rogman wrote: ↑Feb 16th, '24, 08:56
The other notion, that POWDR is “saving up” for the village is laugh out loud naive.
Not sure I understand this comment. Why is it naive? I imagine Killington has a budget, and part of that is a capital expense budget, and they must prioritize certain projects over others. It would seem to make sense that spending on capital improvements relating to the village would take precedence over other types of capital expenditures, like lift updates, for the time being. I imagine they can't just spend whatever they want on capital improvements all at once.
Not saying that's actually what's going on, but it seems plausible. As you said, we are kept in the dark so it's all speculation.
POWDR isn't going to leave piles of money around. They will either put it to work at other resorts, or the investors will want it distributed as dividends.
Sure, that's obvious. All I'm saying is the money they've budgeted to spend on capital improvements at K is likely going toward the village infrastructure rather than new lifts. They just spent a bunch on K1 and a host of other minor projects, so it's not like there's just some slush fund building up, and it's not like they aren't spending money. They are spending a ton, just not on the things Kzoners want most - like new lifts.
ive been thinking all season that they or powdr as a whole is trying to sell. for me it was the cutting back on pub food that made me go "hey, this looks great on a spreadsheet if you wanna cut costs to look good for a sale but makes absolutely no sense if youre trying to run a profitable business." food and beverage is their highest margin, and idk about yall but when i drink i usually want food to go with it especially after a long day of riding. since covid theres a lot more midweek business to support it which is why its such a head scratcher that they would cut back on that of all things. theres other behind the scenes things that im privy to from friends that have made me go hmm all season but the pub food has me convinced somethings up.
i think bigger picture, some smarter investors dont want to be holding the bag when the entire ski industry goes belly up from climate change. the snow has been mostly awful in much of the northern hemisphere with few exceptions this winter, and ocean temps have never been higher and the graph reminds me of a train ran off its tracks. and then the hot oceans are creating more extreme weather leading to more intense and frequent property damage, such as the mudslide and flooding that affected skeyship and bear (and wildfires out west). if i were an investor id want to get out now while theres still buyers to be had.
The pub food is only available weekends. This was a POWDR, not Killington, decision I’m told. However, the conclusion they’re selling based on this evidence amounts to reading on one fleck of one tea leaf.
if indeed they are replacing the supe lift to placate fis, then they're doing so based on a long term commitment for the WC - means they're not selling.
skiadikt wrote: ↑Feb 19th, '24, 14:56
if indeed they are replacing the supe lift to placate fis, then they're doing so based on a long term commitment for the WC - means they're not selling.
But they’re not doing it this year… another fleck!
How about the easy answer? They got clobbered with weather damage during the summer, spent a good chuck of the fall recovering, then had a lousy Christmas. They're managing to meet their preset annual financial goals, resulting in cuts here and there that mostly midweek regulars will take note of.
"Abandon hope all ye who enter here"
Killington Zone
You can checkout any time you like,
but you can never leave
"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function" =
F. Scott Fitzgerald
"There's nothing more frightening than ignorance in action" - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Certainly some quirks this year but honestly I see nothing that indicates they are looking to get out. If you weren't paying attention you also would have had no idea that ASC was a lame duck in 2007 either, daily operations wise.
Bubba wrote: ↑Feb 19th, '24, 15:51
How about the easy answer? They got clobbered with weather damage during the summer, spent a good chuck of the fall recovering, then had a lousy Christmas. They're managing to meet their preset annual financial goals, resulting in cuts here and there that mostly midweek regulars will take note of.
That was one of the worst Christmas' I can remember - right into New Years.
Bubba wrote: ↑Feb 19th, '24, 15:51
How about the easy answer? They got clobbered with weather damage during the summer, spent a good chuck of the fall recovering, then had a lousy Christmas. They're managing to meet their preset annual financial goals, resulting in cuts here and there that mostly midweek regulars will take note of.
That was one of the worst Christmas' I can remember
I’ll say. I didn’t get the electric trains or the pony I wanted.
