It’s all downhill for families in the Townships

Owl’s Head appeals to teens, tweens

The downhill areas of the Eastern Townships go all out for families with irresistible programs and prices.

Owl’s Head blends beautiful landscapes, great value and terrific appeal for kids. Well off the beaten track down near the U.S. border, Owl’s Head has added excitement with a new snow park and five more glades. Teens and tweens will go gnarly over the new boarder-cross training zone, part of the Elite Snowboard Club, and the all-terrain school.

Owl’s Head has a lot of skiing, and if you have ripped too many runs, the resort also has opened a clinic featuring therapeutic myo-fascial massage. Owl’s Head is a great buy with a $17.50 pass Tuesdays and Wednesdays for grown-ups and weekend tickets down to $23.50 for juniors.

Also in the Townships, Mont Sutton is going viral for value this season, with special deals for youngsters, oldsters and almost everyone in between. Watch for specials on school PED days and the Familiflex Card, which is a great lift-andlesson deal, valid for parents, grandparents and the little ones. And, if you can arrange to be footloose Mondays, a once-a-week season pass will cost $165.

Sutton is known for its double-diamond mogul steeps and its unparalleled glades, but its newest addition is a kiddies’ dreamland in the Petits Wapitis learning area. Children can play their way through 3D interactive modules that replicate the Rockies with a miniature château and a toy tunnel.

Starting in January and running for seven weeks, Sutton will offer $25 tickets on special days, with camaraderie and perks like loot bags. Tuesdays will be for Le Club 50; the Wednesday Suits & Ties is for men; and on Thursdays, the Divas on Skis get the deal with girlie goodies. Sutton’s Snow School also has introduced customized private lessons for skiers who want to conquer specific terrain and techniques: glades, moguls, racing and my personal, perennial adversary — ice.

“Men don’t think about skiing the same way as women,” said Nadia Baron of Mont Sutton, “so we have different lessons for each.”

Hey, no kidding. Like Venus and Mars, men apparently prefer snow lessons that offer a challenge, with bumps and speed; women like to go slowly, step by step.

So, skiing is like life and love. We knew it all the time.

MONT SUTTON A wintry day in the glades at Mont Sutton in the Eastern Townships.

SEBASTIEN DEBORDES A boarder-cross competition at Owl’s Head overlooking Lake Memphremagog. Owl’s Head will host a provincial boarder-cross event March 9.