Gearing up for the season: Ski area opertors always worry about the weather. This season they're also worrying about the after effects of September 11

New Mexico Business Journal, Nov, 2001 by Mike Stauffer

CHANGE IS CONSTANT IN THE $250 million-a year New Mexico skiing industry, even when its invisible to the naked eye. Most ski-resort owners will tell you that last year's significant increases in snowfall from the previous two years doesn't necessarily mean that 2001-2002 will be banner year. None of them, it appears, are resting on their laurels, especially when the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon have thrown tourist predictions into a cocked hat.

Taos Ski Valley experienced nearly 80,000 more skiers last year than it did the year before, 249,000 versus 173,000. But compare that to the 282,000 skier visits it had in 1989-99. TSV's Chris Stagg said that from the late-1970s to the mid-1980s, the skiing business underwent huge growth. "As long as you had snow, you could have a pretty good business," he said. "But in the mid-1990s, the industry went flat. Resorts put in new lifts, added real estate development and sought airline transportation; all three are crucial to development."

Angel Fire Resort's Ned Stock and Sherrie Bullington agree. Last winter, Angel Fire and Ozark Airlines began flying Texas skiers into Taos Municipal Airport twice a week. The 32-passenger planes were full on almost every flight. Stock had sought Federal Aviation Administration certification for the county-owned Angel Fire Airport that would allow that airport to land the larger planes this year, and more often. Unfortunately. Ozark was sold to Great Plains Air, Bullington said, and the resorts was forced to start negotiations all over again.

"We do have a verbal commitment from Great Plains that it will continue the service, but probably into Taos Municipal Airport, not Angel Fire," Bullington said. "But we are hoping to increase the number of flights per week.

Great Plains is working on an agreement with American Airlines that will include Oklahoma, Houston and Austin, in addition to Dallas-Fort Worth."

Angel Fire Resort had a 23-percent increase in skier visits last year over the year before, and Stock said, "I think the difference was the flights we had. Twice a week, that equates to 64 passengers over 12 flights, 768 passengers for the year. That may not seem like a lot, but it gave us name recognition in the Dallas Metroplex. And it made Angel Fire more accessible."

Angel Fire is not alone in targeting high-flying skiers. "In the last 10 years, hotels have spring up in almost every ski area," Stagg said. "Now there is an oversupply of rooms. Rates have dropped dramatically. Skiers are getting savvy and shopping around to get low prices, package deals on lifts and lodging, reduced prices, season passes."

Stagg said Taos Ski Valley has a lot competition in the Rocky Mountains and within the state. "Purgatory and Telluride (in Colorado), certainly Santa Fe is a competitor of ours."

TSV targets skiers in specific markets: the Rio Grande Valley and Albuquerque, West Texas, Dallas and Houston, Los Angeles, Florida, Chicago, New York and Mexico, through Latin American ski partnerships. As part of its ammunition, Taos Ski Valley is once again promoting its millennium pass.

"A year-long season pass was $1,200. Last year it was $400 and we sold 1,200; this year we sold 1,600," Stagg said. "The push now is to get the skiers we know we're going to get stay longer. How do we get them to stay two, the five-day skier to stay 10 days, the 10day skier for 20 days and so forth?"

Taos Ski Valley

And what will these skiers see at TSV? "We now have snowmaking on 100 percent of the blue and green runs," Stagg said. "And we'll be making snow from Oct. 15 though Feb. 1. We also groom every blue and green run every night. It is at a huge cost in terms of energy and labor, but it pays off in the quality of the ski experience."

Mountain Manager Bill Etchemendy said the biggest change people will see is on the beginner's hill. The former home of the children's ski school is being torn down, as is the pump house/clock tower at the base of the lift. These will be replaced by a new pump house at the base of the beginner's area which will include, restrooms, a warming hut and locker room facilities for the snowmaking crew. The warming hut will make being a beginner at Taos Ski Valley a much more enjoyable experience and the removal of the old buildings will open up the beginner's area.

And what will all these Texas and Oklahoma skiers see when they get to Angel Fire? Angel Fire "The most improved ski resort in New Mexico," Bullington said. "More invested in our resort than all of the other ski areas in New Mexico combined."

Angel Fire is also seeking the snowboarder -something Taos Ski Valley still maintains it will not do -with the installation last summer of the New Mexico's only Halfpipe: 400 feet long, 100 feet wide, with 12-foot-high walls and 50foot landing decks on either side. The resort has also installed a new Nordic area, with 19 kilometers of new terrain and has remodeled its 5,000-square foot Garden Court Conference Center.

Ski Apache