Saturday, January 23, 2010

Sunridge Ski Area


What you see is not what you get at Sunridge Ski Area in Edmonton. As you drive down 17th street towards the hill, it looks like a small recreation area with only one lift. In reality, the backside of the mountain hosts the majority of its trails which cannot be seen from the highway! Sunridge is located only 4 blocks south of the Yellowhead highway right in the city of Edmonton. It has 1 triple chair, 2 T-bars, 1 rope tow, 1 cable tow and a carpet lift. There are 14 total trails at Sunridge which breakdown into 30% beginner, 45% intermediate and 25% advanced.

Sunridge caters mainly to those learning how to ski and is a great place for family recreation. It has the largest bunny hill in the Edmonton area and you are able to access it via 3 different lifts. A large portion of Sunridge’s weekday crowd comes from city school programs therefore the extremely roomy bunny hill is a huge advantage since it provides a comfortable and spacious area for students to learn to ski and snowboard. It also has a terrain park for those who like to try their skills on a sequence of rails and jumps. Click here to get more information on the Sunridge terrain park.

What you may not know about Sunridge?

Sunridge now has a chairlift! Two years ago, operators decided to tear down one of the T-bars and install a fixed grip, 3 person chairlift. It is a super comfortable ride and is a great option for those who are not comfortable or experienced enough to ride the T-bars.

Sunridge also has the only tube park in the Edmonton area. The tube park here is a great thrill and a super fun place for families to spend the day or evening together. You can also book tubing parties for you and your friends.

Top 5 reasons to visit Sunridge Ski Area

1. Great place to learn to ski/snowboard

There is a wide variety of terrain at this resort but the majority of runs are geared towards those that are learning. The large beginner bunny hill provides lots of space to practice turns and can hold a huge amount of skiers and snowboarders. Sunridge also offers a wide variety of lessons and rental gear if you're keen on getting started. Click here for more information on lessons at Sunridge.

2. Location

Being right in the city of Edmonton is a huge advantage for locals. Sunridge is only 4 blocks away from the Yellowhead highway so the commute is minimal from all quadrants of the city. Click here for directions to Sunridge Ski Area.

3. Snow tubing

Sunridge’s tubing park has 3 groomed runs and its own tubing lift so you don’t have walk back up the hill. They also provide special tubes for the park so you don’t have to worry about renting or bringing your own gear. There’s no better winter activity available! For more information on snow tubing at Sunridge click here.

4. Hours of operation

Sunridge Ski Area is open 7 days/week! There is night skiing available on weeknights and you can get a lift ticket for only $10 from 7pm to close. The hill is also open weekends from 9:30am – 5pm for those who are too busy to make it out during the week. Click here for full operation hours and information on passes.

5. Atmosphere

The comfort of the atmosphere at Sunridge is remarkable. Everybody has a smile on their face and a sparkle in their eye. The staff here are very friendly and it is obvious that ski school employees truly have a passion for teaching and being out on the snow. If you haven’t had the chance to visit Sunridge Ski Area, get out and do it, you’ll be glad you did!

Congratulations to Mitchell Smith who was our Go Big! Contest winner and took home a pair of lift tickets for Sunridge Ski Area. Also a huge thank you to Sawridge Inn & Suites, Edmonton South for providing my accommodation during my visit to Sunridge Ski Area. Amazing hospitality and amazing staff!

To view more pictures of Sunridge Ski Area, become a fan of “Ski Alberta” on Facebook.

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