Foul Weather Friends : Ski Resort Operators Across State Cheering Early Storms

Early snowstorms have allowed ski resorts across California to open early this season, triggering optimism throughout the industry that this winter will be among the best ever.

Some resorts opened as early as last Friday and another big snowstorm on Thursday prompted others to make plans to open this weekend.

Snow Valley, a ski resort in San Bernardino County that usually follows the traditional Thanksgiving opening, was scheduled to open today.

Resort managers did not anticipate conditions for the season to get under way so soon, said Margie LaPorte, a Snow Valley sales manager. But after the area received 4 to 6 inches of snowfall Thursday, she said, “Phones have been ringing off the hook. . . . We are anticipating one of the best seasons in years.”

Mammoth Mountain, in California’s eastern Sierra, opened Sunday and was blessed with an extra 18 inches of snow from Thursday’s big storm, allowing the resort to also move up the opening of its advanced trails, said a spokeswoman.

“This is our earliest and strongest start since 1982,” said Bob Roberts, executive director of the California Ski Industry Assn., a trade group representing California’s 38 ski resorts. Advance bookings at resorts have been very strong, he said.

Sporting goods stores also reported brisk sales this week of skiing equipment, and especially robust sales for snowboards. In the past three years, snowboarding has become an increasingly popular alternative to downhill skiing.

Mammoth Mountain spokeswoman Wendy Helgrud said the resort had about 3,000 skiers on the slopes Friday. And it is expecting about 10,000 visitors for the Thanksgiving weekend, she said. Probably about a quarter of the visitors will be snowboarding, she said.

“Snowboarding is a trend that has grabbed ahold of the ski industry and is becoming more and more popular,” said Charles Goeldner, an expert on the skiing industry, who is a professor of marketing at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Snowboarders are usually the first ones through the door to buy skiing equipment, because they only need a light amount of snow to hit the slopes, said Lars Wackenstedt, a ski equipment buyer for the Big 5 sporting goods chain.

“It has been the largest-growing segment of the winter sports category,” Wackenstedt said. But traditional skiers and snowboarders have both been buying early this season because this is the best snow they’ve seen in several years, he said.

At Mountain High, a ski resort in Moonridge near Big Bear that opened Nov. 4, has set aside a snowboard park to keep snowboarders away from traditional skiers.

The ski industry in California suffered in the late 1980s from six consecutive years of drought, said Roberts, but conditions improved in 1991. Snowfall has increased dramatically, with a record year in the 1992-1993 season, above average snowfall last year, and an exciting start this year, he said.

Weather forecasts suggest that the eastern Sierra will be getting many more snowstorms in coming weeks, said Helgrud.

This may be a record-breaking year for the industry across the country, said Goeldner. At the annual meeting in September of the Ski Tour Operators--a group which arranges skiing tours across the country--the room was all smiles when asked about bookings for the upcoming year, Goeldner said.

Heading for a Great Run?

Ski industry analysts report that this may be a record-breaking year across the country with snow storms arriving early. And ski resort managers throughout California say their reservation lines are ringing off the hook.

What’s Open

Southern California ski resorts include:

Resort Status Phone Bear Mountain Open (909) 585-2517 Mountain High Open (619) 249-5808 Snow Summit Open (909) 866-5766 Snow Valley Open (909) 867-2751 Mammoth Open (619) 934-2571 Mount Baldy Closed (909) 982-0800 Green Valley Closed (909) 867-2338 Kratka Ridge Closed (818) 792-6906 Mount Waterman Closed (818) 440-1041 Ski Sunrise Closed (619) 249-6150

Resort Current conditions Bear Mountain 4” new snow + 1’ to 3’ man made Mountain High 8” new snow + 1 1/2’ man made Snow Summit 3” new snow + 1 1/2’ man made Snow Valley 6” new snow + 14” man made Mammoth 12” new snow + 3’ to 4’ man made Mount Baldy Green Valley Kratka Ridge Mount Waterman Ski Sunrise

What It Costs

Ski rental packages, which include skis, poles and boots can vary greatly in price depending where you rent them. Here are some sample average rates:

At the slopes: Ski package: $16 a day, adult price Ski boarding package: $28 a day Lift tickets (pre-season special): $28 a day, adult price

Near the slopes (independent rental shop): Ski package: $9.50 a day, adult price Ski boarding package: $20 a day

In the city: Ski package: $15 a day, adult price Ski boarding package: $30 a day

Who’s Doing It

Weather is a major factor in the fluctuation of skier visits in the Pacific area, which includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. For example, 1991 was a poor year for snow compared to 1989.

Sources: National Ski Areas Assn.; Snow Summit; Blauer Ski Rental; Chicks Sporting Goods Researched by ADAM S. BAUMAN / Los Angeles Times