a> - MANCHESTER HERALD, Tuesday. Nov. 22. 1983 Now a bllUon-dollar business Rube Goldberg contraption started ski industry Holiday Edition Bv Rod Clarke unpredictable winter tourist an effort to become less dependent golf holes in the world," boasted people skied in the state during the week sales are up over last year. United Press International industry. on the whims of nature and further Communications Director Chip 1981-82 season and spent about $200 "People seem to be buying Last year, a gloomy John Voral develop the "destination resort" Carey. million. packages," said Chan Weller at Thanksgiving '83 WOODSTOCK, Vt. - Bob Bour- watched as warm and snowless concept. Sugarloaf also plans a four- Sugarbush. "W e've already sold 28 ,don had no inkling he was making weather melted away almost half season conference center and BUT OFFICIALS in both states percent of last year's total for the history that January day a half the business at his King Ridge Ski SOME Ar e a s —• including spent $10 million last summer in cautioned those numbers are im- season." century ago as he clung to an Area in New London, N.H. Stratton Mountain, Sugarbush in improvements to its skiing pi'ecise estimates. But even with cold weather and t 1,800-foot long rope and let a He wasn't alone. Warren, Mt. Mansfield in Stowe, facilities. Donovon said he "doubts" New snowmaking, many skiers don't chugging Model T truck engine Vor'fll, also president of the New Smugglers Notch in Jeffersonville But New Hampshire looks with Hampshire attracts more skiers get excited until the snow starts pull him up asnowcovered hillside Hampshire Ski Area Operators and Bolton Valley in Bolton — have skepticism, if not outright deri­ and reaps a bigger income from falling. pasture. Association, said the unseasonable built elaborate "sports com ­ sion, on its neighbors' efforts to them than Vermont. "If they don't hear about the real Manchester, Conn. "No, we never thought about weather cut skiing inJhc Northeast plexes," offering swimming, ten­ cushion themselves against bad "It is the estimate of what we stuff on the mountain, they wait Clouding tonight; that," he recalled recently. ‘ 'It was by 30-35 percent. nis, saunas, exercise rooms, tan- weather. feel a skier spends for lift tickets, and see before making advance Wednesday, Nov. 23, 1983 just fun." njng centers, racquetball and Gary O'Neil, who developed a meals and other related costs," reservations," said Conrad Klefos some showers Thursday conference centers. Single copy: 25C Bourdon can hardly be blamed NOW HE AND OTHER ski area series of state-sponsored television Power said. at Jay Peak, near the Canadian — See page 2 for not recognizing the signifi­ operators in New Hampshire are. More than $2.5 million was spent ads promoting New Hampshire "But there’s really no way to border. cance of that primitive ski tow — plotting their revenge with an renovating the old Stratton Moun­ skiing, scoffs at what he calls the determine how much Is spent." "If we get a big storm, the calls fEanrhrHlpr Mrralb the first in the United States. ambitious "Ski New Hampshire" tain Inn. "Plan B" approach to promotion. Whatever their differences, ski will come in." After all, he was only 17 then — campaign aimed at cutting into "It would have been cheaper to "If they want to swim, they go to operators in Vermont and New Killington, which had the longest fresh out of high school; he had no Vermont's dominance. tear it down and start over," said the local (hotel) and swim,” he Hampshire have one thing in ski season in the East last year way of knowing he had helped The state plans to sink $80,000 spokeswoman Marci MacNeur. said. "They come here to ski. common: boundless optimism. running into June, began operating preside over the birth of what is into television advertising to push Few ski areas lay idle during the "The idea of saying 'our salad O’Neil called the 1982-83 season Oct. 20, and several New Hamp- now a multi-billion dollar industry. winter sports in New Hampshire, summer months any more; they bar is bigger, come up' — I don’t "a very, very hard year — no snow ' shire areas were set to go this ■ That Rube Goldberg contraption and another $30,000 will be spent to are now "all-season resorts" — think that has a lot of credibility." and warm temperatures. Realisti­ week. on Clinton Gilbert's farm cost $500 promote the two state-owned ski offering such things as golf, alpine cally, this year it will be either to build in January 1934. areas. slides and white water rafting and THERE ARE 32 ski areas in New. Plan moves very cold or snowy," fie said. In addition, the association is canoeing. Hampshire; two — Cannon Moun­ "Either way. we’ll be all right." Nevada THIS YEAR, the nation's 375 opening an office in Boston' to The industry is also heavy into tain and Mount Sunapee — are "We're all just terrible optim­ largest ski areas spent $13a,million convince winter sports afficiona- real estate development, and con­ state-owned. ists.” echoed Vorel. "We have to be One of the smallest states in to give enthusiasts more lifts to dos the Granite State can provide dominiums are blossoming on the They spent about $3 million if we're in this business. population, Nevada has attracted take them to the tops of mountains, moderately priced, friendly facili­ landscape like mushrooms after a making capital improvements this "Once we have a bad year, we large numbers of outsiders, start­ 114 car slots more trails and snow on which to ties closer than Vermont or the ski summer rain. year, officials said; only one-tenth figure it’s not going to be that way ing with the gold and sliver rush of ski down and better facilities when meccas of the West. "You can't just sit on 3,000 acres of what was invested in Vermont. for a while.” 1879. Today, the attractions are they reach the bottom. Vermont's areas, however, are and admire the beauty." said Polly About 1 million out-of-state ski­ Candy Moot at the Vermont Ski legalized gambling, sophisticated "Skiing is the fastest growing taking another tack: Rollins at Mt. Mansfield. ers came to Vermont’s 19 ski areas Areas Association said hard eco­ entertainment and lenient divorce participation sport in this coun­ diversification. last year and spent $154 million on nomic times take a surprisingly laws, requiring only six weeks try,” said Cal Coniff, president of Most of the larger areas hatfe UP IN MAINE, the big Sugarloaf meals, rooms, lift tickets and low toll on the industry. residence. off Main St. th e National Ski Areas increased machine-made snow­ resort is working on a new gasoline, according to George Association. making capability to be sur'e, for 1,400-aere, 6,900-yard champion­ Walter Fuss of the engineering Donovon of the Development POLLS HAVE SHOWN people By Alex GIrelll Eastern areas alone spent al­ that has become the industry's ship 18-hole golf course designed Agency; Vermonters added will forego dental treatment, medi­ Boat trips are often made in the Herald Reporter firm of Fuss and O'Neill, which is most $51 million — about $30 security blanket — saving them by Robert Trent Jones Jr., a another $11 million. cal care or a new car before they’ll Arctic over the ice — the midnight designing it under contract with million of that in Vermont. after a series of "Brown Winters." foremost expert in the field. New Hampshire Vacation cancel their vacations, she said. sun melts the snow atop the The new concept for reconstruc­ the.towp and the state. But Mother Nature still holds the But they have also branched out "There are holes out there that It calls for little change in Travel Director Michael Power Preseason indicators seem to permanent ice and people paddle tion of Main Street, unveiled for hole card for the lucrative, if into other non-traditional areas in will go down as some of the best signalization, but the state will said a total of about 2.4 million bear out that season ticket and ski in the lake formed by the thaw. some town officials 'Tuesday night, require new signal equipment. calls for a loss on the street of 114 parking spaces and re|Slacement of Fuss said. It does not change the traffic all but 20 of them in new lots on pattern on side streets very much, Birch Street-and Pearl Street. as the earlier plan did. But it does Here’s complete directory of ski areas in ,New England It also calls for construction of call for making the east-west leg of the access road east of Main Street Purnell Place one way west WOODSTOCK, Vt. (UPI) — Here is an alphabetical • LOON MOUNTAIN, Lincoln, N.H. Telephone • PROSPECT MOUNTAIN, Bennington, Vt. Tele­ from Eldridge Street north to list of New England ski areas, where they're located, (603) 745-8111. Ski phone: (603) 745-8100. Lifts: 6. instead of east as it is now. phone (802) 442-2575. Ski phone: same. Lifts: 3. Trails: Bissell Street. Angle parking spaces would be key telephone numbers, number of lifts and trails, Trails: 28. Snowmaking: yes. Adult weekend day One parking module is provided. 13. Snowmaking: no. Adult weekend day ticket: $11. cut from 238 now, to 171; parallel whether they have snowmaking, adult ticket prices ticket: $20. $22 reserved. Adult 2-day weekend ticket: It is near the Mary Cheney Adult 2-day weekend ticket: NA.