Denver, CO – Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) announced on Wednesday that its 22 member ski and snowboard resorts reported an increase in skier visitation for the beginning of the season. Skier visits at CSCUSA resorts were up by 10 percent during the first period of the 2010-11 season, defined as opening day of the season (this year Oct. 24) through Dec. 31, 2010, compared to the same period of the prior year.n“Consistent snow and reliable conditions contributed to a very positive start to the season,” commented Melanie Mills, president & CEO of Colorado Ski Country USA. “There is a lot of ski season left but we’ve set a good pace, have great snow conditions and hope the momentum continues.”
CSCUSA’s reported numbers do not include the four Colorado properties owned by Vail Resorts — Vail Mountain, Beaver Creek, Keystone and Breckenridge — that are among the most popular in the state. Vail Resorts opted to withdraw from membership in CSCUSA several years ago. Vail Resorts earlier this month indicated an increase in skier visits of 10.1% season to date through early January 2011, although those numbers also include results from Heavenly Mountain Resort and Northstar-at-Tahoe, both located in California.
Abundant early season snow across much of the state allowed many resorts to open with more terrain and lifts than is typically offered on an opening day or even in the early season. The variety of terrain available by November, along with heavy November snow, helped get the word out and drive visitation to resorts around the Thanksgiving holiday. However, in few parts of the state, drier conditions brought challenges to some resorts which saw later opening dates than normal.
Guests enjoyed generous snow conditions over the Christmas holiday. “Skiers and riders turned out in strong numbers to enjoy the slopes during the holidays, until the cold temperatures of the New Year’s weekend sent them in search of hot chocolate,” continues Mills. “When our resorts are busy over the holidays it says a lot about the Colorado brand. And while snow is a key factor in skier visitation, we also account for our resorts top-notch service and popular programs and events.”
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.