It’s not as big as Aspen, but Whistler sure knows how to pack a punch. Besides, size isn’t everything and thousands of gays and lesbians filling the hills with the sound of swishing is pretty impressive.

Skiing in Canada has always been pretty special. There’s more than a little bit of what you fancy and the country is so vast that winter sport happens at both ends of its huge share of the continent. Whistler is North America’s largest resort, arguably its most beautiful and continually voted the Number One Ski Resort on the continent!

Altitude 2002 plans to make the resort rock even more as 2,500 gay and lesbians descend on the town for a week of fun and games, parties, skiing and snowboarding. Highlights include a mountain barbecue, tea dance, beach party, picnics, women’s events, hottubbing, scavenger hunts and the ultimate final blow-out bash, the Snow Ball X featuring some of the hottest DJs on the Circuit.

This year’s event is the tenth anniversary and it’s come along way from its humble beginnings when 200 local gay and lesbians gathered together to celebrate their skiing sexuality. With excellent word of mouth the following years saw the party swell to over 1,000 people and by the fourth year the event had a new name, Altitude and even some sponsorship.

But the focus has always remained the same. It’s about having fun with friends, meeting new people through sport, and the promotion of acceptance and unity

As the website says: “Many elements will once again harmonise-unparalleled slopes, awesome snow, warm sunshine, imaginative events, mind-blowing dance music, and, of course, a diversity of friendly people. On this special year, the weeklong celebration is being conceived as an alignment of the planets. Heavenly bodies from near and far are converging with all their positive energy for a week of sport, fun, and friendship. And the orbital centre for all the action is the beautiful Whistler resort.”

For more information, travel details, photos and ways to book, visit the Altitude website at www.outontheslopes.com.

Altitude 2002
Whistler Resort, British Columbia, Canada
2-11 February 2002

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