Sugar Bowl Resort, which pioneered California skiing in 1939 with Tahoe's first chairlift, will celebrate its 70th season with three days of events this weekend.

Since 1939, Sugar Bowl Resort has offered some of the finest skiing and riding in the Tahoe region. To celebrate 70 years atop Donner Summit, the venerable resort will host a weekend of festivities January 29th – 31st, including special lift ticket rates, prize giveaways, apres music, on-mountain trivia challenges and an official opening ceremony for the new Summit Chair. Local favorites Truckee Tribe will play the Judah Lodge on Saturday afternoon, and Sugar Bowl’s own Daron Rahlves will race toward SkierX gold at the X Games in Aspen with special viewing parties at the Judah Lodge.

Opening for business on December 15, 1939 with a light layer of snow and the first chairlift in California, Sugar Bowl’s founders were true pioneers of Tahoe skiing. Lift tickets that first season were 25 cents to ride up and down, or $2 if you were skiing Mount Disney. Founder Hannes Schroll envisioned a European-style ski resort filled with family and friends, great food and drink, and of course exceptional skiing. Schroll’s vision is now a reality, with 13 lifts servicing four distinct peaks, 95 trails across 1,500 acres, three progressive terrain parks, a historic base-area Lodge, and a staff dedicated to the guest’s experience. Sugar Bowl still boasts the highest annual snowfall in North Lake Tahoe with 500” on average.

Sugar Bowl’s Season 70 Celebration Weekend:
Friday, January 29th
To kick things off, Friday January 29th is a CORE Appreciation day with lift tickets just $39 for Daily CORE members. Anyone can join the CORE by simply visiting www.sugarbowl.com. Skier X qualifying runs will be showing in the Judah Lodge from 11:00am–12:30pm with special prizes tied to Daron’s results.

Saturday, January 30th
On Saturday, January 30th Sugar Bowl officially recognizes the opening of the new Summit Chair, a fixed grip quad accessing the frontside Judah Bowl and ample sidecountry terrain off the backside of the resort. An official ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Summit Chair will occur at 10:00 sharp, complete with recognitions for those that helped make the lift a reality. Previously accessible only by hiking, the Judah Bowl offers expert glade, chute and wide-open bowl skiing and riding. The new Backcountry Adventure Center, operated by IFMGA-certified Bela Vadasz and his guides at Alpine Skills International, will offer professionally-guided powder tours, avalanche safety educational seminars and guided “Lake Runs” from Sugar Bowl to Donner Lake below. And with music and dancing a staple of the old days at the resort, in true founder’s fashion Sugar Bowl welcomes local favorites Truckee Tribe to rock the Judah Lodge on Saturday afternoon from 1:00 – 5:00pm. In The Village, local singer songwriter Daron Talbot will entertain in the Lodge.

Sunday, January 31st
With ample history, legend and lore at the ready, Sugar Bowl presents an on-mountain trivia challenge on Sunday January 31st. Skiers and riders will receive trivia challenge sheets at both base areas, needing to tap into their expertise on all things Sugar Bowl in order to answer the vast and varied trivia questions, with answers ultimately pointing them to secret stash areas of the mountain where prizes await. And should Sugar Bowl’s Daron Rahlves advance to the X-Games Finals, a special X-Games viewing party will be in the Judah Lodge from 9:00–11:15am with prize giveaways tied to overall performance and results.

A new chairlift, great prizes, après music, good friends, great conditions, and a 70th birthday bash.

For more information visit sugarbowl.com or call (530) 426-9000.