What’s new and what to expect at Diamond Peak for the 2021-22 ski season
Return of special events and programs, lift ticket deals, contests and more
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. (Oct. 2021) – Diamond Peak Ski Resort is looking forward to welcoming skiers and
snowboarders back to the slopes on our projected Opening Day – Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021.
The Difference
Why Diamond Peak is different: Community-owned, fiercely independent and community-driven – those are the key differentiating factors that make Diamond Peak distinct in the crowded Lake Tahoe ski resort scene. “Small but mighty” would be another apt description, because with 1,840 vertical feet of skiable terrain packed into 655 acres just a mile from Lake Tahoe, Diamond Peak offers the 4th most skiable vertical in the Tahoe Basin (according to the independent website mountainvertical.com). Add in panoramic Tahoe views from nearly every run on the mountain, incredible glades for tree skiing/riding, and Tahoe’s most progressive terrain park (The Village), and it’s no wonder locals know Diamond Peak to be Tahoe’s “hidden gem.”
As a community-owned ski resort, Diamond Peak stands out in the Tahoe Basin and greater U.S. ski industry as a beacon to skiers and riders looking for a friendly, non-corporate vibe. In addition, as the only Lake Tahoe resort to achieve STOKE Certified status, it’s a great choice for skiers and riders concerned about supporting environmentally sustainable resorts.
Still Hiring
Most jobs starting at $17 per hour: Diamond Peak has always been known as a great place to work, with a welcoming culture and community-resort feel. This winter, in an effort to attract both returning and new employees to the ski industry, the resort will be offering a starting wage of $17 per hour for most positions, with higher wages available depending on experience. Applicants can browse winter jobs available and apply online on the Diamond Peak website – diamondpeak.com/about/employment.
“So many people are choosing not to return to their pre-pandemic jobs, and we believe that ski resorts offer a fun and engaging alternative for seasonal employment,” said Lisa Hoopes, human resources analyst for Diamond Peak Ski Resort. “We also realize the impact of the cost of living here in the Lake Tahoe region, so Diamond Peak has made an intentional decision to raise our typical starting wage to make working at the ski resort even more attractive to both returning employees and those new to the ski industry.”
New Glade Zones Await
Diamond Peak’s gladed tree skiing zones are the place to be on storm days.
This advanced terrain is a playground for experts filled with natural obstacles like pillows, rock drops and more. Diamond Peak offers 655 skiable acres, and almost 500 acres of that is gladed tree runs. Thanks to a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, local fire crews and our summer maintenance staff, we’ve cleared out many of the smaller trees and brush in these zones, making them healthier forests, less prone to wildfire, and as an added bonus, incredibly fun for skiers and riders.
During the 2020-21 ski season, Diamond Peak asked our community of skiers and riders to help us name some of these iconic zones on the mountain, with hundreds of creative suggestions flowing in. During the 2021-22 season we’re excited to announce the new names for these zones, which skiers and riders will see on new trail maps and on mountain signage this winter.
New ski rental fleet and ski/snowboard demo equipment
New ski rental fleet and ski/snowboard demo equipment: The Diamond Peak Rental Shop has upgraded its entire ski rental fleet for the 2021-22 season with new, beginner/intermediate friendly Salomon Distance 72 and QST Max Jr skis. Featuring a forgiving medium flex, camber underfoot with rockered tips and tails, and a narrow width underfoot, the new Salomon skis are designed to provide plenty of torsional rigidity for proper stability when on edge, while also allowing enough flex for beginners and intermediates to push into their skis and begin to truly carve turns.
Intermediate and advanced skiers and snowboarders looking to upgrade their mountain experience will be excited to try out some of the brand-new skis and snowboards in Diamond Peak’s Demo fleet this winter. On the ski side, there are both men’s and women’s options available for any conditions from hard-pack to deep powder and anything in between, from brands including Salomon, Rossignol and Volkl. On the snowboard side, top-of-the-line Burton and K2 boards come equipped with high-end binding systems. All Demo packages allow customers the option to swap out ski/snowboard models throughout the day and try something new.
“I am excited to begin the 2021-22 season with a full quiver of brand new Demo skis and snowboards from some of the industry’s leading manufacturers,” said Jon Tekulve, Director of Skier Services. “We will have options available to compliment any snow conditions and terrain that you experience from powder days to bluebird groomer days. We will also have a selection of softer flexing skis and snowboards available for intermediate skiers and riders looking to progress and anyone interested in a more relaxed day out on the mountain.”
Upgraded snowmaking capabilities:
Diamond Peak Ski Resort has purchased four new TechnoAlpin TR8 highefficiency snowmaking guns for the 2021-22 ski season. In addition, Diamond Peak will be testing one of TechnoAlpin’s vlatest TT10 tower fan guns on the slopes this winter, bringing the newest snowmaking technology to the resort where snowmaking began in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
The addition of these new snow guns means that all of Diamond Peak’s fan guns are now fully automated, which will increase the probability of opening the ski area earlier and with top-to-bottom terrain, even during winters in which the resort is reliant on 100% man-made snow during the early season.
TechnoAlpin’s TT10 tower fan gun utilizes advanced nozzle valve technology to ensure optimum energy efficiency and resource conservation during snowmaking operations, while the air cooling system ensures unsurpassed snow output and quality. TechnoAlpin’s portable TR8 snow gun is designed to require less maintenance and produce more manmade snow per hour, even during marginal snowmaking conditions. The design of the TR8 snow guns requires just one electric motor to power the entire machine, making the units more reliable, more efficient, and less noisy than previous models of snow guns.
The new TT10 and TR8 snow guns also come equipped with TechnoAlpin’s latest ATASSplus software system, which optimizes snowmaking based on weather conditions and forecasted snow needs. ATASSplus makes energy-efficient snowmaking much easier, and the software is able to communicate directly with Diamond Peak’s SNOW sat grooming management software (courtesy of PistenBully), which can provide the snowmaking system with real-time information on snow depths based on Diamond Peak’s snowcat grooming fleet. The four additional TechnoAlpin TR8 snow guns augment the four TR8s Diamond
Peak purchased before the 2019-20 season, and add to Diamond Peak’s snowmaking system of 14 additional fan guns, HKD high-efficiency snowmaking towers and compressed air-water snowmaking guns, which collectively cover 75% of the developed terrain at Diamond Peak Ski Resort.
New Pisten Bully 600 Park groomer:
Diamond Peak has once again invested in a new snowcat/groomer to stay at the
forefront of slope maintenance in the Lake Tahoe Basin. The resort’s new PistenBully 600 Park grooming machine incorporates all of the latest grooming and shaping technology that PistenBully has to offer, in a comfortable package that reduces emissions, increases efficiency, and provides Diamond Peak’s award-winning slope maintenance staff with even more tools to lay down perfect corduroy all over the mountain.
The 600 Park model comes equipped with terrain park specific features that will come into play in the Village Terrain Park and throughout the resort including the Ski & Ride Center’s learning areas. The 600 Park also features Pisten Bully’s newest diesel engine technology which reduces noise, fuel consumption and particulate emissions (by up to 66% compared to prior models), while delivering increased torque and power.
All of the groomers in Diamond Peak’s fleet also include Pisten Bully’s SNOW sat snow depth monitoring system, which allows the resort’s snow surfaces team to more accurately monitor snow depths on the ski runs and see where additional snowmaking is needed throughout the season. The SNOW sat system also tracks all aspects of Diamond Peak’s snowcats operations including run time, diesel consumption, GPS tracking on the mountain, and service maintenance, and communicates directly with the new Techno Alpin snow guns when applicable.
Bonus lift tickets for season pass holders:
Diamond Peak’s 2021-22 season pass holders will enjoy 65 complimentary lift tickets at 19 partner resorts across the country this winter – up to four days at each resort. Participating resorts include: Beaver Mountain (UT), Beech Mountain (NC), Bogus Basin (ID), Brundage (ID), Cherry Peak (UT), Cooper (CO),
Eaglecrest Ski Area (AK), Homewood Mountain Resort (CA), Lee Canyon (NV), Loup Loup Ski Bowl (WA), Mission Ridge (WA), Mt. Ashland (OR), Mt. Shasta Ski Park (CA), Red River Ski Area (NM), Snow King (WY), Snow Valley (CA), Sunlight Mountain (CO), Tahoe Donner XC & Downhill (CA), and Wachusett Mountain (MA).
Every Diamond Peak pass holder also receives four discounted Bring-A-Friend Tickets, which can be used to bring friends to Diamond Peak. Visit DiamondPeak.com for details, restrictions and the full list of perks.
Guided after-hours snowshoe hikes:
Join guides from the Incline Village Parks & Recreation Department for Moonlight Snowshoe Hikes to Diamond Peak’s Snowflake Lodge. The snowshoe hikes offer non-skiers the chance to enjoy the slopes of Diamond Peak in wintertime and encourage exercising in a social setting. The 1.5-mile (3 miles round trip) hikes includes guides, exclusive after-hours access to Diamond Peak and Snowflake Lodge, s’mores and hot cocoa. There will also be light fare available for purchase at Snowflake Lodge. Dates include Fridays, Jan. 14, Feb. 11, March 18, 2022. See DiamondPeak.com/events for reservations and more information.
Diamond Cut video competition:
Diamond Peak’s video edit contest is back for a fourth year of community-generated
stoke. Each winter, our annual video edit contest highlights the incredible local talent we have right here at Diamond Peak with an awards ceremony and screening of the top video submissions received throughout the season. For year four, we are looking to make the contest bigger and better in every way. So grab your phone, GoPro or video camera, get your crew of friends together, and go film yourself having fun at Diamond Peak. You just might win some fabulous prizes. Find more information and submission guidelines online at DiamondPeak.com/events.
Specialty ski clinics:
Diamond Peak will offer a selection of specialty ski clinics designed to foster a lifelong love of the
sport and build community amongst participants. The Wednesday 55+ clinics, put on by the Incline Village Recreation Center Senior Programs team, return for another season, along with a weekly women’s clinic. Instruction is designed to help skiers improve, adjust, or modify techniques and encourage skills and habits that support lifelong skiing. See DiamondPeak.com/events for dates, reservations and more information.
Diamond Peak History
Diamond Peak Ski Resort began in 1966 as Ski Incline, the brainchild of Incline Village developers Art Wood and Harold Tiller. Wood had a master plan for a year-round, resort community at Lake Tahoe – Incline Village was to become the “Pebble Beach of the Sierra” – and in 1966, Wood and Tiller hired Austrian ski consultant Luggi Foeger to design and build Ski Incline.
Initially proposed on the slopes of Rose Knob Peak (the flat-topped peak to the north of Incline Village), Foeger
recognized immediately that Rose Knob Peak would never work as a ski area due to its lack of beginner and
intermediate level terrain and the south-facing orientation of the slopes (meaning it received too much sun during the winter for a dependable ski season). After exploring the peaks and ridges around Incline, Foeger chose the current location of the resort because it had an excellent variety of terrain, faces north-northwest, is easily accessed from the center of Incline, and offers beautiful views of Lake Tahoe.
Diamond Peak Fights Climate Change
Diamond Peak Ski Resort is one of many resorts that recognizes global warming and the effects that pollutants have on our environment. These are a few things that Diamond Peak has done and continues to do to join the cause in helping our winters stay cool:
• Two ChargePoint electric vehicle charging stations Installed at Diamond Peak (upper lot).
• Installed automated thermostats in our facilities, thereby reducing our energy use by at least 20%.
• Continually upgrade our snowmaking system to use newer, more energy-efficient technology including
advanced TechnoAlpin fan guns and low-energy HKD snow guns.
•Evolution (EVO) boilers for more efficient heating in the Skier Services Building Installed .
• Offering two shuttles that pick up in and around the Incline Village community.
• Installed dual-flush toilets, thermal windows, and new lighting to conserve water and energy.
• hydration stations with sensors Installed to encourage the use of reusable beverage containers, which are
sold in the food court.
• Educate employees and the community through IVGID’s WasteNot programs, orientation and signage in the
Base Lodge.
• Encourage recycling by making recycling bins readily available.
• Participate in “Take Care Tahoe” regional sustainability campaigns.
• Control soil erosion through slope maintenance, BMPs, and water bars to help protect Lake Tahoe water
clarity.
• Completed STOKE evaluation and received STOKE Certification in 2018.
• Use recyclable and biodegradable containers and utensils in food and beverage outlets.
• Print trail maps using mineral-based “stone paper” resulting in more durable/reusable product and no trees
being harvested to produce paper
