After four painful delays, Big White Ski Resort is finally set to open for the 2023-24 winter season.
Opening day will be Friday, Dec. 8, which is 60 years to the day after the mountain’s first opening day back in 1963.
“Mother Nature was very kind to us over the last 24 hours and with over 20 cm of Okanagan champagne powder, we now have enough base to now get a few lifts open and a selection of green and blue runs,” said Michael J. Ballingall, senior vice president of the resort.
“We urge all skiers and snowboarders to stay on open runs only. It is early season with marginal conditions. Please ski and ride with extreme caution.”
It’s a serendipitous date with the 60-year anniversary of Big White’s opening day, but Friday’s kick off to the ski season will also help the mountain avoid a record it certainly didn’t want to set.
Ballingall told KelownaNow earlier this week that Dec. 8 is the latest opening day in recent history and that record will fortunately stand for now.
Along with Lara’s Gondola, which opened last Friday, the Ridge Rocket and Plaza chairs will start running this Friday.
All lift tickets will be 50% off until further notice and Big White has also already announced an extension of the season by one week in April.
After the late start, 15 days after originally planned, the mountain will now stay open until Sunday, April 14, instead of its scheduled closing day of Sunday, April 7.
For more information on opening day and to secure your lift tickets or rentals, head on over to the Big White website.
