Six Days of All Things Snow Schusses into Denver for Mile High SnowFest, January 25-30

News provided by

VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau

Jan 26, 2011, 12:05 ET

DENVER, Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- From the world's largest snow sports tradeshow to the first North American staging of Big Air, Denver is all about snow for Mile High SnowFest, Jan. 25-30, 2011.

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Kicking it off is the high-flying acrobatics of Denver Big Air, a 106-foot high, 600,000 pound ski ramp that has been built in the center of downtown Denver. Big Air has been staged in Rotterdam, Moscow, London, Seoul and Barcelona, but this is the first time it has been held in the U.S.

Competitors will climb 14 flights of stairs to the top of the scaffolding, then launch themselves down a 40-degree slope, hitting speeds of 25 mph. Midway down, they fly off a kicker ramp, and get thrown 30 feet into the air where they will perform 360s, 720s and 900s along with their best airs, spins, grabs and, flips for World Cup™ ranking points and a share of the prize purse. If the International Olympic™ Committee votes to include a slopestyle event in the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, these boarders could be competing in the next Olympics.

Opening night, Tuesday, Jan. 25, featured the Nature Valley Big Air Challenge, a skiing big air event showcasing some of the best male skiers in the world, followed by a concert from Grammy®-nominated Switchfoot. Day two, Wednesday, Jan. 26, will feature the LG FIS World Cup Snowboard Big Air, a World Cup sanctioned event that includes an international roster of the top male snowboarders from around the globe, followed by Colorado's own One Republic. Ticket info: http://www.denversports.org/denverbigair-tickets.html

From Jan. 27-30, Denver will host the SnowSports Industries America (SIA) Snow Show, the world's largest snow sports tradeshow. The four-day tradeshow at the Colorado Convention Center attracts 19,000 snow sport retailers, manufacturers, and decision-makers. The show is expected to generate more than $30 million of spending in the metro area.

With a town full of snow sports enthusiasts, Denver is rolling out the "white carpet" with a variety of other events, including free ice skating at the downtown Southwest Rink at Skyline Park. Historic Larimer Square will host a first-time outdoor exhibit from Something Independent, featuring artwork from the top boutique ski and board companies, as well as original works from local artists. Complimentary pedicabs will whisk skiers and boarders from the convention center to Denver Pavilions downtown shopping, while parties rock on at a variety of clubs and venues, including Icelantic presenting Big Boi at the Ogden Theatre and TransWorld's hosting of Rebelution at the Fillmore.

Clips from the award winning ski movie "The Way I See It" from Matchstick Productions will show for free on Denver Pavilions' giant outdoor LED screens. Watch the best of the best execute spectacular big air tricks on massive jumps, including Denver's own two-time X-Games® gold medalist Bobby Brown. The Ski Channel Film Festival will be staged in the Colorado Convention Center, showing films throughout the week.

More than 30 restaurants and bars are offering drink specials, give-aways and snow-oriented fun. For information on all events, go to: www.milehighsnowfest.com.

About VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau

Celebrating more than 100 years of promoting the Mile High City, VISIT DENVER is a nonprofit trade association that contracts with the City of Denver to market Denver as a convention and leisure destination, increasing economic development in the city, creating jobs and generating taxes. Tourism is the second largest industry in Denver, generating $2.8 billion in annual spending in 2009, while supporting 50,000 jobs. Learn more about Denver at VISITDENVER.com, on Twitter @IKnowDenver and Facebook.com/VisitDenver, or by phone at 800 2 DENVER.

SOURCE VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau