What's With The UK's Canadian Resort Romance?

Panorama Mountain Resort has a not-so-secret admirer: the Brits. In 2016, Panorama won the coveted title of North American Resort of the Year at the World Snow Awards, held in London, England. Established five years ago, the awards recognize the very best companies, brands and resorts in the ski and snowboard industry.

At the same awards, the outdoor store Snow+Rock received Best UK Snowsports Retailer. Following this victory, the store chose to fill the pages of their most recent catalogue with images of Panorama's alpine character and incredible views. "We already knew the setting was spectacular and authentic," says Inga Taylor, Marketing Manager, SNOW+ROCK, "so it only made sense to pack up our team of nine and spend ten days capturing the essence of Panorama. Pure Canada: it's a story we know our market loves." A small admission of the smitten.

And what's not to love? Tucked deep into Canada’s most dramatic mountains, Panorama is more than just another resort with great skiing and riding. The nation's largest slopeside hot pools steam beside the resort's impeccably groomed runs. The incredible grooming plays no small part in attracting UK skiers, they're stoked on the abundance of Panorama's flowy, cruising terrain. And when the bright winter sun tucks behind ridge tops, visitors from across-the-pond find Panorama’s unpretentious alpine village glowing with the warmth of numerous restaurants and laid-back nightlife.

And just this past ski season, the resort opened an additional 128 acres of monstrous new terrain, making Panorama Canada’s 3rd largest vertical.  It's big, it's modest, it's Canada.

"We love this place," says Marcus Eastwell, a recent visitor from the UK. "The conditions and mountains are just incredible. We keep finding new runs, and the access to deep powder off of the lift system is very rare in Europe," he says with appreciation.

Eastwell is not the only one to be lured over from the wet coasts to the high mountains.

Leaving the drizzle of Glasgow, Scotland behind, Stuart Munro, has spent 7 seasons working as a ski instructor at Panorama. "Rumours of deep powder stashes and wide open glades first drew me in," he says with a grin, "but the community is what makes me return every season."

Steve Paccagnan, President and CEO of Panorama Mountain Resort, is proud of all the international attention the resort has recently received.

"We’ve made some big and bold enhancements at Panorama," Paccagnan says, "yet still managed to maintain a warm and caring environment for our guests. It's not easy, but we've worked hard to reach new heights, while staying down-to-earth."

It appears the admiration is mutual. Record numbers of Brits descended on Panorama this season, so one good turn will likely deserve another.