Marianne McCann of Bay City fame, and Drewski Northman from the East River Federation have teamed-up with the Chamonix City administration to arrange and host the first ever Second Life Winter Games.

Scheduled to take place in March 2014 (dates still tbc), the games will comprise a mix of sporting and social events throughout, including: hockey, skiing, snowboarding, curling, figure skating, live music, DJs, parties and more.

The focus of the games will be all about community, as Drewski explained when blogging the announcement for the event:

SL is at its very best when a community bands together to produce wonderful creations, tell compelling stories, or host fun events. The Games allow communities of all stripes, Steampunk, Retro, Bohemian, Metropolitan, Futuristic, to come together on common ground to compete, interact, and showcase what makes their community special. Along with the athletic events, there will be a Cultural Exchange Centre that will allow each community to set up an informative display for others to see.

Given the community theme, a further aspect of the games will be that of cultural exchange: presenting communities with the opportunity to showcase themselves, exchange ideas, and for residents to find out more about SL’s many diverse communities.

The choice of the Chamonix City regions for the games is highly appropriate, as it was in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France that the very first official Winter Olympic games were held. Chamonix in Second Life is home to the Global Online Hockey Association, and sits in the historic Snowlands region of Sansara, where Winterfest was hosted by the Lindens in years gone by.

Those wishing to participate in the Games or who would like to help out in any way with the organisation and running of the games, please contact Drewski Northman, or Marianne McCann in-world.

So now is the time for all communities in SL to start planning. The Winter Games are coming, and teams are wanted!