Denver, CO – Colorado Ski Country USA’s (CSCUSA) 22 member ski resorts on Friday reported a decrease in skier visitation for the beginning of the 2011-12 ski and snowboard season. Skier visits at CSCUSA resorts were off by 10.65 percent during the first period of the ski season, defined as opening day of the season through December 31, 2011, compared to the same period last year.
CSCUSA President and CEO Melanie Mills cites variable snow conditions as a contributing factor. “We had a promising start in October with several robust storms giving resorts a solid base and allowing some to open earlier than planned,” explained Mills. “But we faced inconsistencies in weather patterns for most of November and December, leading to slower visitation especially by in-state skiers at some ski areas.”
CSCUSA resorts do not include four of the state’s most popular ski resorts. Vail Mountain, Beaver Creek, Keystone and Breckenridge, all owned by Vail Resorts, do not participate in the marketing organization. Vail Resorts earlier reported a 15.3 percent drop in skier visits through the first quarter of the fiscal year, also due to the lack of snowfall across the West.
Mills cautioned that it’s too early to define the current ski season on early winter numbers, as the state’s traditionally snowiest months still lie ahead. “When comparing this year to last year, remember that last season was exceptional, with several of our resorts breaking the 500-inch mark for snowfall, and we were skiing until the 4th of July,” explained Mills. “In our weather-dependent business, we feast in the big snow years and suffer a bit when it’s dry. But we’ve got lots of the season still ahead including a bonus leap year ski day on February 29.”
Skier visits are the metric used to track participation in skiing and snowboarding. A skier visit represents a person participating in the sport of skiing or snowboarding for any part of one day at a mountain resort.