Mount Peter joins Learn to Ski or Snowboard Guinness World Record event

WARWICK — There are no final figures at this time but on Friday, Jan. 8, more than 160 resorts across the United States, including Mount Peter Ski Area, hosted a Guinness Book of World Records event in hopes of setting a joint record.

Hundreds of beginners participated in the national contest for the Largest Ski or Snowboard lesson taking place that day at 10 a.m. local time.

The current record for the world largest multi-venue ski lesson is 594 and the multi-venue snowboard record is 500.

This year's World Record event was sponsored by the organizers of the Learn to Ski and Snowboard Initiative from the ski and snowboard industry including national, regional and state associations, resorts, industry trade media, retailers, and product-suppliers.

The event also served as the kick-off for the Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month, which is January.

Mount Peter, which, thanks to its extraordinary snow making capability, officially opened for day and night skiing on Jan. 3, offered a special lift ticket for $10 and a free beginner group lesson.

Ten students signed up for ski lessons and eight students, some of whom were already skiers, elected to try snowboarding.

"We hoped for more, said Mount Peter Marketing Director Carol Forshay, "but a light turnout was expected considering the day of the week, a Friday. If it had been a Saturday or Sunday, we know that we would have had at least 50 or more."

Forshay added that this lesson event was an attempt to bring awareness to the sport.

"Unlike something like soccer or football learned in school," she said, "skiing and snowboarding can last a lifetime."

For more information about learning to ski or snowboard at Mount Peter call 986-4940 or visit www.mtpeter.com.

- Roger Gavan