A regular at Tahoe's Heavenly Mountain Resort was just about the best advertisement that the ice rink was open for business.

He's hairier and heavier than most, and actually a newbie to figure skating, but that didn't stop Charlie from being the first one on the rink when it opened for the season on Thursday.

Forget skates, the claws are sharpened.

The black bear, affectionally named Charlie by the locals, is a regular at Heavenly, according to the Drue Murin of the Shops at Heavenly Village.

The shops are at the base of the resort on the California-Nevada border, 60 miles south of Reno. It is the largest ski hill in Tahoe with 4,800 acres of terrain.

"He has become somewhat of a local celebrity, often wandering through the village at night or early mornings on a stroll," Murin said.

See Full Page