Berkshire East Sold

[threecy]

http://www.recorder.com/story.cfm?id_no=4366497

 

[skiadikt]

great story. i'm always happy to hear about little areas that can thrive & survive. wow 80,000 skiers and yet they're still growing. fantastic attitude. increasing snowmaking, adding a new chair ... i've never skied there but after reading this and some tr's, will definitely try to hit it up this season. contrast this with the dark cloud hanging over killington.

btw, though i know it's a minority view, this supports my contention that pico could thrive as a standalone ski area particularly with the right marketing and business plan. it's really a shame to see asc and now powdr treating it like an unwanted stepchild. it's got exactly the type of terrain that k lacks. emphasize youth programs. market it as a family place far from the madness of it's neighbor down the road. if berkshire can pull 80k, pico as a standalone marketed properly could easily pull 200-250k and be a happening little place.

 

[RISkier]

We made our first trip to Berkshire East last year. We really had a great day. We didn't get there till close to 9:00, the lodge was uncrowded, and we never waited more than a couple of chairs for a lift. The lodge was busy at lunch but didn't have that frenetic/overcrowded/mean feeling that you sometimes find at bigger places on weekends. The terrain is interesting and challenging. If B'East has decent snow it's a place to which we'd make a lot of day trips. Just a really good atmosphere. I wish them the very best. We'll be back.

 

[Newpylong]

"Last year almost 80,000 skiers used the 900-acre mountain, making Berkshire East the most-used ski area in western Massachusetts"

They must have forgotten about their neighbor across the trail Jiminy Peak, lol. There are more people on one trail there than the Beast the entire day.

 

[threecy]

Ya, the author probably forgot about Jiminy. Great stuff, though.

 

[Newpylong]

Def.

 

[Greg]

Jiminy logged over half this many skier visits during President's Week alone. I think they are in the quarter million range.

Great news for BEast. Awesome place!

 

[bvibert]

Sounds like good news! I hope to revisit the BEast again this coming winter.

 

[madskier6]

This is good news as now the mountain manager, Roy Schaefer, and his son will get to completely run things the way they want, which is good for us skiers.

The title to this thread is a little misleading since technically, Berkshire East wasn't "sold". Two existing partners bought out their other partners & now own it 100%. So not a sale per se, but I'm optimistic that the "changes" will be good for the mountain and its skiers. Unlike the changes that SP/Powdr has announced for K/Pico.

This bodes well for me since I'll be a Berkshire East passholder this year. :smile:

 

[Greg]

This bodes well for me since I'll be a Berkshire East passholder this year. :smile:

Knowing how much you like Magic and MRG, it makes sense that you're a BEast pass holder as your local option. I always thought all three had a similar vibe. You?

 

[Grassi21]

Knowing how much you like Magic and MRG, it makes sense that you're a BEast pass holder as your local option. I always thought all three had a similar vibe. You?

Call it a vibe instead of OLD SCHOOL and no one should get on your case. ;-)

If I was closer I would strongly consider a pass to the BEast.

 

[madskier6]

Knowing how much you like Magic and MRG, it makes sense that you're a BEast pass holder as your local option. I always thought all three had a similar vibe. You?

Absolutely! All 3 of them are "old school". Now we just need to have a great snow year so we can hit all 3 without worrying about conditions. The increased snowmaking at Magic & BEast this year, if it comes to pass, should help in that department though. MRG is just MRG but its location means it's less dependent on snowmaking than its southern brethren. :wink:

 

[threecy]

Two existing partners bought out their other partners & now own it 100%.

Not quite...only the GM was an owner prior to the transfer. His son is new to the ownership team.

So not a sale per se, but I'm optimistic that the "changes" will be good for the mountain and its skiers. Unlike the changes that SP/Powdr has announced for K/Pico.

This bodes well for me since I'll be a Berkshire East passholder this year. :smile:

There's definitely a new energy involved. While this year will certainly feature a lot of changes/improvements, I expect over the next 5 years, things will improve significantly. This is something that's been talked about for a long time. Berkshire East is just starting to bloom after 13 years of large expansion (new trails, new lifts, big time snowmaking/grooming increases, the new lodge, etc.)

 

[Zand]

Can't wait to go back this year and lap Liftline in some powder. Just wish that triple wasn't such a slug and they'd fire up the double more often.

 

[Newpylong]

Not quite...only the GM was an owner prior to the transfer. His son is new to the ownership team.


There's definitely a new energy involved. While this year will certainly feature a lot of changes/improvements, I expect over the next 5 years, things will improve significantly. This is something that's been talked about for a long time. Berkshire East is just starting to bloom after 13 years of large expansion (new trails, new lifts, big time snowmaking/grooming increases, the new lodge, etc.)

Where do they get the money for all of these improvements???

 

[threecy]

It's been very gradual. Whereas some ski areas will pocket profits in good years, B-East has made a conscious effort to reinvest.