Story by Aefa Mulholland. Photo courtesy Tucson CVB.
If you’re a golfer and are
going to be in the Tucson area this fall, line up your visit to coincide with
the First Annual Wingspan Golf Classic, a competition that tees off
at the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain Golf Club north of Tucson, Arizona, on
Friday, November 20, 2009.
The proceeds of the
event will be donated entirely to Wingspan, Southern Arizona's GLBT
community center. Wingspan is Southern Arizona's
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community center and as such,
provides a variety of programs critical to youth, seniors, and victims of
domestic violence.
The Wingspan Classic
tournament is open to all members, friends, family, and allies of the GLBT
community. Tournament entry fee is $150/golfer for the 12:30 p.m. shotgun
start. All golfers will have the opportunity to buy mulligans and other fun
advantages throughout the event. Green fees include driving range use, cart, a
player gift bag, and post-play dinner. Fabulous raffle prizes will also be available, including an exotic, all-inclusive tropical vacation package for two.
For more details, see Wingspan Classic (www.wingspanclassic.org).
Photos courtesy of Canadian Mountain Holidays Story by Olga Bas
The Canadian Mountain Holidays company, which conducts heli-skiing trips in -- you guessed it -- Canada, is introducing its first Gay Heli-Ski Trip for up to 33 adventurous snow bunnies. Though the trip is scheduled to run from February 11-14, 2010, booking is already under way. The package is $5,170, based on double/twin occupancy, but if you book by June 15, you'll receive a $400 lodge credit, which is good toward massage, alcohol, and retail purchases for the duration of your trip.
During the four-day holiday you will be able to enjoy skiing and snowboarding in the Selkirks range of the Canadian Rockies where the peaks reach 57,000 feet. There are no lift lines -- hence the 'heli' part of the trip name; instead, you get a lift to the top from a helicopter and then take the run down the mountainside. The slopes are suited for beginners and seasoned skiers alike.
Once worn out from a day on the slopes, guests return to the Gothics Lodge, one of 12 operated by CMH. The 45-room lodge offers a picturesque view of the mountain range, and has a steam room, wood-fired sauna, outdoor whirlpool, and climbing wall on the premises. Another first for CMH: Friday night will feature a Long Johns & Lingerie theme party!
Money-saving tip: Bring a small first-aid kit that contains essentials such as Tylenol and cough syrup in case you get sick on your trip. Hotels are prone to overcharging for basic medications.
Images in order: Courtesy Getty Images (1), Gaypixx.ch (2, 3-5), Gayball.ch (3) Story by Jason Nelson
This year's EuroPride kicks off its month-long LGBT celebration this weekend, starting May 2 in Zurich, the San Francisco of Switzerland. Continuing through June 7, this year’s theme is “Celebrating 40 Years With Pride” is a reminder of the Stonewall rebellion in New York's Greenwich Village following an illegal police raid in 1969.
After the opening ceremony, the main festival and parade takes place on the weekend of June 5. In between, there will be many cultural highlights, sporting events and several thought-provoking cultural exploits. After the official welcoming and opening act, Europride will start on a cultural high note, with the well loved Swiss singer Michael von der Heide together with Swiss artists Nubya and Fröilein da Capo performing a new act that they have put together exclusively for the evening. After this it’s “Party Time!” The Zurich party label “smacs” (Victor’s Secret) welcomes DJ Dario d'Attis & Pascal Tokar behind the turntables.
Other highlights of the month-long event schedule are a "Sports Weekend” organized by Gay Sport Zurich the weekend of May 30. Featuring different athletic activities so you don’t feel so guilty about binging at the on Sunday Sports Brunch , there will be squash, badminton and aerobics training, to name a few of the options. For those who enjoy the sportswear as much as the sport, there will be a sneaker-themed party at Escherwyss the night of the 30th.
Wrapping up on June 7, the events will be capped off by a final brunch featuring Swiss delicacies in the at Foundry Hall, and—perhaps most surprisingly—a church service in the morning featuring a slide show of highlights from the preceding month’s events. To set the mood during brunch Swiss and Italian musicians Bettina Schelker and Daniela Sarda will perform with their Jazz trio SCARDA. And to close this wonderfully gay European month, the final ceremony will see the EuroPride Flag handed over to the official Polish delegation who will arrange the 2010 Pride in new and daring place—Warsaw, Poland.
Images courtesy London Pride and Britainonview.com Story by Bart Jaworski
As the first installment to our new PrideWatch series, Out Traveler is congratulating London on being the selected site for World Pride 2012. Spearheaded by London Pride with support from Visit London and Mayor Boris Johnson, the city beat out fierce competition for the honor.
The two-week festival will be held just before the Olympic games, from June 23 to July 8, 2012, with the main parade taking place on July 7. As if the promise of a glimpse at Michael Phelp's physique was not enough to lure you to the Square Mile, perhaps World Pride 2012 will push you over the edge.
As you plan your trip for 2012, keep Out Traveler in mind by checking out our comprehensive guide explaining the ins and outs of gay travel in London (an updated version will soon be available). Theatergoers should also check out our piece on the city's gay productions and theaters. You may also want to search recent GPS postings for relevant entries.
Planning ahead is a must for this historic and exciting time to be in London. Although the crowds will be miles thick, what could be a better time and place to celebrate LGBT culture and diversity than a worldwide celebration of peace and unity.
Photos Courtesy Gay Ski Weekend Story by Joseph Alexiou
Although it's been sold out for a month, it would be a shame not to report on the biggest gay ski event in Asia, a sexy charity weekend on the slopes in Hakuba, Japan.
It sounds like such a blast; Hakuba, a small town in the Nagano prefecture (a region of Honshu, Japan's biggest island) is famous for the most wonderful combination ever: great skiing, and natural hot springs. The springs, also known as onsens, are all over the Hakuba area and so those that don't feel like skiing will most likely soak in one all day. I could stop right here. But no!
The entire Hakuba Highland Hotel was rented out for this weekend, so the whole weekend sounds fabulous. February 14th is the big party night, including the very Japanese "all you can drink" bar, dancing, shows, gogos, and even an underwear party; the only
way to enjoy hot springs in the cold at a gay ski weekend. There are even some videos of last year's party on Youtube, check them out here. This mountain hotel is situated up in the snowy slopes and has a natural, open-air hot spring pool built right on location. So, to recap: a fully rented hotel full of gay ski boys, open bar, and underwear party. Need I say more?
As if the news couldn't get any better, this event is not purely debaucherous, the proceeds will go towards the ILGA, the only international gay rights organization, and Gay Japan News. So, if you're in the Hakuba area, or anywhere in Nagano (or anywhere near or in Japan), hop on over now as I would bet quite a few yen that there's some space for you at Asia's sexiest ski party.
Go-go dancers vaulted atop podiums, much to the delight of the boisterous crowd. Kyra, Sam, and I dashed across snowy Village Square to the Conference Center where the same eclectic mix of men made up a upbeat crowd of hundreds at the annual Snowball. Shirts were off, the music was thumping, and with the sizzling hot scene you'd never know the snow was piled up outside.
There were only a weary few party survivors on the 9:30am Snowbus back to Vancouver the next morning, but I overheard more than one set of socialites scheming a return to North America's hottest snowshow next year. Mark next February in your calendar now, Whistler WinterPRIDE is one you don't want to miss.
We intended to spend our last morning at Whistler Blackcomb with the free Mountain Guiding group, led by a team of WinterPRIDE volunteer instructors, but we were just too reluctant to check out of our luxurious Four Seasons room.
The romantic outdoor whirlpools, thoughtfully screened by trees for privacy, stunning views, and frequent shuttle service to Whistler Village were obvious highlights of the resort, as was the its dedication to environmental sustainability. Each room is equipped with a recycling bin, and since we requested the Eco-Luxury option, in which linens are laundered every third day, Four Seasons donated $5.00 to the Whistler Naturalist (not Naturist) Society.
Best of all was the Resort's Ski Concierge service. Once you reach the base of the slopes at the ski-in resort, a ski concierge will offer you hot chocolate and take your equipment. Not only did they conveniently store our gear at the base overnight, but by morning our boards were waxed and our boots warmed.
Assorted bruises prove that we did hit the slopes all day, literally. The weather was not as gorgeous as yesterday, but the powder was just as sweet.
After returning our rentals were, we hitched a ride on the Whistler Village Gondola up to the Roundhouse Lodge for one last elevated overview of Whistler Blackcomb. It was a fantastically romantic way to end our WinterPRIDE 2008 experience, and to scope out the runs we'll take when we return next February for WinterPRIDE 2009.
This morning Whistler Blackcomb kitted me out with skis and boots and I got to join the crowds waiting to zip up the mountain. Unlike my colleague Kyra, who practically has to be peeled off the hill when light fades, I was soon back down at a lower elevation, eager to explore some of the thrilling restaurants for which Whistler is famed.
After some far from grueling research, my top vote goes to Araxi on Village Square. They get everything right: personal, professional staff; sumptuous, contemporary regional food; and killer martinis. I’m still dreaming of the lobster sushi rolls, the carrot Vichysoisse, and those raspberry-tastic Kama Sutra martinis.
At Araxi I met Dean and Sean of Alpenglow Productions, the company that a few years ago stepped in and saved Whistler’s gay ski week from a sudden demise in just days.
Surrounded by snow-obsessed people, I felt a bit sheepish about barely having dipped a toe in Whistler’s legendary powder, but Dean and Sean assured me that a large number of the 3,000 gays and lesbians roaming Whistler’s streets had a similar social agenda.
In fact, they said one of the reasons behind the event’s name change from Altitude/Whistler Gay Ski Week to the less winter sports-centric WinterPride was to emphasize how much more this is to the festival than merely skiing some of the world’s best slopes.
On that note, I’m going to head off to check out the night’s hot parties.
Check back tomorrow for tales of the Snowball and the L-Party!
With 38 lifts, a vertical mile from base to peak, over 200 runs, and 8,100 skiable acres covering Whistler Blackcomb, it was difficult to decide where to start our first day on the slopes.
Since we were there for WinterPRIDE, I suggested attempting the runs with the gayest names such as cockalorum, in-deep, bear cub, or gandy dancer. My sensible wife Sam suggested a beginner's run. We compromised by starting on the green run Yellow Brick Road.
Besides exceptional powder, my favorite thing about snowboarding Whistler Blackcomb is that there's an easy route down no matter which lift you take. I was especially grateful for this when we reached the mountaintop, the sun came out, and I could experience advanced black diamond views safely from beginner terrain.
Ideally we'd never leave the slopes, but we didn't want to miss today's après-ski at the Maxx Fish lounge and tonight's Melissa Ferrick concert. That dining, wining, and dancing at last nights WinterPRIDE Banquet -- a fundraiser for Camp Moomba, a summer camp for kids affected by HIV/AIDS -- seemed to decrease today's boarding stamina anyway. Obviously we lack the athleticism of the banquet's Zumanity-Cirque du Soleil performers.
Our banquet table of fabulous lesbians from Seattle were amazed by the performers’ strength, while the hundreds of men surrounding us seemed mesmerized by their flawless bodies in tight Speedos. It was indeed a celebration of diversity.
Click below to check out the mountaintop video we made!
After exploring a few alternate paths back to our hotel, we decided to warm up in one of the Four Seasons' three outdoor hot tubs. Experiencing snow falling on your face while soaking in a hot tub is exceptionally romantic and relaxing.
Our decadent unwinding continued when we dried off and strolled to Solarice Wellness Spa for a couple's massage. The heated beds, calming music, and hushed voices had me relaxed even before Diana and Mina began the treatment.
Since the apres-ski party at The Mountain Club was literally across the street from the spa, we had to go in for a quick beer. The club was cozy, the appetizers huge, and the atmosphere laidback and welcoming. It was easy to mingle, and people weren't afraid to strike up conversation as if we were all old friends.
The apres-ski party was the perfect place to rejoin reality after our mental and physical escape, and the free hand massages courtesy of Lush continued our spa-day theme.
Even Melissa Ferrick, who performed three songs tonight at the WinterPRIDE Banquet, said she had a massage today. Soothed muscles are great, but I'm looking forward to working them hard tomorrow when we finally ride Whistler's fresh powder.
Out Traveler G.P.S offers dispatches from the ever-expanding field of gay and lesbian travel -- as soon as we know, you know. Check back frequently for updates, insider information, advice, and offers brought to you by our ever-roving band of gay travel experts and by readers just like you.
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