Geoffrey Chu's idea of snow heaven is a place where he can "hammer the slopes" all day without ever feeling crowded and a condo so close to the ski area that "if you open the door, I could snowboard right into the living room."

He'll take Big White over Vail or Aspen any day — and so will an increasing number of others who love skiing, snowboarding and other forms of snow play and are choosing the lesser known ski areas of the rapidly developing Thompson Okanagan tourist region in southeastern British Columbia.

Chu, 51, president of the Ski Association of Hawai'i, said not everyone in the club shares his preference. Some members or their friends and spouses consider amenities such as shops, restaurants, nightlife and spa facilities just as important as powder snow. But at least four of the eight Thompson Okanagan ski resorts — Apex, Big White, Silver Star and Sun Peaks — boast a complete mountain resort experience.

And this with smaller crowds and lower prices — a savings of as much as 20 percent over Whistler, British Columbia, Islanders' favorite ski area, according to Hans Allgeier, manager of Outrigger Travel and a specialist in ski vacations.

Allgeier and others agree that the Thompson Okanagan is a coming area. Obie Olson of PTB Inc., who organizes ski trips for groups, says the area's location in the shadow of the Rockies creates highly desirable drier, powder snow conditions. Said Allgeier: "It's always champagne snow and lots and lots of it. It's got some of the best skiing around."

And now's the time to enjoy it, say experts, noting that almost all the smaller Okanagan resorts have big development plans on the boards and the larger ones are beginning to be very much noticed by snow players burned out on the crowds elsewhere.

One problem with the area has been access, Olson said: The area is more than three hours by car from Vancouver, B.C., and flights to the three key airports (Kamloops, Kelowna and Penticton) tend to book up. But Allgeier noted that Harmony Airways has instituted a weekly direct flight from Honolulu International in the wintertime, leaving Sunday afternoon and returning late the following Sunday night. The cost is about $600 with fare and fees. The service will be offered Dec. 11 through March 26 this year.

The best room rates at ski areas tend to be available very early and very late in the season (but, of course, you risk a lack of snow). Slightly lesser rates are in January and February, and the highest rates are over the holidays and at spring break time, said Allgeier.

Travel agencies like Outrigger are locking in flights and hotel packages now; Allgeier said the company's ski brochure will be out soon. (Call 923-2377 or 800- 676-7740 to request a brochure when they come out.)

The Ski Association of Hawaii traveled to Big White in 2003. Chu remembers that excursion fondly: "That was an outstanding trip — it was ski-in/ski-out, great snow, less people."

The group insists on ski-in/ski-out locations; that is, resorts where you can literally schuss right over to the lifts or ski play areas, or at least walk to them easily, without having to lug your equipment a long distance or take a shuttle or other form of transportation.

Chu said an assessment of a ski resort is a very personal thing having to do with preferred activities, amenities and cost.

For him, it's the slopes that matter. An Islander born and raised, he didn't take up snowboarding until 1998 and never saw falling snow until that year.

A friend was a member of the Ski Association and Chu thought he'd join a trip and try snowboarding, assuming that his long background as a surfer would help him pick up the sport.

"That was very, very humbling," he recalled. "The skills are very different. I thought it shouldn't be that hard but I fell down maybe 100 times the first day, and to be honest it wasn't my butt that hurt, it was my arms, from picking myself up so many times."

Fortunately, after that first disastrous day, things looked up fast and by the end of the week, he was on the intermediate trails.

Chu recognizes, however, that for some in the ski club (which is about 60 percent transplants, 40 percent locals), off-slope amenities are just as important as good snow. At Big White three years ago, he admitted, "those who wanted to shop, well, they were deprived." (There have been some additions to Big White village since.)

Allgeier said families appreciate some of the Thompson Okanagan ski areas because they're smaller and less crowded.

Several of the ski areas — Harper Mountain and Mount Baldy among them — specifically market themselves as family-friendly.

Powder snow, smaller crowds and great value make British Columbia's Thompson Okanagan resorts fun destinations for Islanders looking for winter's perfect ride

THOMPSON OKANAGAN RESORTS’ SNOWBOARDING, SKIING STATS

The Thompson Okanagan in the interior of British Columbia is a tourist mecca offering not only snow play in winter but hiking, water sports, wine-tasting and various visitor attractions year-round (www.totabc.com). The region is agricultural (producing fresh fruits and vegetables, wine, cheese, and more) also rich in parks, camping facilities, lakes, beaches and golf courses.
There are 10 ski areas in the area; four destination resorts and six smaller community areas.You can fly directly into Kelowna International Airport from Honolulu International, via Harmony Airways (winter only), or fly to Seattle or Vancouver, British Columbia, and connect by local carriers to Kelowna, Kamloops Airport or Penticton Regional Airport. The area is about 200 miles east of Vancouver, British Columbia, more than a three-hour drive.
Here’s a look at the largest and best equipped of the Thompson Okanagan ski areas:

1. APEX MOUNTAIN RESORT

Penticton
Rated “Best Small Destination Resort” by Ski Canada magazine, this area includes 1,112 acres of fall-line skiing and snowboarding. Ski runs are for all levels of expertise. The resort includes three lodge-type hotels plus a less expensive hostel, a ski school and children’s club, restaurants and skier services nearby. Amenities include a terrain park, half-pipe, aerial site, night-skiing, tube park, outdoor hockey/skating rink and ice skating loop.
Runs/trails: 67
Longest run: 3 miles
Lifts: 5
Annual snowfall: 19 feet
Season opens: Not yet determined
On the Web: www.apexresort.com

2. BIG WHITE SKI RESORT

Kelowna
Perhaps best known of the Thompson Okanagan ski areas, Big White, Canada’s largest ski-in/ski-out resort village continues to increase its capacity with ambitious upgrading and maintenance programs to allow more early season snow-making and skiing, new parking lots, trails and and trail lighting between the resorts and the ski areas. The range of accommodations in the village is from luxury town homes to mountain chalets, log cabins to hostels with more than 15,000 on-mountain beds. The area was awarded “Best Weather” by Ski Canada magazine for its mild daytime temperatures and has also been recognized for the variety of terrains. The resort has all-age appeal with fancy restaurants and shopping as well as a teen center and a weekly torchlight parade and kids’ carnival night in winter. Big White’s sister resort, Silver Star, is connected via an inter-mountain shuttle service and dual-mountain ski packages are offered.
Runs/trails: 118 designated, 27 unnamed
Longest run: 4.5 miles
Lifts: 15
Annual snowfall: 24.5 feet
Season opens: Nov. 24
On the Web: www.bigwhite.com

3. CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN

Ski Resort
Westbank, 20 miles from Kelowna
This 30-year-old ski area began as a small family-owned lodge, but now it’s part of the Crystal Mountain group and is expanding to become a year-round resort with added hotel rooms, spas, sporting activities. It’s known now as a family-oriented regional favorite for skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing in a scenic, peaceful, sunny and forested setting.
Runs: 21
Longest run: 1 mile
Lifts: 3
Average Snowfall: 10.2 feet
Season opens: Tentatively, Dec. 4
On the Web: www.crystalresort .com

4. HARPER MOUNTAIN

Ski Hill
Near Kamloops
A very affordable family-friendly ski area, Harper Mountain offers skiing, snow-boarding, half-pipe, cross-country, a day lodge, skating rink, tube and terrain parks. Accommodations are in Kamloops, a medium-size city 10 miles to the east.
Runs: 15
Longest run: 1,200 feet
Lifts: 3
Average snowfall: 21.5 feet
Season opens: December
On the Web: www.harpermoun tain.com

5. MOUNT BALDY

Family Ski Area
Osoyoos,just north of the border
Mount Baldy’s Web site compares the spot to a micro-brew, estate wine, or specialty coffee — meaning small, special and back to basics. Located a short distance from Penticton, the area is in the midst of “desert wine country,” so there’s wine-tasting on offer as well as skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, frisbee golf. The village is equipped with cabin-style rooms. Expansion plans are in the works, so the smallness and simplicity won’t last for long.
Runs: 17
Longest run: Not available
Lifts: 2
Average snowfall: 21.5 feet
Season opens: Dec. 3, weather permitting
On the Web: www.skibaldy.com

6. SILVER STAR

Mountain Resort
Vernon, near Kelowna
Silver Star encompasses more than 2.725 acres on and around two mountain faces — Vance Creek and Putnam Creek. High-speed, large lifts serve both areas, and the region is known for deep powder snow, diverse terrain and some extremely challenging runs. The village is all tricked out in Victorian-inspired decor and includes all the boutiques and bistros the non-skiier could desire. Amenities include all the usual snow play plus night skiing, snowmobile touring, sleigh rides, helicopter tours, free evening events such as movie nights and fireworks, bonfires and ice hockey games. There’s a respected ski and board school and a children’s center. Silver Star’s sister resort, Big White, is connected via an inter-mountain shuttle service, and dual-mountain ski packages are offered.
Runs: 107
Longest run: 5 miles
Lifts: 11
Annual snowfall: 23 feet
Season opens: October
On the Web: www.skisilverstar .com

7. SUN PEAKS RESORT

Near Kamloops
This year-round resort has so much diversity that its Web site has summer and winter faces. The runs are long, there’s a slope-style course and lots of alpine bowls, the vertical drop is the steepest in B.C.’s interior, and there are 3,678 acres of skiable terrain. Three mountains serve every level of skiing ability. As with all Thompson Okanagan resorts, a big selling point is whisper-light powder and sunny and relatively warm conditions.
Runs: 117, plus 12 gladed areas
Longest run: 5 miles
Lifts: 11
Annual snowfall: 220 inches
Season opens: November 25
On the Web: www.sunpeaks resort.com

Reach Wanda A. Adams at wadams@honoluluadvertiser.com.