BMMC: My View of a Disaster

[Spin & Win]

This was the first time I really attended the BMMC. I went with my family as my Kid was competing. Here's how it unfolded:

We drive over to bear and there are 3 guys in uniform at the gate. They stop us and ask if we have alcohol or a dog in the car. I say no and we move on. I notice there are three people with Killington name tags about 100 feet away to the left by the ditch just kind of waving hello. No formal greeting or welcome.

After unloading we walk up to the lodge. You have to pass a table where there are two more guards. One of the guard stops my NINE YEAR OLD boy and asks him if he is bringing any alcohol in to the event in his ski bag. He says no, and the guy checks his bag anyways. I look at the guard incredulously and say "are you kidding me?" and he replies I am just doing my job. Wow!

Then, we get shoed up and head to the lift. There are two ambassadors there stating that OL is closed, and stating they are going to bring a winch cat over to groom the top. I look up the trail and people are streaming down it lined up for their practice runs, just ducking the rope anyways. We ask how are we supposed to get there. He tells us to take skywalk over from Wildfire and hike up to to the top of the course. Huh? Then there are people coming down to the lift from OL and they stop every person stating they just skied a closed trail and that if they do it again they will have the ticket pulled! Unreal! I hear at least 10 people say "why am I here?". Then, they change their mind and let the rope down at the top of OL and the trail is open again. Wow!

So if they needed to control the people on the trail, why were the ambassadors at the bottom instead of at the top of the trail? DUH! It was so comical and sad at the same time.

Looking around, it seemed like a typical freestyle meet. Just the parents and a few friends. NO crowd AT ALL. Looking up the hill., I see Dork and K-Zone making a sole and valiant attempt at a BBQ. The local establishments are selling a little food, but nothing really to speak of in terms of volume. The beer garden is empty. There are many guards in and around the lodge, and it feels like a police state. It feels uncomfortable and contrived. Later, at around 2pm, the Bar at Bear is pretty hopping, the room is filled and there is a small line to get in. But its a small space so there really are not THAT many people there.

The awards ceremony is just like a typical freestyle meet. Just the awards winners and their families/friends there.

I dont think the weather had anything to do with the poor attendance (on Saturday). The place was just empty. The parking lot was less than half full.

There is NO WAY this event could be considered a success. From a marketing perspective, its a failure, pure and simple. POWDR wanted to kill the party and they have done just that, very successfully. I doubt Bud will be a sponsor next year, as there was no one there to market their products to.

That's the report from my perspective. Other than the fact my kid skied great and had fun, it sure wasnt a party fitting a resort that proclaims itself to be the King Of Spring. It was more like The King of Police State and Conformity. Not fun at all. Too Bad.

S&W

[JerseyGuy]

I doubt Bud will be a sponsor next year, as there was no one there to market their products to.

Huh... hadn't even thought of this. If anybody from Anheuser-Busch was on premises for this disaster, they couldn't have liked what they'd seen -- regardless of their desire to see cheap, watered-down brew sold at a profit in the beer gardens.

No worries, PowdrKillington. Just tell 'em how you don't measure the success of your events by skier visits...

[tellitlikeitis]

defintely not the days of when guys like john smart, sean smith and jean luc brassard were showing up for the comp/challenge...and the sad part is , those days really were not that long ago... they just seem like they were... ... i remember the year smitty was on the podium, there must have been easily 2K people there...very sad....

[chewbacca]

Glad I didn't go although in years past I must have gone to a dozen BMMC. Powdr has definitely killed off the BMMC. Shame on them all. It used to be Killington's signature spring event that would bring in a couple thousand people to have a good time. I just heard that they will be killing off the Ambassador program---afterall Powdr eats what it kills. What a clown collection.

[JerseyGuy]

I just heard that they will be killing off the Ambassador program

Please tell me this is just a rumor...

[Nikoli]

I just heard that they will be killing off the Ambassador program

This is a good idea.

[BumpMeister]

I shot off a email to to Killington this morning stating my displeasure and sadness with the events of this weekend. Somehow I doubt if they will respond or if even gets forwarded to the right people.

[RustyK]

I shot off a email to to Killington this morning stating my displeasure and sadness with the events of this weekend. Somehow I doubt if they will respond or if even gets forwarded to the right people.

Where did you send it to?
Maybe we can all email them..

[BoozeTan]

How POWDR can look at the pics of BMMC prior to them taking over and then look at the last two years and think they made the right move is beyond me. r*in or shine BMMC was a packed Bear lot and lodge.
Never mind the money that was made off of food and beverage, but what about all the lost revenue from people who booked rooms for the night or weekend? the lost revenue to all the businesses on the access road? This event went on for years and years and never had anything horrible happen, just a lot of ppl who loved to get in some spring turns and party a little bit. Not only were the killington regulars there, but many people who didnt even ride/ski that just came up for the party atmosphere. And as someone else mentioned somewhere, the ability to market the spring riding and skiing. selling those spring passes that generated the revenue to make staying open till memeorial day feasable. POWDR needs to stand up and admit they screwed this one up big time. its just a shame that they cant do that.
One more thing I remembered and I dont know if this is true, but didn't they charge $10 to park if you didnt have a season pass in the previous years?

[BumpMeister]

I shot off a email to to Killington this morning stating my displeasure and sadness with the events of this weekend. Somehow I doubt if they will respond or if even gets forwarded to the right people.

Where did you send it to?
Maybe we can all email them..

Info@killington.com
If someone has another they can provide pleased do.

[The Internet Police]

CGNyberg@Killington.com

[BumpMeister]

CGNyberg@Killington.com

Danka!

[biged]

How POWDR can look at the pics of BMMC prior to them taking over and then look at the last two years and think they made the right move is beyond me. r*in or shine BMMC was a packed Bear lot and lodge.
Never mind the money that was made off of food and beverage, but what about all the lost revenue from people who booked rooms for the night or weekend? the lost revenue to all the businesses on the access road? This event went on for years and years and never had anything horrible happen, just a lot of ppl who loved to get in some spring turns and party a little bit. Not only were the killington regulars there, but many people who didnt even ride/ski that just came up for the party atmosphere. And as someone else mentioned somewhere, the ability to market the spring riding and skiing. selling those spring passes that generated the revenue to make staying open till memeorial day feasable. POWDR needs to stand up and admit they screwed this one up big time. its just a shame that they cant do that.
One more thing I remembered and I dont know if this is true, but didn't they charge $10 to park if you didnt have a season pass in the previous years?

Yes on the $10. If you were at the gate at 5:00 when it opened to get a good spot then no one was there.

[skiingsnow]

...a resort that proclaims itself to be the King Of Spring.

They do not use "Endless Adventures" , "Rise Above" , or "King Of Spring" anymore.

[JerseyGuy]

...a resort that proclaims itself to be the King Of Spring.

They do not use "Endless Adventures" , "Rise Above" , or "King Of Spring" anymore.

Ladies and gentlemen...

...da da da DA da DA...

SkippySnow To The Rescue!