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Killington will Open Before Sunday River This Season
- Thread starter skiersleft
- Start date
Smellytele
Well-known member
It is all semantics and to be honest I have sold my soul before and skied both early season and both late season. The more choices the better. I am not a big fan of either anymore. I used to ski SR 15 times a year and I have spent many a weekend staying at friends' homes at Killington. I have moved on to liking different kinds of mountains but still ski at these on occasion when they offer the best option for the day. Variety my friends is the spice of life.
So many metrics, so little time...
If you are going to define longest as "days in a season", well then you might as well go to hours in a season. Since Killington is now opening a half hour later weekends and holidays, their season just became shorter still. Meanwhile, Sunday River offers weekend and holiday night skiing. Doesn't really matter, I expect POWDR to dump their Killington investment within the next two years.
If you are going to define longest as "days in a season", well then you might as well go to hours in a season. Since Killington is now opening a half hour later weekends and holidays, their season just became shorter still. Meanwhile, Sunday River offers weekend and holiday night skiing. Doesn't really matter, I expect POWDR to dump their Killington investment within the next two years.
It looks like you average about 1,000 posts a year and, at this rate, I am at about 100 per year. So yeah, I do not post here often.
skiersleft
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Okay, my views have evolved somewhat after reading all the replies to this thread. Here's what I think now, for what it's worth:
(1) Sunday River has the will and the setup to open in October and they have earned the right to brag about consistently being the first to open in the East. They have done so by beating Killington the last several years (it was a tie last year).
(2) Killington used to have the will to open first, although their setup was not as conducive for doing so as Sunday River. Lack of will combined with a less than optimal setup equated falling behind Sunday River in the open first department.
(3) The K Peak stairway changed the equation. While SR still wants more than K the title of first to open, the setup at Killington with the stairway is now close to optimal for opening early. It's better than SR's setup all things being considered. Significant elevation advantage can now be exploited. So, I'm assuming that K will give SR a run for their money again this year and the years to come. Before the peak stairway it was almost assured that with the lack of will to open first and the suboptimal setup, SR would open first. Now it's a closer call.
(4) K's early opening the last couple of years with the peak stairway seems to have demonstrated to management that October/early November skiing can be profitable and is a good marketing tool. So, their will to open earlier I think is now more than before. Still not on par with SR's commitment to opening first, but K now has more incentives to open as early as possible.
(5) Although I appreciate arguments to the contrary and believe they are reasonable, I still think that the most obvious way of understanding longest season is by number of days open. By that metric, K has the longest season in the East.
(6) Even if we take longest season in the East to mean day hill opened and day hill closed, Killington still can claim that. The competition would once again be SR. Measured this way, a case can be made in favor of SR, although it depends on how far back you look. In general, though, I think we can all agree that while SR clearly wrestled away the earliest to open title in the East, it still hasn't clearly wrestled away the longest season in the East title. Both hills can make cogent arguments about the latter, whereas K cannot (right now) claim that they consistently open first.
(7) All that being said, Kton will open before SR this season. I had another divine revelation episode last night. The original revelation was confirmed.
(8 ) I respect Riverc0il's opinion very much, FWIW. I read his blog with great interest. But I disagree with his current decision to go the 1 Ski Quiver route. I very much preferred his large quiver approach to skiing.
(9) Thanks for reading, I know this was another long post.
(1) Sunday River has the will and the setup to open in October and they have earned the right to brag about consistently being the first to open in the East. They have done so by beating Killington the last several years (it was a tie last year).
(2) Killington used to have the will to open first, although their setup was not as conducive for doing so as Sunday River. Lack of will combined with a less than optimal setup equated falling behind Sunday River in the open first department.
(3) The K Peak stairway changed the equation. While SR still wants more than K the title of first to open, the setup at Killington with the stairway is now close to optimal for opening early. It's better than SR's setup all things being considered. Significant elevation advantage can now be exploited. So, I'm assuming that K will give SR a run for their money again this year and the years to come. Before the peak stairway it was almost assured that with the lack of will to open first and the suboptimal setup, SR would open first. Now it's a closer call.
(4) K's early opening the last couple of years with the peak stairway seems to have demonstrated to management that October/early November skiing can be profitable and is a good marketing tool. So, their will to open earlier I think is now more than before. Still not on par with SR's commitment to opening first, but K now has more incentives to open as early as possible.
(5) Although I appreciate arguments to the contrary and believe they are reasonable, I still think that the most obvious way of understanding longest season is by number of days open. By that metric, K has the longest season in the East.
(6) Even if we take longest season in the East to mean day hill opened and day hill closed, Killington still can claim that. The competition would once again be SR. Measured this way, a case can be made in favor of SR, although it depends on how far back you look. In general, though, I think we can all agree that while SR clearly wrestled away the earliest to open title in the East, it still hasn't clearly wrestled away the longest season in the East title. Both hills can make cogent arguments about the latter, whereas K cannot (right now) claim that they consistently open first.
(7) All that being said, Kton will open before SR this season. I had another divine revelation episode last night. The original revelation was confirmed.
(8 ) I respect Riverc0il's opinion very much, FWIW. I read his blog with great interest. But I disagree with his current decision to go the 1 Ski Quiver route. I very much preferred his large quiver approach to skiing.
(9) Thanks for reading, I know this was another long post.
Highway Star
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Cool story bro.
riverc0il
New member
Thanks for reading but this is way off topic! :lol:
My decision to consolidate is not made without experience indicating it is a solid option. 19 days out of 20 last season, I reached for my fat skis. My new sticks work very well on the groomers and I just am not using the race sticks because if it is groomers only, I just don't go skiing. I think I'll prefer my current decision, you can stick to my old quiver if you want.
skiersleft
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Thanks for reading but this is way off topic! :lol:
My decision to consolidate is not made without experience indicating it is a solid option. 19 days out of 20 last season, I reached for my fat skis. My new sticks work very well on the groomers and I just am not using the race sticks because if it is groomers only, I just don't go skiing. I think I'll prefer my current decision, you can stick to my old quiver if you want.
Since I would ski grass if I could, I go out even when it's just bulletproof ice out there. When you head out even when it's only groomers and ice, you have more fun with a skinny ski. Kudos to you, however, for getting to pick and choose your days like that! That's what living in NH does for you! Still, you have to admit your quiver was pretty cool. That sole ski now will be lonely on cold winter nights.
you're just jealous skiersleft started this annual thread this season instead of you. :lol:
jimmywilson69
Well-known member
What's a good Killington thread without a conspiracy.
WWF-VT
Well-known member
Thanks for reading but this is way off topic! :lol:
My decision to consolidate is not made without experience indicating it is a solid option. 19 days out of 20 last season, I reached for my fat skis. My new sticks work very well on the groomers and I just am not using the race sticks because if it is groomers only, I just don't go skiing. I think I'll prefer my current decision, you can stick to my old quiver if you want.
Does that mean you're skipping the early season WROD at Killington or Sunday River?
riverc0il
New member
No. Desperation gets me to the hill until the natural snow trails and trees are ready to go. But usually only for a few runs.
snowmonster
New member
See you at the Rivah, riv!
skiersleft
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You will miss your Six Stars when you ski early season. Why not a quiver of two? Your new do it all ski and the six star for icy groomer days. It's just much more fun to ski a ski like the six stars in those conditions. No?
By the way, snowmonster....I'll see Riv at Kton. Because K will open first, remember? It's a divine revelation thing.
ScottySkis
Well-known member
Will their be any porn shooting at either mountain once there open lol?
snowmonster
New member
Ah, the burning bush. Yes, I remember now. But, Nostradamus said that SR would open first this year and will close the following Monday.
Kind of an inside joke actually. I only see riv on the first day (usually SR) and the last day of the season (Tux).
snowmonster
New member
Yes. Bring your electric guitar.
"Hello. Good to see you. I see that you've brought a friend with you."
SkiFanE
New member
Just to be ornery with you, I'm with rivercoil on icy groomers. If that's it, I go home. I call it body preservation. I've dodged ski injury for 40+ years, runs down an icy luge are not my thing. Chattery groomers? Sorry, saving knees for bumps.
Although I often head to woods before leaving and sometimes salvage the day if they're soft...icy groomer is no indication of woods conditions. Hope I didn't let out a secret.
riverc0il
New member
Actually, no. Not at all. Those Six Stars work great for wide open edge to edge runs with few people. They don't work great with traffic... they like to run fast and wide open turns. I have never used them early season (actually, I tried once and changed them after a single run). You don't know me, you don't know my style, you don't know my preferences. You don't know how my new ski handles groomers under my style and my preferences. Don't put your preferences on me and don't tell me what I will and will not miss.
You know how many times I have skied those Six Stars since I bought them used? Less than a half dozen times. And half of those days I skied them, I changed them out for another ski.
You won't see me at K until they have Skye to Snowdon open. Otherwise, it is too crowded and too expensive for what is offered. Unless K picks up a good early season storm, and then I'll be hiking.
