KILLINGTON: The 2008 AlpineZone Ski Area Challenge

[SpinmasterK]

Originally Posted by GrilledSteezeSandwich

Do you plan on staying open into May this year?

April 19, 2009 is the scheduled closing date. However, we will remain flexible just like last season to determine a later closing date if conditions and business levels permit.

[SpinmasterK]

Originally Posted by GrilledSteezeSandwich

Are you going to open with Advanced terrain only like last season? I thought that was mad steezy yo!!!

Yes, that is the plan. However, weather permitting, we're also shooting to open Ramshead a week earlier this season on Dec.6.

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Originally Posted by SpinmasterK

April 19, 2009 is the scheduled closing date. However, we will remain flexible just like last season to determine a later closing date if conditions and business levels permit.

Sweet..Killington is the best place to ski within 20 miles of Rutland..

[wa-loaf]

Originally Posted by GrilledSteezeSandwich

Sweet..Killington is the best place to ski within 20 miles of Rutland..

[powderman]

Originally Posted by SpinmasterK

April 19, 2009 is the scheduled closing date. However, we will remain flexible just like last season to determine a later closing date if conditions and business levels permit.

Would it be possible for Killington to be open weekends only after April 19, 2009?

[Tin Woodsman]

Three questions:

1) When POWDR took over prior to the 07-08 season, it implemented a number of fairly drastic changes aimed at enhancing profitability of Killington. As I'm sure you well know, these moves (among others) precipitated a firestorm of criticism from many stakeholders which has yet to abate. Yet in the last 3-4 months, we've seen signs that POWDR realizes they may have gone "a bridge too far" with many of the changes. These signs include extending the 07-08 season by a week due to weather conditions, extending the 08-09 season by that same week and reinstating 7 day operations on Skyeship Stage 1. In light of the acrimony and ill-will that still permeates Killington's relationship with the local community and other key stakeholders, would it not have been more advisable to operate the business for a year with some less drastic changes in order to better understand where the pressure points would be?

2) Killington has publically stated that they are focusing on a quality approach vs. quantity. In other words, skier visits don't matter as much as the yield from each of those customers and, of course, the experience those customers have at the resort. While this may or may not be true (time will tell), what is certainly true is that there is a direct link between the number of skiers and the health of the local business community. Local businesses are geared for years featuring 800k to as many as 1 million skier visits, as it's what they've experienced for over 20 years now. So what they are seeing is a new owner coming in and trying to shrink skier visits (at least in the short-term) while seeking approval to build a Village featuring a significant amount of extra retail with which they'll need to compete. In light of this, how can Killington and its partners profes to be surprised at the opposition they've encountered on the Village PUD issue and what do you plan to do, if anything, to mollify what appear to be valid concerns on this matter?

3) Killington has taken a number of actions which, to be charitable, have strained its credibility with the local community and longtime Killington fans. These include misleading pronouncements on capital improvements for last year, trying to blame the State of VT for the (incredibly unsuccessful) changes in the BMMC alcohol policies, and the consistent refusal to release skier visit numbers for the 07-08 season. Do you recognize that there has been a communications problem and, if so, what do you plan to do about it?

[Greg]

Originally Posted by Tin Woodsman

Three questions:

1) When POWDR took over prior to the 07-08 season, it implemented a number of fairly drastic changes aimed at enhancing profitability of Killington. As I'm sure you well know, these moves (among others) precipitated a firestorm of criticism from many stakeholders which has yet to abate. Yet in the last 3-4 months, we've seen signs that POWDR realizes they may have gone "a bridge too far" with many of the changes. These signs include extending the 07-08 season by a week due to weather conditions, extending the 08-09 season by that same week and reinstating 7 day operations on Skyeship Stage 1. In light of the acrimony and ill-will that still permeates Killington's relationship with the local community and other key stakeholders, would it not have been more advisable to operate the business for a year with some less drastic changes in order to better understand where the pressure points would be?

2) Killington has publically stated that they are focusing on a quality approach vs. quantity. In other words, skier visits don't matter as much as the yield from each of those customers and, of course, the experience those customers have at the resort. While this may or may not be true (time will tell), what is certainly true is that there is a direct link between the number of skiers and the health of the local business community. Local businesses are geared for years featuring 800k to as many as 1 million skier visits, as it's what they've experienced for over 20 years now. So what they are seeing is a new owner coming in and trying to shrink skier visits (at least in the short-term) while seeking approval to build a Village featuring a significant amount of extra retail with which they'll need to compete. In light of this, how can Killington and its partners profes to be surprised at the opposition they've encountered on the Village PUD issue and what do you plan to do, if anything, to mollify what appear to be valid concerns on this matter?

3) Killington has taken a number of actions which, to be charitable, have strained its credibility with the local community and longtime Killington fans. These include misleading pronouncements on capital improvements for last year, trying to blame the State of VT for the (incredibly unsuccessful) changes in the BMMC alcohol policies, and the consistent refusal to release skier visit numbers for the 07-08 season. Do you recognize that there has been a communications problem and, if so, what do you plan to do about it?

Very civil and well-stated questions. Thank you.

[andyzee]

There are indeed some very good well thought out questions, SkiDork and Tin Woodsman came up with excellent ones. I for one will be waiting with great anticipation for the answers. Just wondering where I may find them. Will it be here, on Killingtonzone, or perhaps some other board?

[mondeo]

1. Following the installation of more low energy guns, what will be the mix between more snowmaking and lower costs that you expect to achieve?

2. Will Upper Wildfire continue to be a groomed trail, as it was from late January last year, or will it return to being a bump run?

3. This was stated last year as an expectation for improvement: "More sense of order and control in parking lots and lift mazes." I never got a sense of order or control in a lift maze last year, save for when there were competitions at Bear Mountain. Constantly, there are people waiting for friends in the line, going as groups larger than the chair capacity (making it hard to figure out how many people will be on a chair,) etc. Is improved lift maze control once again on the list of hoped-for improvements, and if so, what will be done differently this year to achieve those goals?

[Phildozer]

Originally Posted by SkiDork

Why is it financially feasible to stay open over the 4th of July weekend for mountain biking with the Bay 2 parking lot only half full, and run the K1 and keep the K peak restaurant open but not feasible to stay open into May and only run the SS quad when there would surely be much more of a crowd.

Wow. Good question!