expansion

[Big Bob]

Given what we have seen (or more precisely haven't seen) temperature wise this year, I'm not shocked K is swinging full attention this week and window to SS and FIS build. They are getting down to the wire and has to be 100% the focus to pull it off. With the tour not even crossing the pond last season, if they can not miss this they will do whatever it takes I think.

And now we have landed on the annual discussion. Can K walk and chew gum at the same time?

Do they or don't they have enough resources to expand public terrain, and put as much snow on Superstar as possible, simultaneously?

The answer is they do. If the weather is completely uncooperative, it won't matter how much manpower or capacity they have. If it does cooperate enough, they have enough of both to do both. Period.

If we don't have TTB by Thanksgiving this year with the WC here, we wouldn't have had it without the WC here.

My question remains. Do they need to have Skyelark covered in order to have the event?

Do they have enough snow makers? A lot of places don't right now.

One of Brian's videos showed a fresh batch of Jamaicans he was training.

[jimmywilson69]

mtn proceeding like it's a done deal. failing is not an option.

I certainly can understand folks being upset that they aren't expanding. As noted numerous times conditions have been marginal. So marginal many places are delaying their opening.

Hosting the world cup races, a world class event, is a priority for Killington. I don't blame them for prioritizing their resources to getting ready for it. The influx $$$$ for the resort and the town is a huge. The fact that we are even having this discussion is a testament to how awesome Killington is. Do you think Vail would put this effort in at Stowe?

[Seacoaster]

mtn proceeding like it's a done deal. failing is not an option.

I certainly can understand folks being upset that they aren't expanding. As noted numerous times conditions have been marginal. So marginal many places are delaying their opening.

Hosting the world cup races, a world class event, is a priority for Killington. I don't blame them for prioritizing their resources to getting ready for it. The influx $$$$ for the resort and the town is a huge. The fact that we are even having this discussion is a testament to how awesome Killington is. Do you think Vail would put this effort in at Stowe?

Although I agree with you, I do think Vail would do this at Stowe under the same circumstances. They are to big on optics, where this has an international reach, they would absolutely dunk the resources for PR purposes alone, not necessarily for the events benefit.

[brownman]

The FIS would welcome a bidding war for the rights to their event.
Fortunately for K, StowE doesn’t have the capacity to pull off this race.
They have a beautiful hotel, a couple good lifts and some decent terrain.
Try getting to it via that access road. Then try finding a nearby place to sleep.

When is the contract up for grabs ?

[slatham]

Based on the weather forecast from a week ago and capacity, there was never any doubt about a positive snow control (unless the system went down).

The often quoted line, by Kzone and management alike, that the WC wouldn't STOP expansion (slow yes, stop no) is obviously false. I guess they never envisioned the scenario where they would have to simultaneously pound SS and Skye Lark?

With all the bad blood about last seasons last minute parking plan, and this seasons last minute Fast Lane, I am really surprised Mike hasn't provided any information to Kzone and/or the general public. PR is so easy and powerful, unless you fail to use it. Heck at this point the most info we have from a Killington employee is from Brian Hughes. Personally, they should make him their spokesman. Love his posts.

[Captain Hafski]

FWIW: Lots of poaching on UEF yesterday. Appears to be a 'river' running across the trail halfway down but skiers/riders were getting around it quickly on skiers right.

Upper Double Dipper very skiable in the natural snow.

[boston_e]

The FIS would welcome a bidding war for the rights to their event.
Fortunately for K, StowE doesn’t have the capacity to pull off this race.
They have a beautiful hotel, a couple good lifts and some decent terrain.
Try getting to it via that access road. Then try finding a nearby place to sleep.

When is the contract up for grabs ?

It has been quote a few years since I've been to Stowe - but I also don't think they have a trail with space for spectators at the base that would work for this event.

Does anywhere else in the east have a trail / spectator area where this could even be done?

[skibikeclimbguy]

Does anywhere else in the east have a trail / spectator area where this could even be done?

The following all have SL & GS FIS Homologated Courses:

VT - Burke, Jay, Killington, Middlebury, Okemo, Stowe, Stratton, Sugarbush

NH - Attitash, Crotched, Dartmouth, Loon, Cannon, Sunapee, Waterville Valley

ME - Sugarloaf, Sunday River

NY - Belleayre, Gore, Jiminy, West Mountain (Whiteface currently only has a SL slope, but they did have that little event called the Olympics)

MA - Berkshire East

[boston_e]

Does anywhere else in the east have a trail / spectator area where this could even be done?

The following all have SL & GS FIS Homologated Courses:

VT - Burke, Jay, Killington, Middlebury, Okemo, Stowe, Stratton, Sugarbush

NH - Attitash, Crotched, Dartmouth, Loon, Cannon, Sunapee, Waterville Valley

ME - Sugarloaf, Sunday River

NY - Belleayre, Gore, Jiminy, West Mountain (Whiteface currently only has a SL slope, but they did have that little event called the Olympics)

MA - Berkshire East

Right - but how many have the rest of the infrastructure that could support the overall event? There is a lot more to this event than the trail itself.

Quickly off the top of my head:
-Trail finish at a base area that can support 20K+ fans?
-Snow-making capacity
-Parking
-Lodging accommodations

The list of places in New England gets short pretty quickly once you start factoring in other needs. Although I've never been there, Whiteface should for sure be an obvious location that could do it.

[Mister Moose]

Does anywhere else in the east have a trail / spectator area where this could even be done?

Given the likelihood that in order to change the Northeast World Cup date you would have to displace another country's weekend, the relevant question might be

Does anywhere else in the east have a trail / spectator area where this could even be done over Thanksgiving?"

[snoloco]

From the mini documentary on the Killington TV YouTube, they were interested in holding a World Cup several years before they actually got one. They ended up having their chance when Aspen decided to hold finals. The World Cup never stops at the same resort twice, they had to give up the Thanksgiving Weekend race that they traditionally held. It also helped that the FIS wanted a race in the Northeast because the region has more ski racers than the west.

Unless another resort gives up their race for whatever reason, then there are no openings in the schedule. The North American portion of the World Cup is always in November and early December, unless there is an Olympics in North America, so any potential host resort needs to be able to do it early season.

[skiadikt]

mtn proceeding like it's a done deal. failing is not an option.

I certainly can understand folks being upset that they aren't expanding. As noted numerous times conditions have been marginal. So marginal many places are delaying their opening.

Hosting the world cup races, a world class event, is a priority for Killington. I don't blame them for prioritizing their resources to getting ready for it. The influx $$$$ for the resort and the town is a huge. The fact that we are even having this discussion is a testament to how awesome Killington is. Do you think Vail would put this effort in at Stowe?

while it's great for the town, the mtn itself claims they lose money on the event. but apparently powdr corporate believes in the event particularly in the east. think it's about prestige and marketing.

while others may have qualified runs, don't think there's anywhere else in the east that could pull this off between the spectator access and snowmaking particularly that early. mike has said they wouldn't wanna have it later in the season because of the disruption it would cause to shut off that part of the mtn for the amount of time necessary.

[E O Eleven]

[KingsFourMan]

. . . the mtn itself claims they lose money on the event.

Of course they make that claim.

Believable that they lose money on it but do it for the publicity and chalk it up as a marketing expense.

[throbster]

How about moving the Killington event out a couple weeks (thus almost guaranteeing adequate conditions) and do more early season races in the US at high altitude mountains out West?