Breaking news on Killington's early season....

[Highway Star]

http://www.killingtonzone.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=19095&sid=b244bccff5d2a0ddaea31288072192fe

 

[Phildozer]

http://www.killingtonzone.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=19095&sid=b244bccff5d2a0ddaea31288072192fe

Assuming all of this is true, it sounds like the new owners are taking a sane, rational approach to running Killington.

I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

 

[eastcoastpowderhound]

wow, they're once again getting lambasted on the kzone. All that talk about altitude, meanwhile it was colder in Fryeburg Maine last night than it was on top of Mt Washington. So if you're skiing there midweek, non-holiday and its damn cold out it sounds like you've got 2 options for buying a face mask, hand warmers, etc Ramsdown or Snowshed...sucks if you're at Bear or K1!

 

[Vortex]

If I had a slope side condo and the lift did not run. I would be out of my mind.

 

[MRGisevil]

If I had a slope side condo and the lift did not run. I would be out of my mind.

I'm not sure if this has been discussed elsewehere or not, but is there any ground for a class action suit regarding this? I know if I bought a slopeside condo and couldn't use the lift, AND my property value significantly decreased as a direct result, I'd be seriously pissed.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Nothing to surprising in there but I do take issue with several statements of fact, especially the ones from the marketing guy. These foundational facts have been hashed over and then re-hashed over from here to kzone, to epicski to AZ, beyond the point of ad nauseum. I think Okemo, Mt Snow, Stratton and Sugarbush and others will continue to gain marketshare from kmart.

They have a plan, it was publically announced months ago, we shall see if it works out for Powdr/kmart and their customers.

 

[Vortex]

No sure what can be done, but what a hit to property values.

 

[Vortex]

Nothing to surprising in there but I do take issue with several statements of fact, especially the ones from the marketing guy. These foundational facts have been hashed over and then re-hashed over from here to kzone, to epicski to AZ, beyond the point of ad nauseum. I think Okemo, Mt Snow, Stratton and Sugarbush and others will continue to gain marketshare from kmart.

They have a plan, it was publically announced months ago, we shall see if it works out for Powdr/kmart and their customers.

Maine has taken it share of the Boston market as well.

 

[PA Ridge Racer]

So essentially, Blowing like crazy on Superstar is a thing of the past but who knows, maybe Cascade will be the next Superstar as it's at higher elevation. There is a slight chance they will go past mid April (if demand is there). Oh and areas in PA will have a longer season than Pico :-o The higher elevation snowmaking plan makes sense though.

 

[koreshot]

I like to ski, but I know very little about the ski industry. All this time I thought the ski/snowboard industry was growing. Is it really true what the articles says? That the ski industry has seen a decline in visits since the 90s or whatever?

 

[madskier6]

I'm not sure if this has been discussed elsewehere or not, but is there any ground for a class action suit regarding this? I know if I bought a slopeside condo and couldn't use the lift, AND my property value significantly decreased as a direct result, I'd be seriously pissed.

Unless there was some agreement between the condo association(s) and Killington about running the lift, there would be no basis for a class action lawsuit. I fully understand why condo owners would be pissed but absent an agreement, Killington owes nothing to these people just because their condo is located near the lift. This is unfortunately one of the risks of buying property.

 

[danny p]

while I don't agree with all of this "breaking news" as a season passholder I am very happy that at least Killington is communicating their "plans" with us. If they had only released this information a couple months ago, think how many rumors and (possibly) bad pr would have never spawned. regardless, I still think this will be quite an interesting season up at K/Pico.

 

[Highway Star]

I like to ski, but I know very little about the ski industry. All this time I thought the ski/snowboard industry was growing. Is it really true what the articles says? That the ski industry has seen a decline in visits since the 90s or whatever?

Killington has seen a major decline in vists....visits in the northeast and VT have been fairly flat.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

I like to ski, but I know very little about the ski industry. All this time I thought the ski/snowboard industry was growing. Is it really true what the articles says? That the ski industry has seen a decline in visits since the 90s or whatever?

Nationwide skier visits are up since the 90s...by about 15%..

 

[Vortex]

I'm glad I'm not here. spin it anyway you want. Less for more.

 

[Greg]

I like to ski, but I know very little about the ski industry. All this time I thought the ski/snowboard industry was growing. Is it really true what the articles says? That the ski industry has seen a decline in visits since the 90s or whatever?

Killington has seen a major decline in vists....visits in the northeast and VT have been fairly flat.

When exactly in the 1990's? Declining since ~1990 or ~1999?

It must be global warming's fault...

 

[marcski]

If I had a slope side condo and the lift did not run. I would be out of my mind.

Which, if any, condo's are affected by lifts that will not be in operation during the week this year?

 

[tjf67]

If I had a slope side condo and the lift did not run. I would be out of my mind.

I would to but from readin there plan as well as what others are saying about the deteriation of K over the past 5 years may be it is in the best interest of the condo owners to go throught his down period to get to the promise land on the other side.
As far as I am concerned anyone who bought a condo at killington has money to waste anyways so suck it up and move on.

 

[eastcoastpowderhound]

I'm glad I'm not here. spin it anyway you want. Less for more.

I'm with BobR...glad Powdr didn't buy Sunday River! The most illuminating point is that ALL of the former ASC resorts here in the east were in a similar situation, Steamboat too, a lack of investment in infrastructure over a number of years that lead to a decline in the overall, primarily off hill experience. Of the 4 new owners only one has come in and taken the approach of shortening the posted season, reducing services and raising pricing. Intrawest added a brand new HS six pack at Steamboat and has commited to investing 40million over the next 3 years, 16 of it on hill this year. Boyne has brought in an outside agency for a brainstorming session on the future of Sunday River, brought back mtn biking the 1st weekend they owned the resort and is still commited to providing some great value options for passholders. Peaks, while they aren't investing Intrawest type $$ has expressed a commitment to stepping up the early season offering, snowmaking, etc and still maintaned a value option pass program...and if you add up the investment at Attitash and Mount Snow its more than Powdr is putting into Killington/Pico for a similar purchase price. All of the other new owners seem commited to a field of dreams approach while only Powdr seems to be going with the eat what we kill philosophy. It'll be interesting to see which approach pays the best dividends.

 

[Vortex]

http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071017/NEWS04/710170380/1002/NEWS01

this article says a bit more. does not mention a specific place, but mentions skyeship. houses are investmetns. that is understood. Good and bad can happen. Hard to foresee a lift shut down on a slopeside trail. I thought resorts had set deals about protecting condo owners. AT Sr most of the properties are mantained by sunday river. Kind of a mutual protection of eachother.