Hoodoo opens season just in time for winter break
Our economy depends largely on our weather; — just ask our local mountain resorts. At 9 a.m. Friday, Hoodoo opened for its 78th year to the snowboarders and skiers eager to get on the mountain after last year’s limited season.
Some young skiers even skipped school to make it to opening day.
The Schmidt brothers were the first on the mountain. Andrew Schmidt said, “It was cool, because nobody else put tracks on the mountain, and you got to ski on fresh powder.”
Among early arrivals was long-time season pass holder Jarl Berg: “Actually, my first ever turns in my life, when I was 3 or 4 years old, were right over there by the kiddie lift.”
Hoodoo Vice President of Marketing Leif Williams explained that Hoodoo is a family-run and more family-friendly mountain than many of the bigger resorts.
“There’s so many familiar faces that you’ve seen for so many years,” Williams said. “It’s a place where kids grow up, and they have a whole other family here.”
Skiers and snowboarders agreed that opening day conditions were ideal.
Hoodoo staff said that at this time last year, the mountain had no snow. Last year, Hoodoo opened on New Year’s Eve and only stayed open for 10 days. The year before, Hoodoo opened in February for a mere 38 day. The short season devastated business, as a typical ski season is 18 or 19 weeks.
“This year, though, everything’s already started to turn around,” said Hoodoo General Manager Matthew McFarland. “Sales, season pass sales are already going up and things are looking really good for the future.”
These next two weeks are crucial for Hoodoo to make up lost sales, as winter break accounts for about one third of Hoodoo’s business.
For now, skiers are busy enjoying their early Christmas present.
Given the amount of snow already on the mountain and the upcoming snowy forecast, Hoodoo workers said they are optimistic about the rest of the season and are planning to be open through April.
Hoodoo plans to be open every day through New Year’s. After the first of the year, they’ll return to their normal operating schedule. Hoodoo also offers night skiing on designated days. They will be hosting a New Year’s Eve night skiing and fireworks show Dec. 31. Check their website for more information at www.hoodoo.com.
