JAY, Vermont — Jay Peak Resort is continuing to grow its off-hill business with the announcement of an expanded partnership with the Green Mountain Avalanche. The Avalanche, Vermont’s premiere youth hockey organization, provides kids with leagues, tournaments and clinics in which to play and learn the sport. The organization has played some tournaments at Jay Peak’s new Ice Haus Arena since the rink opened in May, but the new schedule represents a long-term commitment. The nine-tournament lineup begins in October and runs until March, with four more tournaments planned for July 2011.

“One of the reasons we decided to build The Ice Haus was to accommodate groups like this,” said Steve Wright, Jay Peak’s vice president of Sales and Marketing. “We think it’s smart to provide a range of weather-proofed options to our winter guests, but expanding our range of business by developing these partnerships — ones that bear fruit on a more year round basis — makes sense. It’s also important that we provide skating options to a part of our community that’s been underserved for years.”

The resort has been broadening its menu of activities at the Ice Haus with popular Learn-To programs that have included skating and curling. In fact, the Learn-to Curl program was so successful that a Curling League has formed and will begin play this fall.

The partnership with the Avalanche is just one in a series of strategic shifts the resort has undertaken to develop year-round business and reposition itself among its competitors. Renowned for receiving the most snow in the East and having a passionate winter following, Jay Peak has always been perceived as a winter destination. It began work last year to shift that perception when it opened the new Tram Haus Lodge hotel followed by the Ice Haus Arena, and the Clubhouse at its championship golf course in June. The new Clubhouse includes a pro shop, restaurant and bar, and three luxury suites above it. It will transition to a full-service Nordic center in winter.

This past May the resort took its most ambitious step in redefining the “Vermont Vacation Experience” when it broke ground on a 300,000-square foot hotel, conference center, and water park.

“If we want to continue to be a vibrant business, one that can supply year-round jobs to our surrounding communities and provide some measure of economic stability, it can’t just be about winter anymore. Everything we have built in the last year and a half and are currently building is designed to give people a compelling reason to drive up to our part of the state, no matter what the season,” continued Wright.

The 60,000-square foot indoor water park currently under construction will have glass walls and a retractable roof that can be opened year round. The park is expected to open in December of 2011 with the hotel and conference center opening in the spring of 2012.

The new series of Green Mountain Avalanche tournaments kicks off October 22 with the Fall Classic for the under-16 Midget class. Teams interested in registering for any of the open tournaments can visit gmahockey.com

For the latest information on Jay Peak, visit www.jaypeakresort.com