Tom Whitman’s Elevation whisks gay revelers away for a wild weekend on the snowy slopes.

By Steve Young

If you’re gay and reside in staggering distance of West Hollywood, chances are you’ve flirted or imbibed at one of Tom Whitman’s weekly events. He is one of WeHo’s preeminent event promoters and one could easily make a four-day weekend out of his West Hollywood events. For those of you not in the know, his lineup of weekly events includes Smack at O-Bar on Thursdays, Drunk & Horny at i candy on Fridays, Popular at here lounge on Saturdays and Player, also at here lounge, on Sundays. Whitman’s nights are reliably fun, with an abundance of handsome faces and cool music. He has taken this formula and brought it far afield of Santa Monica Boulevard with Elevation, his annual gay ski week at Mammoth Mountain, which will kick off its fifth consecutive year on Wednesday, March 14, and last through the weekend until March 19.

Whitman conceived of his famed gay ski weekend when a friend of his, a resident of Mammoth, told him about the lackluster gay ski week that Mammoth was trying to get up and running at the time. From that, Whitman began an unofficial gay ski week in 2003 by simply e-mailing people on his contact list. The first year out, approximately 300 people showed up. Since then, Elevation’s crowds have nearly doubled each year. This spring, Whitman expects a group somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 to visit the world-class resort. But don’t be daunted by the idea of crowds. Whitman says, “It’s a large-scale event that still has a small-scale feeling. It’s a good community of guys—really fun, really friendly. You meet a ton of people. It’s not like a circuit party. It’s more like being on a gay cruise because everyone is away from their normal environment and is really friendly.”

While Whitman gives his Los Angeles skiers a lot of familiar elements, you know you’re not on Santa Monica Boulevard anymore when you have to take a gondola to the top of a mountain for one of his parties, appropriately named The Party at 10,000 Feet. Getting to this party is its own fun. Along the way up the mountain, there is a 10-minute stretch of complete darkness, which is an opportune time for a private commune with nature, or just privacy with the person at your side. Logistically, of course, this event is a far cry from the relative simplicity of Drunk and Horny. “I crack up at the idea of producing it because we have to haul all of the lighting, sound equipment and everything else up the mountain on gondolas and snow cats,” Whitman says. All of which must be done at night so as not to disrupt the people coming down the slopes. “The planning of that event needs to be its own reality show.”

In addition to his Party at 10,000 Feet, Whitman is throwing a different soiree each night on top of his après-ski happy hours. He is also bringing in some of the best party DJs around, including Roland Belmares, DJ Josh Peace and Manny Lehman.“Manny Lehman is one of the top five circuit DJs in the country. He’s spun every major party there is,” Whitman says.

Of course, there is actual skiing during Elevation, and each day brings an opportunity to tear up those black diamonds—or take a beginners’ lesson. Whitman points out that this is an event for people at every different ski level. Beginners’ courses are offered, which Whitman jokingly refers to as “the gayest beginners’ class ever.” He adds, “People come here and learn how to ski or snowboard all the time. If people are on the fence about it, I guarantee they’ll be glad they did this.”

In addition to being an unforgettable extended weekend, Elevation also has the advantage of being inexpensive compared to Aspen and Whistler’s gay ski weekends. “Our event is, far and away, the cheapest among the three,” Whitman says, adding that the price of a full week’s pass to Elevation would only be able to cover one-and-a-half parties at the other two events. “My whole thing is to throw a great event and have people leave not feeling fleeced.”

For those who want to have fun but still be up and ready to go on the slopes early in the morning, the après-ski events are a perfect option. They take place Thursday through Sunday, starting at 3 p.m. “For me, the après-ski event really is our signature event,” Whitman says. “You just come off the mountain, and it’s a much more bar-oriented event. It’s about hanging out and meeting people and telling stories about what you did on the mountain.”

Whitman sums up the whole experience by observing that people who come to Mammoth will “meet totally new people. Bar none, everyone comments on how many new friends they make during this time.”

For more information on Elevation and to purchase tickets, visit www.mammothgayski.com.