April 14, 2008 (Barrie, ON) – On Saturday, March 29, Hardwood Hills (HH) welcomed xc skiers, MTB riders, and guests to a Farewell and Welcome Open House. The gathering was held following the 25th running of the Salomon Relays and Spring Fling which saw 41 relay teams compete in the morning followed by a BBQ lunch, costume contest, and Poker Ski in the early afternoon.

Hardwood Hill’s owner, Kim Viney, and the HH staff bid farewell at the Open House which celebrated the centre’s 25 years in the Nordic ski business and 15 years as one of Ontario’s premiere MTB full service facilities. Guests had the opportunity to look back at Hardwood’s humble beginnings as they flipped through five scrap books containing photos and mementos dating back to 1983. There was an on-going slide show put together by Hardwood’s Program Director Kevin Jones, which featured a photo history of the facilities, staff, and fun times over the years.

Viney hands over the keys to Jack Sasseville, a long-time HH ski coach, Nordic ski colour commentator for CBC, and SkiTrax wax columnist, on April 24, 2008. Sasseville has put together a business partnership which is purchasing the assets of the business and will continue to run the Nordic ski and mountain bike centre. Sasseville will be the new President and General Manager of the newly named facility, Hardwood Ski and Bike.

“It’s been a long, great ride and ski,” said Viney. “I’ve lots of great memories as so many fabulous people have helped to make the last 25 years possible. My fondest memories are watching families enjoy the facilities and seeing younger skiers and bikers develop into top level performers. Now I’m looking forward to spending more time with my other passions – painting and graphic design – but I’ll still be involved with Harwood.”

Sasseville is excited about taking Hardwood to the next level. “The facilities here are great, but they can be even better, and we’ve got big plans to upgrade and develop the fabulous trails, programs and overall infrastructure at Hardwood,” commented Sasseville.

As for the new name Sasseville said, “The new name – Hardwood Ski and Bike – signals our new direction forward. It retains the tradition of the past while creating a fresh outlook ahead to the future.”

Regarding the proposed ski tunnel at Hardwood Sasseville added, “Ski tunnels are the way of the future to address climate change, provide skiers with optimal conditions year-round, and to develop additional programs and initiatives – but as you might expect they’re very expensive. We have a game plan in the works that should see a ski tunnel facility at Hardwood over the next 5-10 years.”

The Hardwood trails and facilities will officially open for mountain biking on May 14, 2008. Viney and current general manager, Glenn Meeuwisse, will continue to run all of the mountain bike events this summer and both are looking forward to continued involvement with the operations.

For more info on Hardwood Ski and Bike visit www.hardwoodhills.ca