Early Resort Openings Lead to Optimistic Predictions For 2009-10

mike lewis

• October 13 2009
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It has been a record breaking early start to the season for many ski resorts this year around the West. Loveland claimed the opening lift  on October 7 with Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort (LVSSR)  coming in just a few hours after Loveland.  Boreal’s Castle Peak Quad lift was the first to open this year in California on October 9th and A-Basin fired things up in Colorado the same day.

As reports of a four-foot storm descending on Mammoth roll in, TransWorld Business had the chance to check in with a few of the resorts that have felt the blessing of cold and snow to find out what affect the early start will have on business and how it will impact the entire industry for the 2009-10 season.We caught up with Loveland Marketing Director John Sellers, A-Basin’s Director of Marketing Leigh Hierholzer, LVSSR’s Base Operations Manager Craig Baldwin and Boreal’s Marketing Manager Jon Slaughter to get their thoughts.

Was this your earliest kick off to date?

John Sellers (JSellers): It’s our earliest opening in at least forty years.

Leigh Hierholzer (LH): October 10 was the earliest before this in 2007.

Craig Baldwin (CB): This was the earliest ever in our 46 year history and the energy around here is through the roof…

Jon Slaughter (JS): Yes, breaking the past record of Oct. 11, 2000. Last season we opened Nov. 6, 2008, which speaks a lot to the new snowmaking system.

Opening Day, October 7, 2009, at Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort

What terrain do you have open? Are there any park features?

JSellers: We have a C-Box and a down box.
LH: We have a park open with a number of rails and features.
CB: We are operating on one slope, on beginner terrain only. Park staff placed six features on the slope and it was a huge success for us! Riders came from Las Vegas, Southern Utah and SoCal to enjoy some early season riding on boxes and rails.

JS: We only have one lift and one run open. We have six features on the run including two flat boxes, an up box, mini wall, down box, and c-box. Right now we are running weekends (Friday through Sunday) only until we get more snow.

How was attendance this weekend compared to years past?

JSellers: The turnout was bigger than average for opening days, it wasn’t our biggest but it was a good turnout.
LH: We had just over 2000.  Last year we did just under that number.  This year was our largest opening day in the past five seasons.

CB: No comparison. We typically target opening for Thanksgiving and to have a such a big jump on the season is really great. With the combination of Autumn colors in the trees and snow on the ground, we opened scenic chair rides and that went off with the folks that don’t ride or ski. Good stuff.

JS: Awesome.  Better than we could have expected.  We do not give out numbers since we are privately owned, but I can say that every lift chair was filled all weekend.  It was a cool summer and cool fall.  El Niño is here, for whatever that is worth.  The birds and squirrels are acting crazy around my house and I even had a raccoon get into my garage via the doggie door, so all the signs are pointing to THE BEST WINTER TAHOE HAS EVER SEEN. No really, I wish I knew.  Our weather forecaster seems pretty optimistic, so I predict a great winter.The way we look at it, if we can show them what Boreal is all about, perhaps we will convert a few.

Do you see more snowboarders during early season than mid? If so, why do you think this is?

LH: We definitely see more snowboarders early season, it’s more like 50/50 versus 30/70 mid-season. We have the terrain park open, and the snowboarders are just more enthusiastic to get in the park, it’s a younger crowd.

JS: We see many people that do not normally ride at Boreal, but then we also host our normal crowd.  Many people come to Boreal early in the season because we are the only game in town. It is great for us, because we have the opportunity to showcase our mountain to a crowd that would not normally see what we have to offer.  The way we look at it, if we can show them what Boreal is all about, perhaps we will convert a few.I spoke with a few of our local retailers…One guy said he was scrambling to get his winter gear on teh shelves because people started coming in looking for goods.

What does getting off to this early of a start mean for LVSSR and the snowboard industry in general?

JSellers: It’s huge opening a week earlier than normal and hopefully the momentum keeps up with early season dumps. The exposure value is just huge. We were in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, national TV and a bunch of other outlets, which is great for us, the state, and the ski and snowboard industry in general.

LH: It’s great to get an early season. We don’t have any summer business. The publicity that the season is up and running is good for us and the ski industry in general. You can’t buy that kind of press

CB: It really gets people thinking about riding. The phones are ringing off the hook and people think we should be open on even more terrain, it’s like they think we are already in December or something. We were also able to start a few employees earlier than normal; which is healthy considering such a high unemployment rate in our area.

I spoke with a few of our local retailers and they were really surprised  how much impact the early opening has had on their winter sales. One guy said he was scrambling to get his winter gear on the shelves because people started coming in looking for the goods. It’s great for everyone.

JS: This early start did not just help Boreal, it helped the whole economy. October is generally a shoulder season, so getting a crowd to the mountain gave a shot in the arm to gas stations, board shops, restaurants and more. I think getting an early start to the season puts consumers into the mindset that “It’s going to be a good winter, I better start to gear up for it.”

What are your predictions for this year?

CB: Although it is still so very early for us, we are looking forward to a long profitable season. At this point, El Niño appears to be timing things just right for our region and it may deliver a wet winter. I’m going with an above average snow year and keeping my fingers crossed that we will see plenty of snow prior to Christmas and possibly even Thanksgiving. Of course, only a fool predicts the weather, but snow IS in the forecast for tomorrow…