BY JEFFREY WEIDEL
For snowboarders who like to test drive the latest equipment, this is a three-day stretch at Northstar California that shouldn’t be missed.
Northstar California is hosting the Burton Mountain Festival, which starts Friday (Jan. 23) and concludes Sunday at the Lake Tahoe ski resort off Highway 267 in Truckee.
Northstar says the Burton Mountain Festival is the most extensive, interactive snowboard demo experience in North America. Burton and Northstar welcome guests to try the 2015 Burton snowboard and boot demo fleet free of charge.
New this year we’ll also have a Burton Girls Ride Day, which offers an exciting women-specific day of equipment demos, riding and après-ski activities. Northstar’s kid-and-family-centric Riglet Park will serve as a learning area for children.
In addition, Burton will host a “Party In Your Park” contest series, where riders will compete in teams to win Burton prizes and a chance to compete on the coveted global stage at the 2016 Burton Rail Days event in Tokyo, Japan.
Northstar has state-of-the-art snowmaking system. Despite the lack of snow for nearly a month, the resort continues to offer top-to-bottom slopes – some of the runs are more than a mile in length – accessed by all major chair lifts throughout the mountain.
With temperatures dipping into the 20s during the evenings, mid-winter snow surface conditions continue to welcome skiers and riders of all ability levels.
Northstar is offering a $20 savings per day with advanced reservations of three consecutive days of kids’ group lessons, Kids’ Ultimate 4 semi-private instruction (maximum of four students per class) or children’s snowboard instruction at the world’s only Burton Academy. Guests who reserve more than three consecutive days receive a commemorative gift bag and individualized concierge services.
For more information, visit www.NorthstarCalifornia.com or call 1.800.GO.NORTH (1.800.466.6784).
Jeffrey Weidel can be reached at [email protected]. His winter website is www.tahoeskiworld.com