Thank you Powder Magazine. Nelson’s Ski Town Throwdown title is the jumping off point for more glowing words about the area in one of the world’s largest media titles.
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times on-line travel section featured a story headlined “Canada: BC region may be the best ski place you never heard of.” Written by Times travel writer Jay Jones, the piece was part of his weekly blog on Canadian travel destinations.
“Ski enthusiasts looking for someplace new and exciting may want to take a serious look at the Kootenay Lake region of British Columbia, Canada,” Jones writes. “Some of North America’s finest skiing can be found just outside the Victorian community of Nelson, nestled along the west arm of the lake in the Selkirk Mountains in southeastern British Columbia.”
The story goes on to mention the Powder Magazine Throwdown win earned in a Facebook competition that put Whitewater and Rossland’s Red Mountain on top after months of voting. Baldface Lodge, the town’s charm and its summer attractions are also in the mix.
Jones’ blog came about after he received a press release from Nelson Kootenay Lake Tourism.
“We sent out a press release to media across Canada sharing our many, many accolades, using the Best Ski Town as the attention grabbing header and leading people then to all the other great awards we have won over the years,” explains Nelson Kootenay Lake Tourism executive director Diana Ducs. “We also focused the press release on how we are more than a great ski town, but a cultural, shopping, dining, health and wellness and outdoor destination that is also beyond ordinary in the spring, summer and fall.
“The intent of the press release was not only to get it reprinted, but to get journalists aware of and interested in the area, in hopes they would make a special trip, one day soon, and write about all there is to do and see in the Nelson and Kootenay Lake area.”
Jones did not visit Nelson, but his descriptions of the area are still very enticing.
“Given the setting on Kootenay Lake in the heart of a mountain range, Nelson is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream,” he writes.
Ducs says there has been more buzz from bigger media outlets about the press release and Throwdown win.
“Edmonton and Calgary recently posted about our area,” she says. “Westjet's Up
Magazine, Ski Magazine, Westworld, Northwest magazine are a couple other journalists that picked up these accolades and will hopefully be running articles in the future.”
Nelson was featured in the LA Times back in October, 2011 in a glowing feature that was included in the print edition.
The latest piece will not be featured in the print edition of the LA Times, but the blog post gets "tens of thousands" of hits per post. Find the LA Times piece by clicking here.