The holiday season is upon us, and that usually means spending a lot of money to give gifts to others. The spirit of giving is in the air! And that is a wonderful feeling. That is, until you give your avidly skiing sibling a meticulously curated set of patio furniture made of vintage skis, and she returns the favor by gifting you a Battle Hamster (one of the most annoying toys this side of the Furby).
Once the joys (and disappointments) of Christmas, Hanukah, and Festivus are caput for another year, it is time to focus on yourself. The end of the year and the end of the holiday season, New Year’s Eve is the time to let loose, party hard, and DANCE YOURSELF SILLY.
If you’re a skier or snowboarder, New Year’s is also an excellent time to get up to the slopes. Because when it comes to getting your après ski on, it doesn’t get much more après than New Year’s. I’ve compiled a few of the best slopeside parties and events ringing in 2013, and here they are.
Canyons Resort
New Year’s at Canyons in Utah is an all-day event this year. The schedule includes DJs, sleigh rides, fireworks, a Jibbin’ for Juniors Jam Session (tiny shredders jibbing – had I been a jibbing junior, it would have been my mom’s nightmare and my dad’s greatest dream) , and maybe best of all… 2 full hours to interact with Murdock the Moose*. I’m not sure if Murdock is a mascot or a real live moose, but either way, moose time is always a good time. Ring in the New Year at the NYE Black & White Ball.
Mt. Hood Skibowl
This resort in Oregon is where you need to go if you want to ski or snowboard into the New Year. I mean, you can shred at any resort on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, and anywhere that normally offers night skiing will do so on NYE. But the Skibowl is taking said shred to the next level – they will be open all the way until 2 AM. That is way later than I have ever snowboarded, so head to Hood if you wanna do champagne toasts and kiss your sweetheart while linking turns under the stars.
Sunday River
This New England resort is doing it big for New Year’s Eve. Family friendly events begin at 3pm, including a create-your-own hats and noisemakers station for kids, and a pizza party at South Ridge, which is also the best viewing spot for the fireworks show at 8:30. Other events include parties at Tilden Katz, Legends, and the Foggy Goggle (featuring Bernie Worrell of Parliament fame). If you want to get fancy, you can head up the Chondola to a fine dining experience at the mid-mountain lodge, with a five course meal paired with different champagnes from around the globe. I think the raddest event will be Black Diamond Entertainment presents: Soviet Bloc Party, featuring fire, comedy, circus feats, and general gnarliness.
Mammoth Mountain
Get to Mammoth’s Canyon Lodge wearing your high school best for the New Year’s Eve PROM. This 80s themed party will feature performances from big name award winning indie rockers Imagine Dragons, as well as other acts such as White Arrows and Sex Panther. This should be an awesome concert, and if you’re in Mammoth anyway, why not shred some great snow while you’re at it? Take advantage of the “Snow + a Show” packages for a raucous New Year’s Eve and an empty-slopes New Year’s Day (I’m counting on people being too hungover to ski on the 1st).
Snowglobe Music Festival
Okay, this one isn’t technically at a ski resort, but it is in Tahoe, and it is close enough to Sierra-at-Tahoe and Heavenly for you to ski on the same day as seeing big name electronic and dance-funk-rock acts like Beats Antique, Deadmau5, Wiz Khalifa, and Chromeo. The festival runs from December 29th through the 31st, so you have plenty of time to see concerts, party in South Lake Tahoe, and tear it up in the Northern California snow. Chromeo is playing from 11:15pm until 12:30am on New Year’s Eve; when I first saw them in Santa Barbara during college, I was blown away by Dave 1’s ability to play saxophone on his guitar. I’m sure it will be an excellent way to welcome 2013.
Where are you going to be this New Year’s Eve? Will you be toasting and smooching in the snow?
*Note – upon further investigation, I found that Murdock the Moose is a mascot. And he is AWESOME.
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