Gov. Stein visits N.C. ski resorts, celebrating industry during Winter Olympics

Gov. Josh Stein celebrated the ski industry in North Carolina on Friday, as the Winter Olympics are underway in Milan, Italy. 

Stein was at the Appalachian Ski Mountain on Friday and plans to visit Beech Mountain and Sugar Mountain this weekend to highlight the winter sport here at home, while three North Carolinians compete overseas.

“For more than 60 years, North Carolina has been recognized as the Winter Capital of the South, offering the highest-elevation skiing in the eastern United States and welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors annually,” Stein’s office said in a news release on Thursday.

According to Stein, North Carolina is home to six different ski resorts, each offering a wonderful experience for visitors, “whether you like zipping down the slopes, or sipping hot cocoa.”

Just under 800,000 skiers and snowboarders of every level, beginner or expert, visit each year for the unique peaks and slopes, with some rising above 5,000 feet in elevation.

“With the highest mountains, the biggest variety of activities and the best instruction for beginners, our ski areas have helped make North Carolina the winter sports capital of the South,” said Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit NC. “Each year, it’s exciting to see the mountain landscapes extend their appeal with new developments on and off the slopes.”

The ski industry in North Carolina supports about 2,000 jobs each year, bringing in nearly $250 million in economic activity.

“Today, in the spirit of the Winter Olympics, I’m here to urge everyone to consider western North Carolina for your next winter vacation,” Stein said at an event on Friday at the Appalachian Ski Mountain.

Last week, Stein announced his well wishes for each of the North Carolinians who are currently competing in the Winter Olympics, including Eunice Lee, a student at Duke Univerosty who is competing in speed skating, Mystique Ro, an alumnus of Queens University who is competing in skeleton racing, and Kayden Beasley, a North Carolina native who is competing in sled hockey. 

In addition to these North Carolinians, five members of the Carolina Hurricanes hockey team are competing in men’s ice hockey, representing four different countries.

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