In case anyone has missed it, the Winter Dew Tour is in town this weekend. Hard to avoid, we know, given the amount of media exposure the event has been given. But, then again, that’s the point. A world-class event like the Dew Tour is as much about exposure as it is the competition.

Once again the valley gets a chance to present itself to the world, and in particular the world of action sports. Not just to the athletes and spectators who will line the slopes this weekend, but to television audiences across the country and around the world. Nine hours of television time will be devoted to the event this weekend alone, on NBC and its cable networks USA and MTV2. Also, the exposure doesn’t end Sunday evening. The television networks will be repeating the events numerous times over the coming weeks and months.

Then there’s the nonstop, always-on Internet, which will show images and videos from the Winter Dew Tour on more Web sites than we can possibly mention. The wonderful thing about the Web is that once something is there, it tends to stay there in some fashion or another. Don’t think that’s true? The Winter X Games were another major winter sports events that Mount Snow hosted, in 2000 and 2001. Images from those events are still available on the Internet, 10 years later. That’s some serious staying power, and why it’s so important that the community continue to embrace these types of events and understand the long-term marketing and branding staying power.

Speaking of staying power, one thing we continually advocate, as do many in the community, is the continued return of the Winter Dew Tour. It’s a winner, in our estimation, on a number of levels. The competitors are world class, even in an Olympic year like this when some athletes have chosen to skip the Dew Tour in favor of focusing solely on the five rings. The exposure is world class, and of course the shot in the arm to the economy is invaluable, both short term on the weekend of the event and long term through continued exposure. The region lost out when the X-Games left after 2001. They headed west to Aspen and are still there. That works out to tens of millions of dollars lost to the local economy over the past nine years. We can’t afford to have the same thing happen to the Winter Dew Tour. We, as a community, need to continue to welcome the organizers, competitors, and fans with open arms. As local communities struggle with a down economy, the Dew Tour is one of our brightest opportunities.

But enough about the underlying reasons to keep supporting the tour. This weekend is all about the competitions, and the events surrounding them. We urge everyone to head to Carinthia for at least an hour or two, take in the Festival Village, watch some of the events, and bask in the fun that surrounds the Winter Dew Tour.

And when a camera pans the crowd, remember to wave and smile to the rest of the world. It will be watching.