A gay ski week is scheduled in Park City from Wednesday until Sunday, arriving shortly after the busy three-day Presidents Day weekend and just before spring break vacationers are expected to converge on the community.
The annual Elevation Utah is in its 13th year and involves skiing and snowboarding in the day and parties at night. The gathering is slated to begin Wednesday afternoon with an apres ski event on Main Street followed by three days on the slopes. A drag brunch and farewell apres ski are slated for Sunday.
The Park Record was unable to contact organizers. The Elevation Utah website says most of the events are sold out, noting capacity limits at the various venues where they are scheduled to be held.
The website outlines coronavirus policies, saying “It is important to remember that neither Elevation nor the venues where we operate our events are responsible for local, city or state COVID policies and regulations.” Elevation Utah says itself and venues “will abide by current local and government regulations for entry to bars/restaurants and public events in effect at the time and date the event is being held.” The website also explains people in attendance assume the risk of possibly being exposed to infectious diseases like the coronavirus.
Elevation Utah, meanwhile, lists eight lodging properties in the Park City area that are offering discounted rates for the event. They include luxury hotels on the slopes, a place in Old Town and properties further from the resort base areas.
There are two other gay ski weeks under the Elevation umbrella — one in Mont Tremblant in Canada and the other in Mammoth Mountain, California. The event at Mammoth Mountain is scheduled in March while the one in Canada is next scheduled in 2024.
Elevation Utah in the years prior to the pandemic typically drew between 1,000 and 1,500 people. The projected attendance for the event this year was not known early in the week. The sold-out status of many of the events points toward solid numbers, though.
“Elevation has a special place in my heart, not only because it is the longest running event I have produced, but because each year I meet amazing people from around the world who share at least one of my passions – skiing/snowboarding and gathering with my LGBTQ community,” founder Tom Whitman said in an online posting. “Elevation is populated by friendly, fun, sexy guys and girls. Every year since the first event, I have made new friends that I treasure to this day. There is only one recommendation I have for first-time Elevation attendees: Be open to meeting new people and making new friends, and make an effort to say hello to someone you don’t know.”
There are sometimes scattered decorations in Park City marking gay ski week. In the past there have been several rainbow-colored pride flags on display at businesses along Main Street, for example.
Elevation Utah attendees are not known to heavily delve into political matters while in the state, but the event will unfold during the Republican-controlled Legislature’s annual session. State lawmakers this year passed a bill placing restrictions on transgender medical treatments and procedures for minors. Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, signed the bill into law in late January.
Elevation Utah this year coincides with another event, called Queerski, which is a fundraiser benefitting the Wasatch Back LGBTQ+ community. And a Pride Parade is scheduled to be held on the Park City Mountain slopes midday on Saturday.