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The chairlifts are officially running at Big White Ski Resort for the 2020/2021 season.
However, the Okanagan’s beloved ski hill has been operating since 1963 when Cliff Serwa and Doug Mervyn opened Big White with “one T-Bar and big dreams.”
In the coming years, the mountain opened the Ridge Chair in 1971, followed by the Easter Chair in 1976 and the Powder Chair in 1979.
Old Kelowna recently shared a trail map from 1978 that paints a fun picture of the growing mountain where an adult day pass was $9 at the time.
Those familiar with this mountain's current trail map will recognize the black diamond "Dragon's Tongue" and the blue cruiser 'Roller Coaster" runs, which can still be enjoyed today via the Snow Ghost and Ridge Rocket lifts.
As the years progressed, the Schumann family purchased Big White in 1985 with the goal of increasing skier capacity and offering new skiing terrain.
In 1986, Big White installed The Plaza, which became the first quad chair lift in BC, followed by the Ridge Rocket in 1989, the Bullet in 1990 and the Falcon Chair in 1992.
With a vertical drop of 777 meters (2,550 ft), Big White now boasts nearly 2,800 acres of skiable terrain and has become the second most popular resort in BC.
You can check out KelownaNow's daily snow reports for the mountain by clicking here.
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