Quake migration an upside to no-snow ski season

An influx of bored Christchurch residents could help buoy Mt Hutt’s ski season. The popular Canterbury skifield had expected the number of skiers and snowboarders hitting the slopes this winter to be down on previous years because of the fall-out from February’s quake but early indications suggest the impact on the season may not be as bad as first feared. James Coddington, chief executive of NZSki, which owns Mt Hutt, Coronet Peak and The Remarkables, said with recreational activities in Christchurch limited because of quake damage, it seemed many people had decided it would be a good time to try skiing.

“Early season sales are significantly up on last year,” Coddington said. “It’s an unexpected positive. Even though we have been predicting there would be a negative effect from the quake, it actually may turn into a positive.”

He said bookings from Australia, which traditionally accounted for about 35% of Mt Hutt’s business, were as strong as in previous years.

Getting accommodation near Mt Hutt though could be more difficult this year than in previous winters. Most out-of-town skiers at Mt Hutt usually opt to stay at Methven but Coddington said accommodation there was at the premium because a number of Christchurch people have moved there since the quake.

“Methven has been identified as a safe place to go and live and commute to Christchurch so there’s been an immigration gain … which is quite different to any other year.

“They’ve taken up some accommodation that historically may have been used for winter seasonal accommodation. Methven is a small place and that’s certainly a challenge, but we believe it won’t have too big an impact.”

Mt Hutt was due to open yesterday but virtually no snow has fallen on the mountain since May 15 and mild weather over the past week has robbed the ski area of the chance to make snow.

Ski area manager David Wilson said it looked as though the weather pattern was changing but it needed to be consistently cold for the skifield to make snow.

“We need around 30 to 40cm of snow on the main trails to open. We know there are a lot of keen Methven, Christchurch and Canterbury locals and loyal supporters who are champing at the bit to test their ski and snowboard legs with the first few runs of the season and we’re just as keen as they are.”

Temperatures were slowly coming down and Wilson said he did not think it would be too long before Mt Hutt could open: “It only takes one or two snowfalls to change the season completely.”

Further south a similar waiting game is being played at Queenstown’s Coronet Peak. It too has had to postpone opening. Although the delay is a frustration for skiers and snowboarders, it is far more serious for the more than 200 seasonal workers on the mountain who will not get paid until the skifield opens.

Coddington said the company was doing its best to support its workers in the meantime by putting on activities, training and providing food and ”collectively hoping and wishing for cold temperatures”.

http://www.nzski.com/