Killington Snowmaking Contest on Facebook

[skiadikt]

a pretty cool marketing idea. even better is the part where they say they'll crank the guns during the first favorable snowmaking window ...

Killington Snowmaking Contest

Peak foliage is here and that means ski season is just around the corner. In fact, we’re getting ready to fire up the World’s Most Extensive Snowmaking System! To celebrate the new season, we’re offering you, our loyal Facebook Fans, an opportunity to win an opening weekend getaway for two, including lift tickets, two night’s lodging at the Killington Grand Resort Hotel, and dinner at the World Famous Wobbly Barn Steakhouse. We’ll also throw in some Killington Swag.

All you have to do is guess closest to the exact date and time we fire up the first snow guns of the season. As a tie-breaker, you’ll also need to guess how many guns are on line during the first hour of production.

So grab your Farmer’s Almanac or consult your local forecaster, because as soon as we see a favorable weather window offering below freezing temperatures for consecutive days, we’ll crank on the guns!

To keep it fair, only one entry per Fan through Friday, October 1 at 4 p.m., multiple entries will be deleted. On Monday, Oct. 4, we’ll post a link to all the guesses in chronological order for all our Fans to follow along. Best of luck and THINK SNOW!

* First Name is required.
* Last Name is required.
* Email Address is required.
* Month is required.
* Day is required.
* Hour is required.
* Minute is required.
* Amount is required.

First Name *
Last Name *
Email Address *
Date of First Snowmaking *
Time of First Snowmaking *

Tiebreaker Question:
How many snowguns
will be turned on in the first hour?*

 

[Highway Star]

http://forums.alpinezone.com/showthread.php?t=81340

 

[bvibert]

Cool idea!

 

[Johnskiismore]

That idea is awesome!

 

[millerm277]

I like it, and I'll be entering....but as long as the winning entry doesn't start with 11/xx/10, I'll be happy.

 

[snoseek]

It's really starting to sound like k is looking to get back in on the early season action again. Competition is good for all skiers, everywhere.

 

[jerryg]

It's really starting to sound like k is looking to get back in on the early season action again. Competition is good for all skiers, everywhere.

+1 Very cool idea by Killington and definitely great for eastern skiing. It'll certainly keep Boyne on their toes.

 

[2knees]

not to be pessimistic, but why would they be so gung ho about opening early, like october early, when they closed early, like full coverage impending snowstorm early, only 5 months ago.

I'm no genius, but it seems to me that it would be alot cheaper to operate later into the spring then try to open under marginal temps that would almost surely result in a complete loss of snow at some point. Even in the heydey of the 80's to mid 90's, they never sustained an october opening.

just doesnt add up to me. more like a marketing blitz to get people excited.

 

[mondeo]

not to be pessimistic, but why would they be so gung ho about opening early, like october early, when they closed early, like full coverage impending snowstorm early, only 5 months ago.

I'm no genius, but it seems to me that it would be alot cheaper to operate later into the spring then try to open under marginal temps that would almost surely result in a complete loss of snow at some point. Even in the heydey of the 80's to mid 90's, they never sustained an october opening.

just doesnt add up to me. more like a marketing blitz to get people excited.

Because they've opened under marginal temps the last two years? Two years ago they were what, a day behind SR? And last year, despite Geoff's protestations, they were oh so close to having good enough snowmaking temps on lower Bunny to open with SR, but judged them to not be good enough. (Also, they still had heavy equipment around the mixing bowl installing the fan gun.) The glades were covered.

Also, despite everyone claiming it's a no brainer to stay open later before opening early, there were more cars in the lot last opening day than last closing day.

 

[mondeo]

It's really starting to sound like k is looking to get back in on the early season action again. Competition is good for all skiers, everywhere.

They've been in it the last few years, people just forget all about that when they close early. Difference now is they're the resort with the best early season set-up, seems like SR either had an ever so slight edge, or just more willing to make people walk downhill through mud in ski boots.

 

[2knees]

Because they've opened under marginal temps the last two years? Two years ago they were what, a day behind SR? And last year, despite Geoff's protestations, they were oh so close to having good enough snowmaking temps on lower Bunny to open with SR, but judged them to not be good enough. (Also, they still had heavy equipment around the mixing bowl installing the fan gun.) The glades were covered.

Also, despite everyone claiming it's a no brainer to stay open later before opening early, there were more cars in the lot last opening day than last closing day.

I agree they've opened under marginal temps the last few years and I don't doubt one second that there have been more cars there for opening day then closing day. What I also don't doubt is that the marginal temps in november and the non-exsistant t-day skiing last year have them hedging their bets. (i:e: the stairway to heaven).

I hope I'm wrong, cause i'm not going to SR. I also don't really care that much about the first to open title. I'll be impressed if they stay open until May. :beating a horse icon should go here:

 

[Vortex]

They've been in it the last few years, people just forget all about that when they close early. Difference now is they're the resort with the best early season set-up, seems like SR either had an ever so slight edge, or just more willing to make people walk downhill through mud in ski boots.

I agree with most of this, but i would change make people walk downhill thought the mud to" let" them walk down through the mud. I liked having a choice to ski.

As of the 17th of Oct last year you could ski to the last curve on Sunday Punch, then it was off and on for 3 weeks to actually ski to the bottom of the lift lift. Not many days really required full down loading. I will take anything over nothing.

Its good to have competion and K has the advantage here this season. My guess is they will use it.

 

[bvibert]

I agree they've opened under marginal temps the last few years and I don't doubt one second that there have been more cars there for opening day then closing day. What I also don't doubt is that the marginal temps in november and the non-exsistant t-day skiing last year have them hedging their bets. (i:e: the stairway to heaven).

I hope I'm wrong, cause i'm not going to SR. I also don't really care that much about the first to open title. I'll be impressed if they stay open until May. :beating a horse icon should go here:

We really do need that emoticon here. There certainly is plenty of dead horse beating going on...

 

[speden]

not to be pessimistic, but why would they be so gung ho about opening early, like october early, when they closed early, like full coverage impending snowstorm early, only 5 months ago.

It's probably just economics. An early opening sells a lot of day tickets, gets people excited to buy season passes, and generates publicity.

A late closing just lets a lot of passholders ski for free while the resort continues to have normal operating expenses. The day ticket purchasers have already called it a season by then.

Ski resorts might stay open longer if passholders were willing to pay something for late season skiing, but probably they wouldn't be.

 

[bvibert]

The day ticket purchasers have already called it a season by then.

Most of the day ticket purchasers have called it quits. I know of a lot of people who still keep skiing once their home hill closes, they're willing to drive to Killington... if it's open. I agree though that it's not enough to make economical sense, in the short term. You have to figure in the value of staying open late to season pass sales though.

 

[skiadikt]

Most of the day ticket purchasers have called it quits. I know of a lot of people who still keep skiing once their home hill closes, they're willing to drive to Killington... if it's open. I agree though that it's not enough to make economical sense, in the short term. You have to figure in the value of staying open late to season pass sales though.

right most day ticket purchasers have called it quits. that was never the market ... but i do think there's enough of a market for those folks who like you say want to keep skiing after their home hill closes. i'm sure 2knees (and maybe even you & greg) would be there. i remember ski (bump) teams from all over the east training on supe mid/late may. it was almost like a whistler or timberline east where you could ski to june. i'm sure there's enough of a market for one ski area in the east to offer that. certainly it's a market that would need to be rebuilt after late asc & powdr killed it. i can't believe that if it didn't make financial sense on a number of levels that ski & asc would have continued doing it for almost 25 yrs. you don't think at some board meeting, someone would have said "hey pres you're nuts."

 

[Black Phantom]

not to be pessimistic, but why would they be so gung ho about opening early, like october early, when they closed early, like full coverage impending snowstorm early, only 5 months ago.

I'm no genius, but it seems to me that it would be alot cheaper to operate later into the spring then try to open under marginal temps that would almost surely result in a complete loss of snow at some point. Even in the heydey of the 80's to mid 90's, they never sustained an october opening.

just doesnt add up to me. more like a marketing blitz to get people excited.

Excellent analysis.

 

[2knees]

right most day ticket purchasers have called it quits. that was never the market ... but i do think there's enough of a market for those folks who like you say want to keep skiing after their home hill closes. i'm sure 2knees (and maybe even you & greg) would be there. i remember ski (bump) teams from all over the east training on supe mid/late may. it was almost like a whistler or timberline east where you could ski to june. i'm sure there's enough of a market for one ski area in the east to offer that. certainly it's a market that would need to be rebuilt after late asc & powdr killed it. i can't believe that if it didn't make financial sense on a number of levels that ski & asc would have continued doing it for almost 25 yrs. you don't think at some board meeting, someone would have said "hey pres you're nuts."

using myself as evidence, and I realize its anecdotal, but most of my skiing at killington the last 10 years has been done from mid april on. I've never owned a pass there and happily plunk down whatever they charge late season. I totally agree that there must have been something other then bragging rights that kept them goind into late may and june.

 

[WJenness]

Ski resorts might stay open longer if passholders were willing to pay something for late season skiing, but probably they wouldn't be.

We do...

We buy a season pass... :???:

One of the reasons I buy my new england pass every year is that I know SR makes a run at early season skiing and the loaf is open late... If they changed those strategies, I'd probably re-evaluate my pass buying habit...

-w

 

[drjeff]

using myself as evidence, and I realize its anecdotal, but most of my skiing at killington the last 10 years has been done from mid april on. I've never owned a pass there and happily plunk down whatever they charge late season. I totally agree that there must have been something other then bragging rights that kept them goind into late may and june.

Yup, and it was called a completely different business philosphy/model.

If you think about it, what seemed to be the turning point where the season length mentality switched from "as long as we can" more to a model of "as long as it's consistently economically profitable" happened around the time that many ski areas took a large commitment becoming real estate developers. Obviously that's not the only reason, but the season length shortening and the general base area real estate explosion seem to have happened at about the same time