Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Holiday cheer warms cold Sun Valley night

Ice show and torchlight parade provide perennial entertainment


By JON DUVAL
Express Staff Writer

The cold weather didn’t stop Darlin Baker, who also skates in Sun Valley’s summer ice shows, from heating up the ice on Christmas Eve. The annual ice show was followed by an even longer-running Sun Valley tradition, the torchlight parade, which first began descending resort slopes in the late 1930s. Photo by David N. Seelig

Frigid temperatures did little to keep throngs of residents and tourists from crowding around Sun Valley's outdoor ice rink on Christmas Eve to take in the resort's annual winter ice show.

The "Nutcracker on Ice" performance brought thousands of spectators behind the Sun Valley Lodge, with the stands and terrace filled to capacity, and a group of brave young spectators seated on the ground at the edge of the ice.

With around 70 local skaters, ranging in age from 3 to 75 years old, the show offered plenty of pageantry to set the atmosphere for the holiday.

"The show went really well," said Gia Guddat, who both choreographed and skated in the show. "Last year we had a lot of snow and this year it was cold. It seems every year we never know what to expect."

Jack Sibbach, spokesman for Sun Valley Co., estimated that around 4,000 people filled the bleachers, Sun Room and lodge patio, a similar crowd to the past few years.

The ice show was immediately followed by fireworks and the perennial torchlight parade down Dollar Mountain.

The sight of hundreds of skiers carving illuminated arcs down the slopes has been a Sun Valley holiday staple since the late 1930s.

"It's a tradition here to start the celebration of the holidays and make everyone feel like part of the Sun Valley family," Sibbach said. "We have people that have been coming here for 50 years and staying in the same room every year. It's a long tradition of bringing people together."

The Christmas Eve Festival also included the Sun Valley Carolers roaming throughout the village and an early appearance from Santa Claus.

"And the next day, without any electricity, everyone became even closer," Sibbach said, referring to a prolonged blackout that started at about 10:30 p.m. Christmas Eve and lasted well into Christmas Day.

Jon Duval: jduval@mtexpress.com




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