WinterPRIDE 2008 - a winter version of the many summer pride events that are held around the world - ran from February 3-10, 2008. The event was attended by thousands of guests from around the world, including an increase in European and South American visitors. WinterPRIDE 2008 also succeeded in its mandate of reflecting the excitement and true diversity of the gay community by increasing the number of women in attendance. 

"The energy and buzz of WinterPRIDE 2008 event was electric and the whole of Whistler village had a tremendous feel for the eight days of the event," said Sean Kearns, President and CEO of GayWhistler and Alpenglow Productions - the event organizer. "We had several events sell out for the first time, including our comedy show, village t-dance and après-ski parties." 

WinterPRIDE's rapid growth and success was confirmed by it recently being awarded as the #1 Gay Ski Week in the World by Gay.com/PlanetOUT. The event was also ranked as the most Lesbian-Friendly Gay Ski Week in the World by OutTraveler. 

Much of the success of WinterPRIDE 2008 was due to more than 120 festival volunteers who dedicated more than 1,200 hours and 174 ski guide shifts. The business community of Whistler and the event sponsors also deserve praise for providing WinterPRIDE 2008 with more than $19,000 worth of prizes for events, guests and volunteers. 

"The commitment, dedication and passion of everyone involved with WinterPRIDE 2008 were truly taken to heart," said Kearns. "We will continue to provide great value and fantastic experiences for our visitors, while breaking down the barriers of what can and can't be done with a gay ski week event. The planning for Whistler's WinterPRIDE 2009 starts now." 

Whistler's WinterPRIDE 2009 will be held from February 1st to 8th. 

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GayWhistler (www.gaywhistler.com) is a year-round promoter of Whistler to the gay and lesbian community, and promotes and produces the annual Gay Ski Week. GayWhistler is a subsidiary of Alpenglow Production Corporation.