Liberty partners with Wintergreen Resort to promote ski slope activities

Wintergreen Resort, on the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains less than 90 minutes from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., is partnering with LU to help students perfect their skiing and snowboarding techniques before the grand opening of the university’s artificial ski slope — the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Center — later this year.

“This is a great partnership,” said Jay Roberts, Wintergreen’s vice president of mountain operations. “Working together, Wintergreen and Liberty will be able to provide year-round sliding fun for individuals, groups and families in our region.”

For the rest of the 2008-09 ski season, Wintergreen is offering a series of discounts for LU students, faculty and staff and LU Student Activities is sponsoring special trips.

The purpose is of the partnership is two-fold, said Lee Beaumont, LU’s director of auxiliary services.

“We are working with Wintergreen to promote skiing in the region and leverage our two facilities toward that goal. In addition, Student Activities is making not only on-campus amenities available to students, but regional attractions, as well.”

He said Central Virginia has “an enormous amount of local and regional facilities that appeal to a great number of our students” and Liberty’s goal is to make those opportunities available and affordable for the Liberty University community.

“Next [ski] season, the Liberty Snowboard and Skiing Club team will utilize Wintergreen as well as the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Center as training facilities,” he added.

At Wintergreen, all LU students can buy a rental and lesson combo package — ski/snowboard season pass, a rental pass and three 75-minute lessons — for $300, a 42 percent discount. (Students can schedule their own lesson times on Thursday evenings.) All Liberty students, faculty and staff who present their LU ID can receive a season and rental pass for $149 and $99, respectively.

Wintergreen is also offering special discounts on group lessons, lift tickets and rentals for organized LU trips. Liberty University Student Activities has rented out Wintergreen’s entire tubing area on Feb. 26. During the two-hour session, 200 students can experience an exhilarating ride as they barrel down the hills of the Plunge Tubing Park for just $5 per person. Along with tubing, the resort also offers skiing and riding trips.

One-day lift ticket and tubing vouchers can also be purchased for $35 during the midweek (non-holiday) and $50 on weekends for any single session. Compared with the actual window price, it is a savings of $12-$15 each visit. The vouchers are on sale at the LaHaye Student Union.