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The ultimate Chill-out session

Nestea offers up refreshing new event on top of Whistler Mountain featuring music, snowboarding with Olympians and beach volleyball

What: Chill on the Hill

When: Saturday, July 25, starting at noon

Where: Top of Whistler Mountain

Cost: Free (plus cost of lift ticket)

Get ready for a solid day of sun, sand, snow and song, courtesy of Nestea. On Saturday, July 25, the beloved beverage maker is bringing its brand-new event dubbed Chill on the Hill to town.

The one-day, free event features musical performances by Montreal rockers The Stills and the Ontario-based punk stylings of Protest the Hero. Their performances will be sandwiched alongside a snow park, complete with a sick quarterpipe and railslide, right next to a beach slide, which will be set up at the site of the terrain park beneath Emerald Chair. A beach volleyball court will be installed on another part of the site.

Wallace Leung, senior brand manager of tea for Coca Cola Ltd., explained that this year, the company wanted to do something a bit different to reach out to its Canadian audience.

"Nestea being all about refreshing possibilities, we were thinking, 'well, what does that mean for Canadians?'" Leung said. "We knew one thing, we knew that Canadians love the outdoors, so whether it's skiing and snowboarding in the wintertime or mountain biking and just being out and about at beach parties in the summer, being active was a big component."

They decided to bring the best of both the summer and winter worlds together, and couple it with great Canadian music for an action-packed summer event that will travel across Canada this summer, visiting a select few mountain towns.

That's right - Whistler isn't the only stop on the Chill on the Hill tour. So far, they've already touched down at Mont Tremblant, where the first eager partygoer was suited up in snowboard gear and on his way up the hill at 10 a.m. This first stop was a hit, with an even greater turnout than Leung had hoped for. Next up is Whistler.

"Whistler is one of Canada's greatest national treasures, undoubtedly," Leung said. "...When it comes to skiing and snowboarding, it's bar none."

Add in the longstanding relationship that Whistler and Intrawest have with Coca Cola, and it just made sense to add the community to the tour.

Rob McSkimming, vice president of business development for Whistler Blackcomb, said: "From our standpoint, we thought it would work great on top of the mountain, and they were happy to do it up there. If all goes well, it could be really fun!"

McSkimming added that it's been a long time since Whistler Blackcomb hosted a musical event on top of the mountain.

"The times that we have had it, it's been pretty magical, so hopefully this will be another one of those times."

Whistler Blackcomb will be doing everything they can to promote and execute Chill on the Hill: providing food and beverage, access to the site, helping to build the snow and sand areas, and settting up staging. McSkimming's hoping that the event might draw about 5,000 people.

Season pass holders will be able to attend free of charge, while Edge Card holders will receive a discount. Everyone else will have to buy a day lift ticket, which sells for $41.95 (for an adult).

"Most local people or regional people will have a way to get up there for less than a full priced ticket, if not free," McSkimming said.

At a time when many big corporations are cutting back on spending, especially when it comes to extras like special events, Leung said Nestea is looking to cut people a break, offering up a day of (almost) free fun.

"Sometimes, price might be a barrier, but in the world of refreshing possibilities, we should be able to help bring down that price tag," Leung said.

Protest the Hero takes the stage to start the party at noon, while The Stills take over at 3 p.m.

"We really wanted to bring awesome Canadian bands, and we were thrilled to have The Stills as well as Protest the Hero," Leung said.

Two Olympic snowboarders, Justin Lamoureux and Seth Wescott, are along for the Chill on the Hill ride, teaching people some tips and tricks of the trade.

"They've been joining us at every stop, working with the kids to do some workshops," Leung explained.

The pros will also be judging a special tricks competition at each stop, so any riders out there should come prepared to compete, even in the mid-summer heat.

The Chill on the Hill tour wraps up at Glen Eden, a ski area outside of Toronto, on Saturday, Aug. 22.