Rundown of what we got for $5.3 million

[skiingsnow]

KILLINGTON UNVEILS $5.3 MILLION IN RESORT IMPROVEMENTS, NEW PROGRAMS, ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES FOR 2007-08 SKI & SNOWBOARD SEASON

10/18/2007

KILLINGTON, Vt. (Winter 2007-08) – Killington Resort enters the 2007-08 ski and snowboard season with more than $5.3 million in resort improvements and new programs to enhance the overall guest experience. In addition, Killington is implementing new environmental initiatives in an effort to reduce the resort’s overall carbon footprint.

“This will be our first season as a new company and we’re focusing on improving our overall product and the guest experience. And that means focusing on every detail from snowmaking and grooming, to our ski and snowboard school programs, to food and beverage quality and value,” said Chris Nyberg, Killington Resort and Pico Mountain president and general manager. “Moving forward our mission is to exceed customer expectations, be innovative, profitable and environmentally responsible.”

Leading the list of improvements include upgrades to the world’s most extensive snowmaking system; remodeled Long Trail Pub at the Snowshed Lodge; a fresh look for select lifts and lodges with new paint, furnishings and carpet; $2 million in upgrades to the Killington Grand Resort Hotel and Spa; new kid’s Ski and Snowboard School programs; new Burton Learn to Ride program and two new lift access products, the Killington Countdown Card and the Killington/Pico Express Card.

“Guests will notice a difference in the overall look and feel of the resort this season,” Nyberg added.

From new awnings over the Magic Carpets at the Ramshead Family Center, to new loading and unloading decks and lift house refurbishments, freshly painted lifts, new lift information signs, and new Cooper’s Coffee outlets serving Starbucks products at K-1, Snowshed, Bear Mountain and Ramshead Lodges, guests will enjoy many changes throughout the resort this season.

Less energy and improved snowmaking firepower
Killington continues to improve snowmaking operations and lower its overall carbon footprint by increasing its Low Energy snow gun arsenal another 10 percent for the 2007-08 season. Additional electric outlets have also been installed on-mountain for increased use of energy-efficient fan guns throughout base and hi-traffic areas. The increased use of Low Energy snow guns has reduced Killington’s diesel consumption by more than 30 percent and electricity by 25 percent over the past three years.

The additional Low Energy snow guns will be installed on the upper sections of Killington Peak, where these technologically-advanced guns offer the most operational efficiency -especially during the early season - by producing the same amount of snow as conventional guns while utilizing up to 75 percent less energy. Additional snowmaking upgrades include rebuilt pump houses, hydrants, pipe replacement and computer hardware and software upgrades to snowmaking control to improve overall system efficiency. Combined with a fleet of 20 state-of-the-art snowcats, which have been completely refurbished including tillers and tracks, Killington will again offer guests a high quality snow surface with more snowmaking coverage and groomed terrain that any other resort in the east.

To improve access and flow from Lower Ovation and Flume to the Superstar Express Quad, the water slide adjacent to the Superstar Trail was removed over the summer. In addition, the former ice skating rink in front of the K-1 Lodge was removed to improve flow around the K-1 Lodge and access to the K-1 Gondola and Superstar Express Quad. Other improvements include increased trail mowing, clearing and vegetation cutbacks on more than 600 acres of terrain.

The remodeled Long Trail Pub at the Snowshed Lodge features new furnishings, food and beverage menu items, flat panel TVs and live après entertainment Monday through Saturday. Other improvements include new carpet and paint throughout the Snowshed Lodge; new cafeteria furnishings and remodeled restroom facilities at the Ramshead Lodge. Lifts receiving a fresh look for the season include the Snowdon, Canyon and Northbrook Quads, Needle’s Eye and Superstar Express chairs, Southridge Triple and K-1 Gondola. New webcams at Bear Mountain and Pico Mountain will allow on-line users a fresh look at real-time conditions.

Owner improvements to Killington Grand Resort Hotel and Spa
The Killington Grand Resort Hotel and Spa has recently undergone a $2 million renovation, including newly-renovated guest rooms with new carpet, trim, furnishings and paint. These improvements complement the full-service spa opened during the summer of 2006. The Grand Hotel also features new carpet throughout the lobby, hallways and Grand Ballroom. Guests will also notice a new ski and snowboard check room and newly remodeled locker rooms in the health club.

Max 3/Max 5 and Burton Learn to Ride
This season, Killington provides skiers and snowboarders industry-leading learning opportunities that focus on innovative and cutting-edge teaching techniques with new Max 3 and Max 5 children’s programs and the Burton Learn to Ride program. These new programs will provide participants with an opportunity to learn and improve their skills as they explore Killington’s expansive terrain.

“In the tradition of Killington's heritage as an innovator in ski and snowboard school teaching technique, we will deliver an entirely new children's program experience with the new Max 3/Max 5 programs,” said Joe Wood director of the Killington Ski and Snowboard School. “By guaranteeing a maximum of three or five students per instructor, combined with the experience of our teaching professionals, Max 3/Max 5 will increase the overall value of our children’s programs in both the enjoyment they have on the slopes and the quality of the learning experience.”

With Killington’s new partnership with Burton Snowboards, Killington will offer a Burton Learn to Ride program for the upcoming season for new riders ages 13 and older. Burton Learn to Ride incorporates the right Burton equipment with proven teaching methods and small class sizes to make learning to snowboard easy and fun for those trying the sport for the first time. The goal of the Burton Learn to Ride program is for participants to link turns after only one lesson.


New Ticket Card Programs
The new Killington/Pico Express Card offers skiers and riders opportunities to save up to $20 per day throughout the season. The Killington/Pico Express Card provides “pay-as-you-go” flexibility and the convenience of skipping the ticket windows and going directly to the lift. The Express Card is valid at both Killington Resort and Pico Mountain.

The Killington Countdown Card, offered in pre-paid six and 10-day increments, offers guests savings up to 20 percent throughout the season over regular window ticket prices. The non-transferable Countdown Card works by presenting the card and a photo ID at any Killington ticket window. Skiers will then be issued a ticket for the day and the visit will be deducted from the card’s balance. Also, the dollar-value of any unused days at the end of the season may be applied to the purchase of next year’s Countdown Card.

Environmental initiatives
As a company, Killington has a renewed commitment to environmental responsibility for the 2007-08 season and beyond. In addition to new Low Energy Snowguns, Killington is investing more than $100,000 into the following initiatives:

• Co-mingle recycling program throughout all our facilities, including all six base area lodges
• New “Free Aire” refrigeration energy saving project on 10 of our 18 walk-in coolers and freezers that will save a combined 86,389 kilowatt hours of electricity consumption and 31 tons of CO2 emissions per year
• Environmental assessment of Killington’s overall carbon footprint to establish priorities for future energy conservation and CO2 emission reduction projects.

[Snowjob]

If you go into the Grand. Oh, what's that? You're not staying there and never go there? Never mind, then!

...2 million in upgrades to the Killington Grand Resort Hotel and Spa... “Guests will notice a difference in the overall look and feel of the resort this season,” Nyberg added.

[da Pimp]

Out of that capital number, they are spending $2 million where the huge majority of their customers will never see it nor even benefit from it. Yet the Slowdown Triple will still stop 3-5 times on the way up on dry sunny days, the Peak lodge remains a waste of a resource, and we still lose the early and late season skiing that was the attraction for New England customers. I could go on and on, but what;s the use.
When I come back to work Monday morning and tell everyone I was skiing in early Nov. it lathers them up to make plans and book reservations, and they in turn tell their families & friends that Killington is open, start thinking of skiing. Now, it will be left to the masses to actually see snow in their yards before they really think about their skiing planning. That backyard mentality is exactly what Killington was able to reverse, and successfully so in my opinion.

When Okemo and others open the same time or earlier, you can bet that New England customers will think of this:

1)They (Okemo, for example) make better snow and groom better, thus why go to Killington any more if the base will be the same or better everywhere else
2)Getting less for the higher ticket tastes like we the consumers are getting scammed or ripped off. What else is there that we haven't see nyet that might disappoint me?
3)For my higher dollars, I will go with friends or family where there is less risk of disappoinment or uncertainty.

Now, I am no Okemo fan by any means, but Killington has to start thinking like the typical 8 to 10 to 12 day skier who spends most of their time on blues mixed with some black or green forays depending on who they are on the mountain with that day. And the many black diamond customers are the ones who talk up the place and influence their friends & families to go where the black diamond skier/rider likes to go. So, I look at the $2 mil spent on the few, and I just have to laugh and continue to tell my friends to skip Killington this season.

My 330 member ski club found out about the loss of bulk rate tickets, and tried to cut our condo rental lease at Killington but could not. But rest assured they wil be at Okemo or Sugarbush or Mt. Snow next year. I hear that this kind of activity is going on in a lot of places. According to POWDR, we must be the kind of customer that they do not value any more. The amount of money that our club would have dropped at K this year is not small. And surely will be close to zero next year.

And they are doing this to us as they lease our own great natural resource
(Green Mountains) from OUR government. Lousy stewards of MY resource. Making a profit on your investment is O.K. in this country, but why must you be just as stupid as ASC except in your own new way?

da Pimp

[Bubba]

The improvements at the Grand were paid for by the Grand's quarter-share owners. Killington Resort has spent $3.3 million this year on the mountain itself.

[shortski]

The improvements at the Grand were paid for by the Grand's quarter-share owners. Killington Resort has spent $3.3 million this year on the mountain itself.

I picked up on that too, another read between the lines statement. Why can't they just say and shoot straight. The more that comes out of them the less I trust or believe anything they say. Man they better spend a Million $'s on a great public relations firm to repair all the damage they've done so far.

[the Disemboweler]

The improvements at the Grand were paid for by the Grand's quarter-share owners. Killington Resort has spent $3.3 million this year on the mountain itself.

I picked up on that too, another read between the lines statement. Why can't they just say and shoot straight. The more that comes out of them the less I trust or believe anything they say. Man they better spend a Million $'s on a great public relations firm to repair all the damage they've done so far.

u aint kidding donnie....i agree with u 100%....i know a good pr shop in manhattan

[Tin Woodsman]

The improvements at the Grand were paid for by the Grand's quarter-share owners. Killington Resort has spent $3.3 million this year on the mountain itself.

I love how they tried to hide "Owner Improvements" by only mentioning it once and only in a little section headline.

[Mister Moose]

Inflating the 3.3 to 5.3 million, or by a factor of 60%, is lame, and the transparency of this is going to come back and bite them with reduced credibility.

[HelmetCam]

new awnings over the Magic Carpets at the Ramshead Family Center

YES!!

[4-mile]

Inflating the 3.3 to 5.3 million, or by a factor of 60%, is lame, and the transparency of this is going to come back and bite them with reduced credibility.

I don't think their credibility can get much worse than it is now.

Current POWDR credibility rating: 0%
Anticipated reduction in credibility from this: ~50%
Projected future credibility rating: 0%

[Gangsta Rider]

new awnings over the Magic Carpets at the Ramshead Family Center

YES!!

I ride that lift all the time. I kept saying every time I rode the thing, it needed new awnings!

[BadDog]

Owner improvements to Killington Grand Resort Hotel and Spa
The Killington Grand Resort Hotel and Spa has recently undergone a $2 million renovation, including newly-renovated guest rooms with new carpet, trim, furnishings and paint. These improvements complement the full-service spa opened during the summer of 2006. The Grand Hotel also features new carpet throughout the lobby, hallways and Grand Ballroom. Guests will also notice a new ski and snowboard check room and newly remodeled locker rooms in the health club.

We only have stayed there for a single short week vacation, but I think that until they install a BOOT CHECK along with the ski check, that place will always be slightly dirty and the carpets will always need to be replaced.

[rogman]

new awnings over the Magic Carpets at the Ramshead Family Center

YES!!

Can someone explain to me why Magic Carpets need awnings?

[millerm277]

In other words, the only non-maintenance items that they paid for are:

Some more Low-E guns that don't work in marginal temps....
Some remodeling on the lodges
New bathrooms.


Everything else is basic maintenance, and should not be considered improvements.

[growing rage]

Don't get to excited about the up coming season. With the mass layoffs and cutbacks on employees benefits, you will not be seeing to many smiling faces from employees. They call those guns low energy because they make half the amount of snow. Snow so light it blows right across the trail, never to be seen again. The older k 3000 land guns could bury a trail in no time. Powdr is making a big mistake taking everything away from the employees, some of which made a career working outside loving being one on one with what ever nature through at them. Many 15 to 30 year veterans were sent down the road. Very sad indeed. Look for 1st year people who only want the job for the ski pass and International workers who can barely speak any English to be at your service.