For more information contact:  Lisa Marshall, 608/267-3773

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SNOW TUBING REIGNS AS THE LATEST “MUST HAVE” FOR WISCONSIN SKI AREAS, RESORTS

MADISON, Wis. (October 17, 2007) - Snow tubing is the latest rage changing the face of traditional downhill and snow boarding areas and even hotels and resorts. It’s easy to see why snow tubing is one of the fastest growing trends in the winter sports industry. As the modern day equivalent to classic sledding, anyone can enjoy snow tubing regardless of age or experience. No expensive equipment is necessary because tubing hills provide their own tubes. And gone are the days of trudging up a steep hill, sled or toboggan in tow, as conveyor belts, tow ropes and other mechanical conveniences offer a high tech solution to whisk sledders to the top for their next ride.

Many tubing hills offer specially graded and groomed chutes and lanes to create a thrilling downhill ride with a safe stop at the end. Not to mention most of the state’s tubing hills come paired with snowmaking equipment for those times when Mother Nature just doesn’t cooperate with vacation plans. Tubing also offers another winter activity for family members of any age who don’t ski or snowboard.

Hotels and resorts are getting into the action by investing in snow tubing hills. The Wilderness Hotel, Golf Resort and Waterpark followed in the footsteps of another resort, Telemark Resort and Convention Center, when it opened a snow tubing hill complete with snow making machines at its Glacier Canyon Lodge in the winter of 2007.

Here’s a list of Wisconsin’s top snow tubing parks:

Badlands Sno-Park, Hudson

Badlands Sno-Park doesn’t use chutes or lanes which allows for free-range tubing. Tubers can start with the Bunny Hill and work their way up to the Monkey Tail for a long curving slope that leaves sledders just steps from the towrope. Daily grooming at Badlands provides a safe and fun family activity at this alcohol free facility. 715/386-1856; www.badlands-snopark.com 

Cascade Mountain Ski & Snowboard Area, Portage

A brand new Magic Carpet Lift, much akin to a moving sidewalk, returns riders and tubes to the top in record time. Parents can tube double and tow a young child behind them in a smaller tube. Cascade Mountain also recently expanded their snow tubing warming hut for the comfort of their guests. 1-800-992-2754; www.cascademountain.com

Christie Mountain, Bruce

Choose from six groomed chutes that start with easy and gentle up to white knuckle cruising over the bumps and jumps of the fast lane. Christie Mountain provides 150 snow tubes including smaller ones for little riders. 715/868-7800; www.christiemountain.com

Mont du Lac Snow Sports, Superior

Mont du Lac has a new tubing area with four lanes, 90 tubes and lighting for nighttime sledding. A handle tow gets tubers to their next ride in minutes. 218/626-3797; www.skimontdulac.com

Nordic Mountain Ski, Snowboard and Tubing Area, Mt. Morris

Slide down chutes at speeds approaching 40 mph at the new Stoneridge Tubing Park. The park was designed to provide exciting tubing thrills and speeds with its 90-foot vertical drop and lots of large rollers while still maintaining a safe ride. Riders remain in their tube, which is attached to a special tubing lift, for their return trip to the top. 1-800-253-7266; www.nordicmountain.com

Telemark Resort & Convention Center, Cable

Telemark Resort & Convention Center invested in snow machines and tow ropes for onsite snow tubing. Two starting points give tubers the option of different descents. Slope time and tube use are all included in their Tubing/Snowboard pass.

1-877-798-4718; www.telemarkresort.com

Sunburst Ski Area, Kewaskum

Reach speeds in excess of 40 miles per hour as tubes whisks riders down one of several 900-foot long chutes, each with a 10-story drop. Their 540’ long Magic Carpet Ride expedites the climb to the top. 262/626-8404; www.skisunburst.com

Trollhaugen Ski Resort, Dresser

Show your ski lift ticket and get a special 1-hour tube ticket for the same day at a cost of only $5. Varied levels of rollers and pitch, plus a moving walkway, make tubing fun and easy. 1-800-826-7166; www.trollhaugen.com

Wilderness Hotel, Golf Resort and Waterpark, Wisconsin Dells

The Wilderness Resort is rubbing shoulders with the ski areas with its recently opened snow tubing hill at their Glacier Canyon Lodge property. Three lanes, each 700 feet long, and a tow rope provide outdoor fun for indoor waterpark visitors ready to dry off and hit the snow. Double and single tubes are provided and three snow guns ensure the hill is always ready to go.

1-800-867-9453; www.wildernessresort.com

Weekly Wisconsin snow conditions reports and free travel-planning guides, including the 2007-08 Fall/Winter Calendar of Events, are available by visiting TravelWisconsin.com or calling the Wisconsin Department of Tourism at 1-800-432-TRIP/8747. Travelers can also obtain free guides and information at the Wisconsin Welcome Centers, located in select state-border cities.

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