What Effect Did Killington's Closing Have on Other Resorts.

[andyzee]

Killington closed early this year. What effect did this have on other resorts. I think it didn't give them as much incentive to stay open late.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Well this season...the week of 70-something temperatures put the nail in the coffin..but it seems like most resorts closed around the same time as normal..

 

[2knees]

I think 14 straight days of sunshine and 70+ temps killed any efforts to make it till may for the few that were in line to do it.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

I think 14 straight days of sunshine and 70+ temps killed any efforts to make it till may for the few that were in line to do it.

Maybe yes...maybe no...

Sugar, Sugar by the Archies....one of the worst songs of the 60's but......

 

[andyzee]

Maybe yes...maybe no...

Sugar, Sugar by the Archies....one of the worst songs of the 60's but......

Loved that song!

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

The sugar sugar song reminds me of Candy Girl by New Edition..yeah boy-eee

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Killington closed early this year. What effect did this have on other resorts. I think it didn't give them as much incentive to stay open late.

Late season is all about the pass holders. Areas operate at a loss when day ticket buyers stop coming by April. Kmart closing had no effect on other areas. The Kmart gang bitches alot, but they'll go right back and buy a pass next season.

Ski areas have to turn a profit like any other business. If passholders started walking away because of closing dates then they would have to adjust, if they don't then there is no finanical incentive to close the end of April or May.

 

[andyzee]

Late season is all about the pass holders. Areas operate at a loss when day ticket buyers stop coming by April. Kmart closing had no effect on other areas. The Kmart gang bitches alot, but they'll go right back and buy a pass next season.

Ski areas have to turn a profit like any other business. If passholders started walking away because of closing dates then they would have to adjust, if they don't then there is no finanical incentive to close the end of April or May.

Agreed, but how much PR did Killington get out of it's "October to May skiing, sometimes June" ads. That has to count for something. And I think that right now, some mountains saw an opportunity to cash in on Killingtons abandoned season length and overtake them by at least the one week. If Killington had stayed open until the end of April, well, I think that Sugarbush, Sunday River and if possible, Mt. Snow would have been open until May.

 

[riverc0il]

Killington closed early this year. What effect did this have on other resorts. I think it didn't give them as much incentive to stay open late.

How much difference was there this year compared to last year? I say no one noticed. The only possible effect might have been more ticket sales and skiers going to other places such as Bush, Snow, or Loaf late season. Bush is the only constant as Snow and Loaf are under new management so hard to say. Bush is doing the same as what the Bush has done the last two years. I don't see it as an operations factor but I imagine other areas reaped more profit due to one less competition in the marketplace.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Agreed, but how much PR did Killington get out of it's "October to May skiing, sometimes June" ads. That has to count for something. And I think that right now, some mountains saw an opportunity to cash in on Killingtons abandoned season length and overtake them by at least the one week. If Killington had stayed open until the end of April, well, I think that Sugarbush, Sunday River and if possible, Mt. Snow would have been open until May.

Maybe you’re right, but I don’t see the financial incentive in them staying open just because kmart did.

 

[andyzee]

Bush is the only constant as Snow and Loaf are under new management so hard to say. Bush is doing the same as what the Bush has done the last two years.

Yes, Bush has done the same, which is to either close the same as Killington or a week later. The other two ar new kids on the block, which are doing their best to impress. One of the ways they impress, stay open longer than the old king of spring.

 

[Geoff]

Yes, Bush has done the same, which is to either close the same as Killington or a week later. The other two ar new kids on the block, which are doing their best to impress. One of the ways they impress, stay open longer than the old king of spring.

It's not particulary impressive to stay open beyond April 20th. Rational management would have run one lift at Killington for another couple of weekends. They got a lot of people to go to other mountains who normally do their spring skiing at Killington. Killington has several thousand share house people who could easily change mountains. They bring their day ticket-buying friends. That's a lot of revenue to put at risk. The business owners on the Access Road who rely on those people are, to put it mildly, concerned when Killington is training their customer base to ski elsewhere.

Sugarbush was a really nice vibe on Saturday but the terrain they had available was pretty limited unless you were a competent bump skier. They basically had one way down that was appropriate for an intermediate to low-expert. Ripcord, Organ Grinder, and Stein's pounded the snot out of me. There's tons of snow on those bump trails but you'll have a tough time getting to them and a walk on the runout. That's really not suitable for mass market spring skiing.

Mt Snow was fun on Sunday. My knees were so baked that those easy bumps on the North Face were really pleasant. Entertaining, not challenging. There was a lot of intermediate traffic on the front part of the mountain. An awful lot of kids on snowboards skiing the ribbons and grass who would have been pretty restricted at Sugarbush. Unfortunately, Mt Snow doesn't yet have enough water to be able to stockpile enough snow to run any longer than late-April. Once they finally fix their water problem with a pipeline to the Somerset Reservoir, I think Mt Snow is ideally situated to make themselves the spring destination. They're an easy shot for a New York City or Boston day trip. That's a big deal with $4.00/gallon gasoline. They have just enough terrain to make it interesting. It's a lousy spot for me since there are no east-west roads worth anything between Manchester, NH and Brattleboro.

 

[Greg]

Sugarbush was a really nice vibe on Saturday but the terrain they had available was pretty limited unless you were a competent bump skier. They basically had one way down that was appropriate for an intermediate to low-expert. Ripcord, Organ Grinder, and Stein's pounded the snot out of me. There's tons of snow on those bump trails but you'll have a tough time getting to them and a walk on the runout. That's really not suitable for mass market spring skiing.

Sugarbush always has a high bumped to groomed ratio. That's why so many love it. They recently groomed Stein's and I believe last season half-groomed it for their closing. You will get as much disdain as you do support for that approach. You can't please everybody, but I personally applaud Sugarbush for taking a more limited grooming approach than most other mountains.

Unfortunately, Mt Snow doesn't yet have enough water to be able to stockpile enough snow to run any longer than late-April. Once they finally fix their water problem with a pipeline to the Somerset Reservoir, I think Mt Snow is ideally situated to make themselves the spring destination.

The Somerset approach is done. They will be building their own holding pond called the West Lake. It's slated to be online for 2009-2010. From the pics this weekend I saw, it looked like Snow still had decent coverage. Not bad for SoVT. Once their get that water, and given all the fans the have and will be installing this summer, they are going to be able to bomb the snot out of that place with snowmaking.

 

[jerryg]

Yes, Bush has done the same, which is to either close the same as Killington or a week later. The other two ar new kids on the block, which are doing their best to impress. One of the ways they impress, stay open longer than the old king of spring.

You're kidding, right. While Sugarloaf has not made it a habit since the 80's to stay open into May, thye were doing it long before Killington. Homework time, Andyzee. New kids on the block, not so much. The Loaf was skiing into May with lifts before Killington was open.

 

[andyzee]

You're kidding, right. While Sugarloaf has not made it a habit since the 80's to stay open into May, thye were doing it long before Killington. Homework time, Andyzee. New kids on the block, not so much.

Jerryg, new owners at Sugarloaf. Time to wake up from that 40 year nap

 

[jerryg]

Jerryg, new owners at Sugarloaf. Time to wake up from that 40 year nap

A.) I'm only 33, so that would be tough.
B.) Your post, while quoting someone about management, still insinuated that Sugarloaf was a new kid on the block.
C.) I'm jsut kidding around.
D.) It's a good book for any passionate skier to read.

 

[mondeo]

There was more than one post from last weekend commenting on how any other resort would have closed given how little snow Mount Snow had. Had Kmart not put their stake in the ground at April 13th, I doubt Mount Snow would have still been open last weekend. They were taking advantage of the "early closing" of Killington, and making a PR move. That's all I see last weekend as.

Not that it isn't impressive that they were still in as good of shape as they were in, I just don't see it happening without POWDR's decisions at Killington. I don't see it as an impact to Sugarbush, and who knows about Sugarloaf.

 

[andyzee]

Not that it isn't impressive that they were still in as good of shape as they were in, I just don't see it happening without POWDR's decisions at Killington. I don't see it as an impact to Sugarbush, and who knows about Sugarloaf.

Who knows is on first. :lol:

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

There was more than one post from last weekend commenting on how any other resort would have closed given how little snow Mount Snow had. Had Kmart not put their stake in the ground at April 13th, I doubt Mount Snow would have still been open last weekend. They were taking advantage of the "early closing" of Killington, and making a PR move. That's all I see last weekend as.

Not that it isn't impressive that they were still in as good of shape as they were in, I just don't see it happening without POWDR's decisions at Killington. I don't see it as an impact to Sugarbush, and who knows about Sugarloaf.

Killington closed April 20th..not April 13th..

 

[mondeo]

Killington closed April 20th..not April 13th..

But they put their stake in the ground for April 13th. They just moved it.