Posted on September 17, 2012 14:54 by
crmadmin
Loveland Ski Area may still have nine days to wait before the area officially begins making snow, but that didn’t keep Mother Nature from getting a head start on the season.
On Monday, September 17, several Colorado ski areas were reporting snowfall, and from Arapahoe Basin to Breckenridge, their marketing teams quickly started lighting up Facebook and Twitter with images of snow-covered chairlifts and frosted pines.
“This morning was the first snowfall I've seen this season,” said Kelly Coffey, freestyle specialist for the PSIA Alpine Team and the training manger for Breckenridge Ski and Ride School. “Even with the little dusting we got, the peaks around Breckenridge are covered in white. Now that the environment's looking a little wintery, I'm itching for the ski season to start.”
The snow quickly melted on all the lower, grass-covered runs, but a look at the A-Basin and Loveland webcams seem to show it accumulating on the high peaks. As of now, both areas are scheduled for a mid-October opening.
Sugarbush Names Russell Kauff to Head the Ski and Ride School
Vermont’s Sugarbush Resort recently hired professional ski instructor Russell Kauff to head the resort's Ski and Ride School.
Kauff spent the last 11 years chasing an endless winter between Vermont and Wanaka, New Zealand. In New Zealand, Kauff taught at Cardona and Treble Cone. In Vermont, he has held numerous positions as a staff trainer, supervisor, and instructor at Okemo Mountain Resort and Stratton Resort. He holds PSIA Level III alpine certification and a PSIA Children's Specialist 1 credential and is a USSA/USSCA-licensed alpine race coach.
“Our commitment at Sugarbush has always been to improve the guest experience and to help guests excel at their passions,” said Sugarbush Resort President Win Smith. “Russell's dedication to these principles makes him the perfect person to move our Ski and Ride Program forward.”
Sugarbush offers a variety of instruction, including race technique, skills-based mountaineering, and backcountry, and has numerous children's programs. It’s also home to the First Timer To Life Timer program, which grants first-time skiers and riders a free season pass after the completion of a three-lesson course.
Read of the Day: Gears Turning to Re-Open Detroit Mountain
Here’s a link to an interesting piece on a push to re-open Detroit Mountain in Minnesota. A “feeder hill” with a long history of helping skiers and snowboarders start careers that led them to other ski areas around the U.S., the move to make the mountain operational again is supported by several snow pros who are quoted in an online article in the Park Rapids Enterprise.
— Peter Kray
Photo courtesy of Arapahoe Basin