With forecasters promising another la Niña and the East picking up from the ravages of Hurricane Irene, all systems are go for another strong ski season. Resorts see lots of evidence that the coming winter will see plenty of green as well as the white stuff.

“We’re very excited,” says Riley Polumbus, PR manager at Whitefish, Mont. “La Niña treated us very well last season, with 355 inches and the best base at the summit in 20 years.” Skier days were not too shabby either, breaking 300,000 for the second time in history.

“With another la Niña coming, we’re very optimistic, and so are skiers,” adds Doug Wales, marketing director at Bridger Bowl, Mont., also coming off a record season.

For Crystal Mountain, Wash., the colder, wetter weather pattern characteristic of la Niña led to a record-breaking 612 inches and the longest-ever season (it lasted until July 16), so the promise of another la Niña sent early season pass sales zooming 30 percent ahead

In Vermont, which suffered extensive damage from Irene, bulldozers were busy in September and early October, picking up the mess. Not that this was about to get in the way of area openings. “We’re planning to open on schedule in late October, early November,” says Rob Megnin, director of sales and marketing at Killington, which lost a pub and outside access for several days after Irene (see “Construction Site,”).

In the Midwest, “Early season sales in all categories are measurably ahead,” reports Erin Ernst, director of communication at Boyne Mountain and Boyne Highlands, Mich. “People want to book.”


Banking on Snow
“I don’t think we can hype la Niña any more than we did last year,” says Dave Tragethon, executive director of communications at Mt. Hood Meadows, Ore. But after nearly 600 inches of snow (the average is 430) and 464,000 skier days (fourth best), Meadows and the rest of the northwest are willing to try, even though this year’s la Niña is expected to be weaker than last year’s. “It’s translating into a lot of early excitement,” Tragethon says. In an effort to spur earlier pass commitments ahead of the Nov. 6 deadline, when 20 percent of sales occur, the mountain’s ski shop offered 20 percent off new equipment in October for passholders.

At Alpine Meadows, Calif., 11 inches of snow on Oct. 6 was enough to send skiers climbing the hill. “Season pass sales are going very well,” says Rachael Woods, PR and multimedia manager for Alpine Meadows and Homewood. “The long-range winter forecast for the Tahoe region is again a la Niña prediction, which has everyone excited.”

There’s more excitement in Utah. After last year’s record snowfall (783 inches at Snowbird) and second-best skier days (4.2 million statewide), season pass sales are up significantly, particularly at Deer Valley and Snowbird, says Jessica Kunzer, PR director at Ski Utah.

Improvements in Utah for the upcoming season are minimal, but Kunzer says resorts are planning some big projects for 2012, the 10th anniversary of the Winter Games. “Skier days have increased 42 percent since then,” she notes. “That was the best investment we ever made.”

Colorado, which last year exceeded 12 million skier days for only the second time, is also carrying some great momentum into this season. “There’s a lot of good buzz,” says Jennifer Rudolph, communications manager at Colorado Ski Country USA. “Early bookings are looking like last year, and we’re expecting a similar snow pattern.”


Promoting Advance Sales
After a 9-inch snowfall on Oct. 1, Snowshoe, W.V., took advantage of all the hype. “That snow was a huge gift for us,” Laura Parquette, communications manager, says. “Our social media numbers skyrocketed, we had national media attention.” The area responded by offering a 20-percent-off lodging package for people booking before Oct. 31.

All the hype and momentum from last year’s strong season have also translated into early season sales, Parquette adds. Snowshoe is also introducing tier pricing, to push midweek business and encourage longer stays.

Crystal Mountain, Mich., meanwhile, is pushing advance sales over its website. “In the past, we would put out some discounted tickets and then make people go find them,” says Brian Lawson, PR manager. “Now, the idea is to make them an integrated part of our website. Any day you want to come, you look it up, find the price, which will be cheaper than at the window, and purchase it. You just have to come and pick it up. It’s cheaper and quicker. The important part is communicating all the ways to save.”

With momentum from last season and summer, and a new quad chair, Crystal’s other advance sales, including passes and bookings, are pacing ahead of last year. “People are fired up,” Lawson says.


Improvements Despite Irene
In Vermont, not even the destructive power of Irene, which washed out dozens of roads and bridges, could dampen the enthusiasm.

Stowe continued its $400 million makeover with the installation of the new Forerunner quad to the summit of Mt. Mansfield. The resort is also installing RFID technology.

“Early bookings are high,” says Jeff Wise, director of marketing and communication. “We’re seeing a new trend of people becoming more decisive about where they want to go as opposed to waiting for last-minute deals.”

At Mount Snow in Wilmington, one of the hardest hit towns in the state, work was on schedule to install a new $8.5 million, six-passenger bubble chair that will cut the ride to the summit in half, and nearly double capacity.

“All indicators are very positive,” says David Meeker, communications manager. “We had a banner season last year, and everything so far is up over that. The work that’s been done to repair the local roads and other damage is truly remarkable. Wilmington has a new slogan: ‘Where Amazing Happens’.”

Killington is replacing the K1 base lodge pub, which collapsed after it was undercut by Irene’s floodwaters, with two permanent “umbrella” bars. “They’ll provide more seating than we had before, and they are collapsible, which will be great in the summer,” Megnin says.

Winter isn’t looking so bad, either. “We’re coming off a banner season, and so far are on a very healthy pace for this winter,” Megnin adds.

Ditto at Sugarbush. “Our pass sales showed some nice growth over last year,” says Candace White, VP of marketing. “Our seasonal subscription programs, mainly kids, are also up, and our lodging reservations are also running ahead.”

Improvements include expanded snowmaking and more dining options, especially at the high end. White says Sugarbush will push its learn-to program, which offers first-timers a 3-day learn-to package with a season pass at the end, for $255, and a new, affordable, “20 something” pass for what the resort is calling the “lost generation” of the last decade. “We saw a dip in that age group,” White says. “A lot of them are coming out of college, are off their parent’s dole, have big college loans, and not a lot of money. We wanted to do something for them.”

Paying attention to all customers and tailoring offerings to them might be as important for growth as la Niña. But no one will complain if the weather is favorable, too.