Vail, CO - Two-time World Cup Overall champion and Vail resident Lindsey Vonn has begun training at home this week alongside Ski & Snowboard Club Vail athletes in the Golden Peak area of Vail Mountain, open only to scheduled ski teams and clubs.


Vail Mountain is slated to open to the public on Friday, Nov. 20.

Lindsey Vonn trains on Vail Mountain on Tuesday. (photo: Vail Resorts)

Earlier this spring the U.S. Forest Service approved the Ski & Snowboard Club Vail-funded installation of automatic snowmaking equipment on Vail Mountain’s Golden Peak. The snowmaking upgrade allows Ski & Snowboard Club Vail athletes and other athletes from around the world the opportunity to train on Vail Mountain during the early season. Teams from Austria, Germany Australia and members from both the men’s and women’s U.S. Ski Teams among others will also be training on Vail Mountain in the coming weeks. The snowmaking upgrade will also provide Vail Mountain with snow to build and open the Golden Peak terrain park to the public as early as mid-December in addition to normal snowmaking priorities on the western side of the mountain.

“The partnership with Ski & Snowboard Club Vail has allowed us to explore new technologies in snowmaking and to host some of the best athletes in the world on Vail Mountain, including Vail’s own Lindsey Vonn,” said Chris Jarnot, chief operating officer of Vail Mountain and senior vice president of Vail Resorts. “The snowmaking upgrade will also put Vail Mountain in great shape for the 2009-2010 season and we’re looking forward to providing an earlier-than-normal terrain park experience for our guests in Golden Peak, keeping with our commitment to providing a premier ski and snowboard experience for our guests.”

Vail is committed to having a terrain park experience available to guests on opening day. Resort officials say that additional details on opening day will be made available closer to Nov. 20.