New Zealand’s Coronet Peak, Cardrona and Mt Hutt ski areas opened for the season today, joining areas in Chile as being amongst the first in the southern hemisphere to open for the 2016 ski season south of the equator.
Mt Hutt (pictured above earlier today) – which had planned to open yesterday but decided to postpone doing so due to bad weather including gales – saw hundreds of skiers and snowboarders from far and wide descending on the mountain with unprecedented levels of enthusiasm.
Excitement about the season ahead, married with the sale of sharply-priced earlybird season passes earlier this year, is credited with growing participation in skiing and snowboarding at the ski area.
“Cantabrians and Christchurch families who’re keen to experience the fun of snowsports are all really keen to get back on skis or boards, or ‘give it a go’ for the first time ever,” said ski area manager James McKenzie.
The anticipation levels saw Andy Herron arrive at 7.30pm on Friday night and sleep in his car in the car park until claiming a spot in today’s first Summit Six chair line, while father and son Michael and Harry Fisher from Christchurch arrived at 10.30pm and spent a more comfortable night in their campervan. Mother and daughter Lucy Appleton and 12-year-old Chloe Keijzer claimed another two ‘first-in-line’ spots on the Quad and Summit chairs.
Ski area manager James McKenzie says the dedication of those who camped out overnight was “impressive”.
“As excitement rose in the chairlift lines it was great to see so many familiar faces, as well as new skiers and snowboarders keen to get onto the snow.”
NZSki CEO Paul Anderson said the ski industry was “in good heart” as both Coronet Peak and Canterbury’s Mt Hutt ski areas opened today.
“For our local and overseas markets it’s key to have opened on time with good snow conditions and more to come,” he said.
Mt Hutt is the largest and highest ski area on New Zealand’s South Island. The forecast for Sunday is for temperatures to drop and potential snow, and will enable the ski area to fire up its snowmaking guns.
Australia’s ski season also starts this weekend but there is almost no terrain open so far as snow is awaited. The country’s largest ski area, Vail-owned Perisher has one run of its 133 open, believed to be the only open run in Australia.
