Harbor Springs, MI – The fifth annual Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month (LSSM 2013) initiative kicks off officially at the Midwest Ski Areas Association conference held next week at Boyne Highlands in Harbor Springs, Mich. Details about the new Bring a Friend (BAF) component and the national Bring a Friend Challenge will be unveiled.

LSSM 2013 doesn’t take place until January, but resort partners already are formulating plans. Ski Vermont will again offer a $29 beginner package at member resorts that will include a lift ticket, lesson, and rentals. The package will be marketed through Liftopia, another LSSM partner. Ski Idaho will offer a similar package through Liftopia at about the same price point. For the fourth year, Ski New Hampshire is organizing a week, tentatively the week of January 12, where their members will provide a free beginner package. Offers will be posted as they become available at www.skiandsnowboardmonth.org.

Partners are encouraged to incorporate Bring a Friend messages and new graphics into their LSSM offers; the concept is available for partners’ use all winter long. A national “Bring a Friend Challenge” is hosted on the new www.bringafriend.org micro site designed to appeal to current skiers and snowboarders who are in a position to introduce newcomers and help them sign up for lessons from professional instructors.

The national Challenge will run from December 17 through March 17. Prizes will be available for both current participants and newcomers who qualify per the Challenge rules. Two Grand Prizes will be awarded to include the newcomer and the person who introduced him or her. Ski Utah is providing a five-night, four-day package to Park City, Deer Valley and The Canyons that includes lift tickets, rentals, beginner lessons, lodging, and air travel from a major U.S. city. Sun Valley and Ski Idaho are collaborating to provide a five-night, four-day package that includes lift tickets, rentals, lessons, lodging, and air travel for both parties from a major U.S. city.