By Japhy Grant

Elevation offers a natural high for guys looking for an alternative weekend gathering.

One great thing about being a freelance journalist is that you get a lot of schwag and Tom Whitman's assistant has just handed me the best piece of free junk ever: a black T-shirt silk screened with the phrase "Snowboarding is for fags." "It's the shirt from the first year of Elevation," explains Whitman, planner of the annual gay ski weekend at Mammoth Ski Resort. A former member of the UCLA ski team turned party promoter, Whitman has orchestrated Elevation for the last four years as an alternative weekend for gays and lesbians who are sick of circuit parties and the bar scene. Offering a fun and informal combination of skiing, dancing, and socializing, it's the number two (right behind Aspen) gay ski event in the world and it's coming to Mammoth March 15-19.

"I produce events I want to go to," says Whitman, who has one of those youthful faces that comes from years spent working nighttime events and avoiding the sun. Unlike many party promoters, Whitman was never a large part of the circuit scene. He got his start as a film producer, but when an event he put together for one of his films became more talked about than the movie itself, he found himself planning Hollywood events like Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards and the MTV Video Music Awards. His parties were a sideline until he decided "it was either time I got an office and made this a proper business or get out." He got the office and began to promote and produce popular parties like Smack, Size, and Elevation.

"One of the things that's great about Elevation is that it still has a small town feel. It's a very comfortable place," says Whitman. Mammoth Lakes is a tiny town with a big mountain. Its population in the winter increases tenfold and from March 15-19, the town will be overrun with gay folk attending Whitman's party. "We get a letter from the mayor each year welcoming us," he tells me, pausing for a moment before adding, "Of course, the mayor is also gay."

The idea of combining circuit dance events with bare-knuckles skiing sounds like a recipe for disaster: Imagine bleary-eyed late-night party boys whooshing down Mammoth's famously challenging slopes at 50 miles an hour. But Whitman goes to pains to explain that Elevation is not your usual gay dance party. "Our events end at 1:30 a.m.," he says. "My favorite parts of the event are après ski events, with everyone still in their ski gear, hanging out, getting to know each other. I can guarantee you that if you go, you will make friends."

Elevation is a lot more than beer busts by the fireside, however. Friday night's Party at 10,000 Feet takes place at the mid-mountain lodge and is only accessible by gondola. It can be a harrowing trip and Whitman confesses, "I always have to warn people that the gondola ride is a good eight minutes of pitch dark. The only things you can see out the windows are snow cats. Then, inevitably someone comes up to me at the party to say they're going to find a boy to make out with on the ride back down." Not only do the patrons have to be brought up, but all the equipment as well. One of Whitman's favorite parts of the weekend is seeing thousands of pounds of speaker equipment hauled onto snow cats and lugged up the mountain.

With the recent demise of Whistler's gay ski weekend, Elevation, like Mammoth Mountain itself, is on the verge of unprecedented national attention, but Whitman is determined that the event doesn't get too big for its snow pants. "I don't want this to become too large; I want people to feel comfortable and not overwhelmed," he says. He's taken a few steps to help the party maintain its community feel, bringing the party locations to Mammoth's central village, and increasing venue sizes while also increasing the number of smaller events where people can mingle casually. The main event, Cliffhanger, features DJ Manny Lehman. Bring up Lehman's name and Whitman's eyes light up. "He's my best friend. I love Manny." he enthuses. The party takes three truckloads of equipment, all of which must be hauled through the Mojave and up to Mammoth. "What's unique about this event is that you get world-class skiing during the day and then can attend a world-class dance event at night. There's nothing like it." With the motto, "1,500 Riders, 7 Events, 0 Attitude," he may be right.

Whitman recommends buying tickets for the events and booking your hotel early at www.mammothgayski.com. The site also offers driving directions, useful information, and photos from past events to get a feel for the atmosphere, as well as an extensive listing of the town's many shops and restaurants, all of which happily welcome gay clientele. In fact, Whitman says that many bar owners have marveled how well-behaved the gay crowds are. One bar owner told him, "I'd never seen the bar more packed, and there wasn't a single fight. There's always fights at this bar."

Elevation takes place at Mammoth Ski Resort March 15-19. For more information visit www.mammothgayski.com.