, next to the River Run Gondola.
For those guests looking to challenge their strength, endurance and skills, Keystone will host the first in a new series of Ascent Races, Friday, June 15 at 5:30pm. Competitors will race the clock UPHILL, tackling a grueling vertical course that will have legs and lungs burning. Riders of all abilities are welcome to compete for personal glory and the cash prizes that will be awarded to the top three finishers in both men’s and women’s categories. Complete race information is available online.
If a 2,000-foot uphill climb isn’t your style, Keystone’s two award-winning golf courses offer a more leisurely form of outdoor recreation. The Keystone Ranch course will open for the season Friday, June 1, joining the Keystone River Course to offer a combined 36 spectacular holes conveniently located to all of Keystone’s family-friendly summer activities and numerous lodging options. Both courses offer breathtaking mountain views in Keystone’s comfortable mountain climate, with temperatures rarely exceeding 75 degrees. All Keystone Golf pricing and tee time reservations are available online.
For those with a competitive swing, the Keystone “We’re Open Open” will be held Sunday, June 17 at the Keystone Ranch Course. This fun-filled day of good natured competition will include $3000 in prizes plus the chance to have an engraved spot on the coveted We’re Open Open trophy. Reservations are required by Friday, June 15, entry fee is $130 per person and play begins at 9am on Sunday, June 17.
New Activities and Events at Keystone Resort for Summer 2012:
- Pump Track Park—a newly designed mountain bike park that will include rollers, banks and features for youngsters and beginners that wish to practice their skills before hitting the mountain. The park will also offer two small single track loops in the surrounding wooded area, giving newcomers to the sport the chance to learn and improve basic skills that will translate to the more challenging downhill terrain offered in Keystone’s Mountain Bike Park. Located in the former Gold Bug parking lot, the park offers easy access to and from both the River Run Gondola and Village areas. All features are free and will be open daily beginning June 15.
- Keystone Ascent Series—an uphill race against the clock, riders will compete to nab the fastest time and a cash reward. Race one or all three of the series races for a chance at the overall title. Dates: Friday, June 15 (Ascent #1). Friday, July 20 (Ascent #2). Friday, August 17 (Ascent #3). Race start-time: 5:30pm at the base of River Run trail/Summit X lift. Check-In: Gondola Plaza, 3pm-5pm. Minimum age is 14. Cash prizes for top three men and women for each event as well as series overall. Entry-fee: $15/race or $38.25 for series (no bike load ticket necessary). For online registration: www.bikekeystone.eventbrite.com
- Keystone Enduro Series—a downhill mountain bike race that allows competitors to choose their own route and compete against the clock and the pack. Participants will begin at the top of Dercum Mountain in a mass start before tackling their chosen line in hopes of being the fastest to the bottom. Individual event and series overall prizes offered to the top three men and women. Dates: Thursday, June 21 (Enduro #1). Thursday, July 19 (Enduro #2). Thursday, August 16 (Enduro #3). Race start-time: 6pm at the top of Dercum Mountain (top of the River Run Gondola/Summit X lift). Check-In: Gondola Plaza, 3:30pm-5:30pm. Minimum age is 14. Entry-fee: $15/race or $38.25 for series. Bike-Haul Ticket required for all competitors: $16 for a single haul ticket or $20 for an all-day haul ticket. For online registration: www.bikekeystone.eventbrite.com
- Time For Nine—perfect for those days when you just can’t fit in a whole round of golf, Keystone’s two championship courses, The Ranch Course and The River Course, offer affordable rates for nine holes of play. Offered daily with same-day tee times prior to 2pm, Time for Nine is a great way to enjoy some time on the greens without taking up the whole day. Call 800-464-3494 for pricing and availability.
For more information about Keystone Resort, visit keystoneresort.com or call (877) 204-7889. Follow the resort at @keystonemtn on Twitter or at www.Facebook.com/Keystone.
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Keystone Media Contacts
Laura Parquette, (970) 496-4107, (970) 333-3437, lparquette@vailresorts.com
Tucker Vest Burton, (970) 496-4065, (970) 485-2444, tburton@vailresorts.com
About Vail Resorts
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading mountain resort operator in the United States. The Company's subsidiaries operate the mountain resort properties of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone mountain resorts in Colorado, and the Heavenly Ski Resort and Northstar California in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada, and the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Company's subsidiary, RockResorts, a luxury resort property and hotel company, manages casually elegant properties. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning, development and construction subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is www.snow.com.