Thoughts on Killington's shortened season (expected closing day is 4/13/2008)?

[Vortex]

I'd pay 72 bucks to ski on memorial day on one trail in a heartbeat.

I suspect that wouldnt be the overwhelming opinion though.

I wonder what people would be saying if powdr had raised the pass prices to pre A41 levels and adjusted also for inflation. something along the lines of 1200 bucks or so but also gave us skiing till mid may.

I would pay to ski early or late. There are enough of us. 2knees if they impoved the upkeep and went close to memorial day I bet the core would be happy and pay.

 

[thetrailboss]

We also very easily have forgotten that the company PRE ASC was able to remain profitable even WITH the extended season....Were they doing something different??? Probably yes...and that different was not paying a ton of execs huge salaries and putting that money where it was supposed to go..THE MOUNTAIN..

M

Yes, there is a difference. SKI was, as its ticker name suggests, focused on the SKI biz. They could not do the real estate portion well....

Now we have SP LAND: their focus, the real estate. And the tradeoff: so far they have not run the ski part well. But then again, they have not really "run" that part of the business yet.

 

[andyzee]

Wanted to throw in my 2 cents and show that people do indeed show up late season. Granted, may not be the crowds you see mid season, but then again, you don't have as much of the mountain open. Less open, less expense, but more publicity. Also, saw a suprising number of folks buying day tickets.

4/22, looks like a good crowd to me:

This made 4/15 bearable:

May 6th had a few folks:

 

[Vortex]

Andy time to move to the River. Whats a couple extra hours. honestly that Mt snow pass seems to be an attraction to many K folk.

 

[Phildozer]

Killington DOES NOT NEED FANCY LODGES...ITS ABOUT BEING THE BEAST OF THE EAST...and that it....Killington fanatics could care about nothing more than that.

M

True Killington fanatics will continue to ski there.

The new owners are catering to people like me. I went up to Killington this past May for the day and was entirely underwhelmed with the place. Granted, I don't want leather seats and massages while waiting in the liftline but the main lodge is a pit. The furniture looks like it came out of a 1970's public school cafeteria.

The place looks shabby and if I'm going to spend top dollar for a weekend/week with my family skiing, it isn't going to be somewhere that looks like Killington.

 

[JimG.]

True Killington fanatics will continue to ski there.

The new owners are catering to people like me. I went up to Killington this past May for the day and was entirely underwhelmed with the place. Granted, I don't want leather seats and massages while waiting in the liftline but the main lodge is a pit. The furniture looks like it came out of a 1970's public school cafeteria.

The place looks shabby and if I'm going to spend top dollar for a weekend/week with my family skiing, it isn't going to be somewhere that looks like Killington.

Hear hear...this is the prospective skier POWDR is looking for.

 

[Vortex]

kind of laughing, do we have a clear idea of what improvements are taking place? Many mulch jokes.

All I know and looked at was pass price and season opening and ending date.

I can tell you what Mt snow's an Attitash are doing and what K is not doing.
kind of my point.
I really get your perspective here Jim. Hunter shows what a good plan can do.

What good news have we heard that make one want to go to k?

 

[andyzee]

Andy time to move to the River. Whats a couple extra hours. honestly that Mt snow pass seems to be an attraction to many K folk.

Bob, I'd love to move to the River, lil item tough, need work. Mt Snow is ok for a day or two, but overall just doesn't do it for me. So for now, it's most likely going to be K for one more season and then we'll see for next season.

 

[MikeTrainor]

We also very easily have forgotten that the company PRE ASC was able to remain profitable even WITH the extended season....Were they doing something different??? Probably yes...and that different was not paying a ton of execs huge salaries and putting that money where it was supposed to go..THE MOUNTAIN..

M

It looks like it can be done. I don't think Wildcat would have gone as late as they did is they were not making a profit. They seem to really watch spending there.

 

[Vortex]

Bob, I'd love to move to the River, lil item tough, need work. Mt Snow is ok for a day or two, but overall just doesn't do it for me. So for now, it's most likely going to be K for one more season and then we'll see for next season.

I think I would stay for a year under similar situations. Hopefully all the negitive stuff is out, and maybe they are just setting up to stay open later and look better. The staffing concerns will be obvious quickly one way or another..

Still hate folks getting terminated. I don't have all the facts, changes take palce in buyouts, but people still should matter some.

 

[JimG.]

Still hate folks getting terminated. I don't have all the facts, changes take palce in buyouts, but people still should matter some.

I agree with you Bob...but I think we're dinosaurs when it comes to that. Nowadays termination is literal...you get the pink slip and an escort from security to the door.

Nice.

And then people wonder why a few lunatics go buy a gun and take vengeance.

 

[SkiDog]

Yes, there is a difference. SKI was, as its ticker name suggests, focused on the SKI biz. They could not do the real estate portion well....

Now we have SP LAND: their focus, the real estate. And the tradeoff: so far they have not run the ski part well. But then again, they have not really "run" that part of the business yet.

EXACTLY why a SKI company should be running/owning a SKI resort...not a land management company...

M

 

[Vortex]

Jim I'm sure you have been through this as I have. Your right it is what it is these days.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Again, I think some of are totally obsessed with this April 13 date. If on April 13th there was still decent cover and most of the major resorts/competitors like Okemo, Stratton, Mt Snow and Sugarbush are going to stay open you can bet dollars to donuts that Powdr/kmart will extend the season as well.

One of their number one tasks is to rebuild the brand/customer base and they know that they have to exceed expectations if they have any hope of succeeding. Powdr is simply playing things close to the vest with the April 13th date.

 

[Breeze]

Again, I think some of are totally obsessed with this April 13 date. If on April 13th there was still decent cover and most of the major resorts/competitors like Okemo, Stratton, Mt Snow and Sugarbush are going to stay open you can bet dollars to donuts that Powdr/kmart will extend the season as well.

One of their number one tasks is to rebuild the brand/customer base and they know that they have to exceed expectations if they have any hope of succeeding. Powdr is simply playing things close to the vest with the April 13th date.

SRO, I'd like to agree with you.

One of the reasons Wildcat extended and extended and extended this spring was to appeal to the OTHER MWV skiers whose home mountains had turned out the lights. Of course, Bretton Woods and Attitash had changed owners, so there were some folks who were just sooooooo ready to check out other opportunities. A LOT of MWV skiers experienced a bad season. May 6 weekend was a fun time at the Kitty and we did turn some heads in a good way.

If K is setting the stage for "under promise, over deliver", they are certainly going at the "under promise" part with a vengeance.

Breeze

 

[JimG.]

Again, I think some of are totally obsessed with this April 13 date. If on April 13th there was still decent cover and most of the major resorts/competitors like Okemo, Stratton, Mt Snow and Sugarbush are going to stay open you can bet dollars to donuts that Powdr/kmart will extend the season as well.

One of their number one tasks is to rebuild the brand/customer base and they know that they have to exceed expectations if they have any hope of succeeding. Powdr is simply playing things close to the vest with the April 13th date.

Underpromise and overdeliver.

However, the season at Mt. Bachelor, another POWDR property, was ended on 4/15 this past season and I believe they still may have enough snow to ski top to bottom now. But I don't know if there are alot of other ski area options nearby in that area.

 

[Breeze]

Not too many folks are remembering the days 1988-199? when an adult pass at SR ONLY was $1200, if bought before Columbus day. And SR was selling the he// out of condos and doing terrain development at the same time. All of Bethel Maine were thinking they'd need a wheelbarrow to take their money to the bank.



Ha ha ha ha.


Breeze

 

[threecy]

It'd be interesting to see what people would think if K-Mart stayed open until June and charged full price.

Here's probably what you'd hear:

"$72 for 1 trail? Forget it!" "Those SP/Powdr people are crooks" "It doesn't cost $72, they're only running one lift!"

 

[loafer89]

Underpromise and overdeliver.

However, the season at Mt. Bachelor, another POWDR property, was ended on 4/15 this past season and I believe they still may have enough snow to ski top to bottom now. But I don't know if there are alot of other ski area options nearby in that area.

Mt. Bachelor closed on May 20th. Mount Hood is about a 3 hour drive away.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Mt. Bachelor closed on May 20th. Mount Hood is about a 3 hour drive away.

Yup...I heard MB had a very long season and went against the common misconception that Powdr shuts down their resorts early.