(Whistler, British Columbia) More than 4,000 people are packing up today to go home after spending a week at North America`s biggest gay ski event, and some of them are leaving town as married couples.

The exact number of couples who wed is not yet known. At least four couples were wed in Whistler, but others tied the knot in nearby Vancouver.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in British Columbia since last summer, and dozens of couples from the United States have come to the west coast province to say their vows.

Evan Johnson and Tom Bauer came from Virginia to seal their relationship during gay ski week.

"We are getting married. We`re really excited about having the union for ourselves, even though in Virginia, it`s not quite as accepted, but it`s something that we think we deserve," Johnson said.

The couple celebrated their nuptials during a candlelight-filled ceremony before a small crowd on the weekend. They`re planning a larger reception when they get back home.

Some couples, inspired by the scenery and the town`s hospitality say they`ll be back next year to wed. "We`ll be here," said Pol Hansen from the US Midwest, as he clutched the glove wrapped hand of partner Mike Shapiro. "We didn`t realize how easy it was to get a license."

This year`s participation in Altitude was up significantly from a year ago. Last year, about 3,000 gay and lesbian skiers spent more than $1 million in the resort.

by Rich Peters, 365Gay.com News centre, Vancouver Bureau, ©365Gay.com® 2004