After taking in Boyne’s 6-for-1 Day on Friday, we headed southeast to The Otsego Club in Gaylord to check out their public season opener. With lift tickets advertised at just $10 and room rates that were priced well below other resorts at $69 a night, we jumped at the chance to check things out.
Checking in on Friday night, the accommodations were excellent with an updated look and older feel reminiscent of 1960’s ski lodge. Upon our arrival to the slopes on Saturday morning, we were made aware that there was a minor issue with one of the two main lifts servicing the resort for the weekend. This was really only an issue if you were trying to session the frontside of the O-Park. The Otsego Club made up for it by giving away lift tickets to those patrons who showed up to ride.
Aside from the minor lift issue, the terrain, including a killer jump-line, were more than sufficient on the middle lift that was operational.
While natural snowfall hasn’t been as abundant in the Gaylord area as other parts of Northern Michigan, The Otsego Club’s snowmaking efforts did allow them to have a variety of runs and terrain features set up for different levels of skiers and riders. Everything from rail lines to a serious 4-pack of jumps and a monster 45′ step up proved that the Otsego Club made the right decision to bring on Planet Snow Design to layout and build all of their terrain features. While we were there, massive amounts of snow were being pushed around to form up the hugh 22′ superpipe, that once again is rumored to host snowboarders and skiers from around the world to train for events like the X-Games, Grand Prix and the U.S. Open.
We watched a lot of talented kids sessioning the terrain features, throwing down some serious moves both in the air and on the rails. The vibe was very chill throughout the day with a ton of events happening the entire weekend. Garbage bag and tray racing for prizes like a Test Drive Weekend ($595 value), $100 gift certificates and of course OC Swag!
A lot of props given to the Otsego Club for their use of Facebook lately as a way to get in touch with their fans and bring them what they want. Prior to the event, they hosted the ‘Power of your Vote’ contest on Facebook, where fans were able to vote for specific terrain park features they wanted to see. Plus, over 250 people filtered through the Facebook Fotobooth, taking full advantage of all the goofy props, taking pictures and tagging themselves on the OC’s Facebook Page.
In the weeks to come, Otsego Club will be welcoming Pat Milbery and the Might Midwest Snowboard Camp tour on January 15th and 16th. Red Bull plans to attend and have their MTX vehicle on hand, and of course the superpipe will be open as well. More opportunities will become available this winter for you to go and check out the O-Park and experience The Otsego Club. If you have the chance, put this spot on your list to visit.
Written by: J. Dodge