For this issue we asked our regional editors to get a feeling for how the season might shape up based on advanced reservations, and how the recession was affecting business—if indeed it was. Reports were filed around the first of December — before the ominous talk about gasless Sundays was once more in the air, tarnishing, but not destroying the bright optimism of the industry.
The Sierras
Well ahead
by Bob Lochner
The 1973-74 winter was a good one for California and Nevada resorts except for a slight slowdown at the finish because of the gasoline crisis. And now it appears that 1974-75 will be even better.
Advance reservations are running ahead of last season at most ski areas in the Sierra. Despite a dipping economy, or maybe because of it, skiers from both the western and more remote eastern markets are reserving rooms, packages and ski-school weeks earlier and in greater numbers than ever before.
At Squaw Valley, where The Lodge, The Inn and The Village are now all operated by Mainline Properties of America, all 550 rooms in the three hotels are sold out for the month of February. “January is nearly sold out,” John R. Poimiroo, manager of public relations and publicity, said when interviewed just after Thanksgiving, “And March is doing quite well.”
Alpine Meadows set up its own reservations system this year, after relying on the North Tahoe Chamber of Commerce in previous seasons, and Werner Schuster, director of skiing at the resort, said, “It’s early, but we’re getting a lot of activity. More than we expected, in fact.”
Sugar Bowl’s hotel “is filling up rapidly,” according to general manager Don Schwartz, who added that “many of our ski weeks have been sold out since early November.”
At Heavenly Valley, which squats astride the California-Nevada border on the southern shore of Lake Tahoe, reservations are “way up,” according to Marketing Director Dave Arriola. “As of late November, we had 22 group charters signed up for after the first of the year,” Arriola said. “About 60 per cent were from eastern markets, the other 40 per cent from the midwest.”
Heavenly has been very aggressive in pushing its big-mountain skiing in conjunction with the gambling and big-name shows, along with participating in United Airlines and Ski the High Sierra promotions.
The ski season got off to a somewhat slower start than in previous years due to the late arrival of snow. A total of 15 resorts opened for the Thanksgiving weekend, but nearly all ran just a couple or so lifts and cut lift-ticket prices. Snow-depths everywhere averaged in the one-to two-foot range—skimpy for the Sierra.
Southern California
Big bookings to Rockies
by Luanne Pfeifer
Eileen Frazier, reservation clerk for Mammoth Mountain Inn, a complex of hotels, condominiums and chalet-type houses capable of housing a total of 900 people, notes that about a month before Thanksgiving she was entirely filled up for that holiday weekend. She attributes this to a discount campaign started in October.
The promotion gave a 10% discount to all reservations made by November 15 with deposit. The reservations could be for any time during the ski season but had to be in by November 15.
Melba Sessions, Group and Division Sales Director for Mammoth Mountain Inn, said she had inquiries in October up 200% from last year.
“If there is a recession I’d like to know about it,” says Sylvia Sherman owner-manager of Global Ski Tours in Los Angeles. During September and October — earlier than previous years — she had a steady stream of reservations coming in with deposit money in hand for Colorado and Utah resorts plus Sun Valley. Her European reservations are down this year but the increase in skier traffic Los Angeles to Colorado is up especially to Steamboat Springs. Over 700 reservations were booked by mid November by her into the Steamboat Springs area from Los Angeles.
Marianna Georgantas of Lido Travel Service booked blocks of reservations at Vail one year ahead for the 1975 ski season. All those beds reserved a year in advance were taken by mid-November by her California trade.
She attributes the upsurge in her domestic ski flights with the fact that her European trade is down. “People are still going to ski but not in Europe because of the higher costs, this year,” says Georgantas.
Reservations in Big Bear Village for February 21-23 have been filling up fast since the announcement of Pro Races to be held there those dates. This is the first time the pro racers will race at an area within two hours driving time of metropolitan Los Angeles.
Jo Tyndall, owner of Snow Summit ski area where the race is to be held, says reservations in Big Bear for the February event were “getting tight” in early November.
Pacific Northwest
Bookings for ’75-76 up
by John Hoefling
Overnight facilities in the Pacific Northwest are limited compared to other parts of the country, so it was not surprising that reservations, especially for the holiday periods, were pretty solid. Crystal Mountain in Washington reported reservations well up — for the 1975-76 season!
Last year’s record snows meant the season didn’t really end until late July, and Crystal’s manager, Ed Link, had to hustle to get the new triple chair installed. He feels this will be a “fine year, with no adverse economy effects for us.”
At Timberline Lodge, Dick Kohnstamm is sporting what he calls “an excellent new 30-year lease” for his lodge operation. He has substantial development plans which hinge on the Forest Service and their preparation of an environmental impact statement. Kohnstamm reports “full house” prospects through spring — “a sure sign of stability of the economy here,” he says. However, he believes there will not great growth in skiers this year.
Bruce Kehr, of Stevens Pass, Washington, says people seem to have “a more positive attitude this year than last.” Increased season ticket sales reflect this.
Mountain States
Everything is up
by Barbara Wicks
Roger Haran of Park City reports reservations for the post-Christmas period are up. He reports there are more groups this year, with more than 50 per cent of reservations accounted for by group business. Season pass sales were about even with last year. His gut reaction is that recession will not affect skiing much this year.
Steve Pouse of Grand Targhee reports season pass sales down, which he ascribes to the effect of recession on his local market (Idaho Falls skiers for the most part). Lodging reservations were about even with previous years, but much interest was being shown by groups looking for uncrowded areas after New Year’s.
At Snowbird, the season pass has been replaced by season ticket sales. The area enrolled 3,800 skiers—half on family programs and half on individual programs. The tickets cost $5 compared to the regular daily rate of $8. Minimum sales per individual or family were in effect. Sales amounted to $360,000, which compares favorably with the $240,000 realized last year from the sale of 1100 season passes.
Snowbird’s Randy Montgomery reports that group business is up. The area is offering a 10 per cent discount to groups in January, and 20 per cent in April over and above the usual group rates. Also another 10 per cent is offered to groups of 20 or more skiers.
At Sun Valley, marketing manager Roger Beck is “preparing for the worst but expecting the best.” Reservations are up over last year and the area has more deposit money in hand than ever before. Cancellation rates have not increased.
Despite the statistics, Beck is apprehensive as he feels California, one of his major markets, could be one of the regions hardest hit by recession.
At Alta, Bill Leavitt, who runs the Alta Lodge and is Mayor of the town, says he feels the area will see some decline this year. Because of inflation many regular guests are cutting their usual 7-day vacation down to a 5-day stay. They are trying to hold their prices, but had to increase some because of rising costs. Alta’s limited number of bargain ($135) season passes sold out in two days.
Meanwhile, Thanksgiving in the Salt Lake region was a snowless diaster—or almost. Park City did not open, and many people cancelled reservations for the 4-day weekend. Snowbird opened parts of the area Wednesday before Thanksgiving with skiing that was good by eastern standards, but fair-to-poor by Utah standards. Lots of rocks.
Colorado
Another record year?
by Lois Barr
With the ski season just getting underway in Colorado, most area operators are optimistic and believe that, despite inflation, a predicted recession and other economic worries, this season will be bigger and better than ever. Many believe it even will surpass last season’s business which was up amid fears of an energy crisis and gasoline shortage. Nothing, in fact, seems to dim the hopes of another outstanding ski season in Colorado.
As an indication of the business the areas expect to do, some $26 million in improvements were made at the various resorts this summer and fall. These ranged from new chairlifts at A-Basin, Loveland, Steamboat Springs, Wolf Creek, Geneva Basin and Vail, to a restaurant on Breckenridge’s Peak 9 and a new convention center at Crested Butte.
This year, Colorado Ski Country expects nearly 5 million skier visits, an increase of 12 per cent over last season, which in turn, was up 8.3 per cent over the 1972-73 season. At many of the areas, advance reservations are well up, and many day areas also are anticipating an increase in business.
Susie Tuso, Resort Association, executive director for Copper Mountain, reports that overall reservations for Copper’s 400 beds are up 100 per cent. She explained that as of mid-November, reservations had surpassed the total for all of last year. Almost all of last year’s advanced reservations were for Christmas week, she said, but this year the reservations extend through March. However, she noted that last year was the first season that Copper offered lodging.
Keystone also reports its advance reservations for January, February and March to be up 50 per cent over last year, according to Tina Derrick, public relations coordinator.
Keystone also has had the most extensive building program in the state this summer and, in addition to the hotel, has completed a John Gardiner Tennis Club and part of a base village. In addition, Keystone has constructed a new double chairlift which opens up the 90-acre Packsaddle Bowl to intermediate and advanced skiing.
Last year Steamboat, Colorado’s fastest growing ski area, experienced a 45 per cent increase in business over the previous season, John Ahearn, marketing director, explained. Advanced reservations for December through March, show an 81 per cent occupancy for the Steamboat Village Inn, compared to 48 per cent occupancy for the same period last year.
Also, the Steamboat Springs Chamber of Commerce Resort Association reported its booking volume to have been $500,000 for the entire last season. As of Nov. 14, the association reported $435,000 in bookings.
Ahearn also reported that the Storm Meadows condominium project already shows a 110 per cent increase in confirmed advance reservations.
The Midwest
Stay-at-home boom
by Teddee Grace
In the Midwest, ski business is booming. The tight money situation shows no signs of affecting ski areas adversely; in fact, many Midwestern area managers think they may actually benefit from the economic crunch as skiers save money by skiing at home instead of heading West.
Many areas indicate increases in gross sales based on pre-season bookings of 20 to 25 per cent over last year. Group sales at almost all areas are up — ranging as high as 50 per cent above 1973-74, and in most cases, group bookings were confirmed earlier this year than in the past.
Paul Mosher, director of sales at Wisconsin’s Telemark, says gross sales are up 20 per cent on bookings made in advance compared to the same period last year, and indicators point to an increase of 5-10,000 skiers over last year’s 67,000. Ski clubs not only booked earlier, but willingly spent more money.
“Skiers are still coming up with the bucks to ski,” says Mosher. “By Nov. 1, we had definite commitments from 109 clubs and tentative commitments from 40 clubs compared to 67 definite bookings and 29 tentative bookings at the same time in 1973. Not only that, they’re spending more and I don’t notice them balking at the prices.”
Merle Trepp, manager of Scotsland, an Oconomowoc, Wis., ski area with a 277-room resort hotel, says Scotsland’s gross sales in its second full season are more than 25 per cent above last year and group skiing is up about 50 per cent. “Last year we had exactly 150 people booked by November,” Trepp says. “This year we had 7,000.”
At Indianhead Mountain in Wakefield, Mich., where there are accommodations for 350, Marilou Vincent says, “We’re definitely ahead in our bookings. I’d say we’re up 5 per cent from last year; 20 per cent from ’72-’73. But we do notice that deposits aren’t coming in as quickly as before.”
Indianhead management notices a definite trend to earlier bookings. “Clubs,” says manager Paul Karow, “have been reserving earlier in the past couple of years primarily, I think, because there are so many clubs and not enough facilities to go around. We booked 18 clubs in a single day at the Chicago Metropolitan Ski Council’s Seminar ’74 in June.”
Although bookings at Boyne Mountain and Boyne Highlands, where there are accommodations for a total of 1500 people, are running exactly the same as last year, Charles Moll, director of Boyne Mountain Lodge, Inc., agrees this may be a big year for the Midwest.
“The increase in air fare to the Rockies, the increase in accommodation rates out West and the increase in bus fare from Denver to Vail and Aspen are going to be the biggest asset we’ve ever had,” Moll predicts. “There’s not a Midwesterner who can go to Colorado for a ski week for less than $450 to $500, and that figure is going to look pretty big compared to what they can get here.” Boyne’s five-day ski week, including food, lodging, lifts and instructions, cost $175.
The Northeast
Skier inquiries high
by John Hitchcock
Memories of last winter’s gasoline shortage appear to have dimmed, but the nightmares of poor snow conditions linger in the hearts and minds of Eastern skiers. While the buying power of the buck is a big factor, it appears that skiers will spend as much as is asked — if the skiing is good.
A survey over Thanksgiving weekend showed that the skiers were out in force where there was some machine-made snow, an encouraging sign to worried operators.
Nearly all operators said that inquiries have been up this fall, and that ski shop business has been surprisingly good. But reservations have not kept pace with inquiries — yet. “They are waiting to be sure of the snow conditions,” said Killington’s marketing and PR chief, Foster Chandler,” as a lot of skiers got burned last winter when they did not get room deposits back when conditions were poor.”
John Christie of Maine’s Saddleback agreed, stressing that good snow is the big factor, not gasoline and not dollars. “To be sure, we are getting more school groups, clubs and bus tours this season, and they are concerned about the prices,” said Christie, whose expansion plans were delayed after last winter’s near disastrous returns.
He countered, however, by adding that individuals and families seem to be willing to pay up to $10 a night more for slopeside lodging.
Gene McMasters of New Hampshire’s Loon Mountain cited near parallel situations with Saddleback, but he pointed out that New Hampshire did not go along with Vermont and some other resorts with price increases for lift tickets, ski weeks and cheeseburgers.
“We are pushing a GLM ski week, including equipment for $59.50 and that is getting a big play,” McMasters said, adding that Loon “will talk” with any group about discount skiing.
Further north at the long-established Mittersill Inn, the management reports that individual reservations are up, but groups are not booking to a comparable extent. Mittersill, however, is not offering any group rates this year, sticking by its reputation for service and hoping for good snow.
Tom Corcoran, buoyed after a record Thanksgiving period take, said that Waterville Valley is up on all inquiries, with groups and clubs very much the thing.
Vermont’s Pico reported an upsurge in group requests for club races, while Sugarbush’s Chan Weller said that group and club reservations “were both more than usual and earlier than usual.”
In Vermont, Mount Snow’s ski school director Norm Crerar said that ski week reservations have been slow, but most lodges are booked for every weekend of the season, with more bus groups and clubs than ever before. “We are getting a lot more requests for private lessons, “Crerar noted.
At Big Bromley, the interest caused by the two new twin double chairlifts and other improvements has resulted in more inquiries by Dec. 1 than all last winter, according to PR boss Kit Cooper. Bromley is also pushing college I.D. cards for reduced rate skiing and half-price ski weeks on slow weeks, with astounding results in both cases. “It looks very good,” Kit said.
New York State operators in general get less ski weeks and more drop-ins, but Lake Placid reported that Olympic fever has boosted its rate of inquiries, as was also the case just south in Warren County. “If we can convert the inquiries to reservations and dollars,” said one operator,” 1974-75 could be an all-time year—if there is snow.”
Football gives skiing a promotional boost
Salomon-North American and Ski America joined forces in November to promote the sport of skiing during the New England Patriots-New York Jets football game. A mobile ski deck towed by a Salomon van was wheeled past all the fans in Schaefer Satdium. On the deck, John Clendenin, World Freestyle Skiing Champion, and female freestyler Marion Post, took turns demonstrating the art of freestyle skiing.
This unusual sport within a sport promotion also included cross-country skiing and a red, white and blue hot air balloon, the “Spirit of Stowe, Vermont,” which was launched from the center of the field prior to the second half kickoff.
McCoy honored by Inyo Forest
Dave McCoy, operator of Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in California, has been awarded a Certificate of Special Recognition by the Inyo National Forest. The award recognizes McCoy’s outstanding efforts in the establishment of minimum visual impact of ski runs and lift lines and his successful erosion control accomplishments.
Mammoth Lakes District Ranger, Dick Austin said, “Dave’s actions stemming from his personal concern for the esthetics of the Sierra Nevada in developing ski runs and lift lines with minimum visual impact is outstanding, and the work done by McCoy has helped to maintain the natural beauty of the Eastern High Sierra Region.”
In addition to his work on visual impact McCoy is responsible for the development of one of the most successful erosion control projects on ski areas in the United States, according to Austin. A major effort in constructing control structures has resulted in the revegetation of ski slopes with grasses. Because of this, soil erosion that normally occurs on ski slopes during spring snow melt is kept to a minimum.
Credit crunch exacts toll
Financial manipulations reached fever pitch in the East this fall as various ski areas managed to crank up for the season after nerve-wracking summers.
But one new ski area, Greylock Glen in Adams, Mass., announced late in November that a slow down in financial negotiations, plus material delays, forced them to abandon the scheduled Dec. 14 opening date. President Alan S. Canter of Elco Resort Developers Inc. of Springfield, said that he planned to open the 1050-acre resort, with four lifts and 13 trails and slopes, as soon as possible, but added that it would probably not be before Jan. 1.
After numerous postponements, Berkshire East Ski Area in Charlemont, Mass., was auctioned to Robert J. Narkis of Middlebury, Conn., for slightly more than $300,000, the transaction taking place early in November. By the end of the month, however, it appeared that the area manager would be the former owner and manager, Dick Tambussi.
Haystack in Wilmington Vt., was taken over in October by its major creditor, Associated Mortgages of Coral Gables, Fla., and the firm retained longtime ski school director and mountain manager Bruce Gavet to put the area in shape for a December opening.
Similarly, Glen Ellen credtiors engaged former owner-manager Walt Elliot to operate that vast Vermont resort this year, after two season’s under the hands of Ken Brown and Gina van Loon.
Ski Wing in western New York declared bankruptcy, but an Ohio-based investment group, the Quadrant Corp., has signed a lease with the Olean State Bank to reopen the area this season. The group has options for purchase of the area.
1975 NSAA Trade Show Calendar
Following are the dates and locations for the in-season trade shows jointly sponsored by NSAA and the regional ski area associations. Contacts are as shown, or through NSAA, 61 So. Main St., P.O. Box 83, W. Hartford, CT, (203) 521- 0206.
- Jan. 6-9 Sunriver Lodge, Sunriver, Ore. 97701 (503) 543-1221. Joint co-sponsorship of PNSAA and SSAA. Full schedule of seminars, snow vehicle demos. (No snowmaking demos.)
- Jan. 15-17 Steamboat Village Inn, Steamboat Springs, Colo. 80477 (303) 879-0488. Joint sponsorship with Colo. Ski Country USA. Snow vehicle and airless (only) snowmaking demos.
- Jan. 20-22 Afton Alps, Rte. 4, Hastings, Minn. 55033. Joint co-sponsorship of MSAA and CSAA. Vehicle and snowmaking demos.
- Jan 27-29 Mittersill Inn, Franconia, N.H. 03580 (603) 823-5511. Joint sponsorship of ESAA. Snow vehicle and snowmaking demos.
And don’t forget to put May 19-23 at Seven Springs, PA, on your calendar for the annual NSAA Convention and Trade Show.
NSAA drops plans for publication
In a fast-developing situation, National Ski Areas Association decided not to proceed with the publication of the news tabloid which had been decided upon at the September Board meeting. The nine-issues-per-year tabloid version of National Ski Area News was to replace the quarterly magazine version.
Simultaneously, NSAA entered into a long-term agreement with Ski Area Management the principal feature of which grants NSAA some space in SAM for its own news and promotional purposes. These pages will be prepared and edited by NSAA and will run, at no cost to the association, in SAM. The agreement calls for no payments of any sort between NSAA and SAM.
Scott Paper gives Squaw
In an unusual move, Scott Paper Co. is paying off the $1.1 million mortgage on the Squaw Mt. ski resort and giving the resort, valued at $3.5 million, to the State of Maine.
The area had been operating on an annual loss of $250,000, largely because of the high debt service.
Maine’s Governor Kenneth Curtis announced the area would be designated a state park, and would be operated as a concession.
People
Clyde Engel and Ron Zuckerman of Chicago have taken over ownership of the Mammoth Mt. Inn complex. George Martin, the Inn’s manager for 10 years, has gone to Golden Gateway Holiday Inn in San Francisco as manager… Emory Thomas is the new ski school director at California’s Ski Sunrise… With the death of long-time owner Larry Ferguson, Green Valley Snow Bowl in California has been taken over by his widow, Florence, son Lyle plus Don and Anne Howe… Gregory Mace named general manager of Ashcroft Ski Touring Unlimited above Aspen… Pro racer Hank Kashiwa now affiliated with Steamboat… Werner Kuhn named ski patrol director at Big Vanilla, N.Y…. Bob Ash, formerly mountain manager at Sugar Mt., N.C., has joined nearby Beech Mt. as a full-time consultant.
Supplier News
Riblet reassigns key personnel
The Riblet Tramway Company of Spokane, Washington, has reassigned three long service associates, according to Carl M. Hansen, P.E., chairman of the board.
Jack Redinger, P.E., an engineer with Riblet since 1951 has been assigned as Chief Design Engineer and will be responsible for the development and promulgation of new designs for the company.
James L. Ellis, P.E., has been assigned as Director of Application Engineering and will coordinate the application of Riblet designs to fulfill the requirements of the various aerial tramway projects for Riblet’s clients and customers.
Harold A. Ericksen has been assigned as Vice President – Purchasing, and will continue to wear the hats of purchasing and shipping with the aid of his assistant, Warren Balch. In addition, Ericksen coordinates the activities of the Riblet fabricating shop, and is the primary contact between customers’ personnel and Riblet for information regarding deliveries and spare parts.
Ogden Food expands
Food service contracts have been written by Ogden Food with three major ski resorts: Colorado’s Crested Butte, Idaho’s Bogus Basin and New York’s Windham Mountain Club. Ogden has handled food for Vermont’s huge Mt. Snow operation for several years.
Energy conservation booklet available
“Saving energy can be another step toward greater machine efficiency” is the title of a new 12-page brochure offered by John Deere. Energy conservation is one of the benefits received when machines are operated correctly, and equipment maintained in top operating condition.
A copy of the booklet can be obtained free from John Deere Industrial dealers, or by writing Deere & Company, Moline, Illinois 61265.
Riblet purchases Ski Lift International
T. R. Sowder, President of Riblet Tramway Company of Spokane, Washington, today announced that Riblet acquired the assets of Ski Lift International, a former supplier of ski lifts, at a recent auction. Riblet will offer services and spare parts for the existing installations, according to Sowder. Parts for about five SLI Chair Lifts were included in the acquisition as were designs, drawings and technical files.
