Who’s First?

 

There is still some prestige attached to the feat of being the first ski area(s) to open for the new season.

But the bitter rivalry that used to be associated with the race isn’t what it used to be now that American Skiing Company has broken up, and the new Killington owners don’t seem to concern themselves with the bragging rights.

Now the field is wide-open.

 

The real rivalry will be found in the west, specifically Colorado.

Arapahoe Basin and Loveland find it good-natured fun to duke it out, and try to beat each other to opening each year.  This season is the second one in a row that A-Basin has come out first in North America. It’s official opener was October 10^th. Loveland was on the slopes on October 16^th .  Keystone and Copper have also been in the scuffle in prior years. This year’s season started on November 2^nd for both areas.

 

And believe it or not, ski areas in the Southeast have battled for first-out rights in recent years. This season, Sugar Mountain and Cataloochee in North Carolina opened their slopes on November 7^th.  Sugar beat out the Cat by mere hours.

 

Midwest areas are also contenders. Wild Mountain in Minnesota rounds out the early season opening list. Wild opened November 9, skiing weekends to start. 

 

Back on New England soil, Woodbury in Connecticut has laid claim to opening first in the East. However, Sunday River, Maine, a Boyne USA resort, perhaps merits more substantial recognition as the first Northeast ski area to open for the 07-08 season with a Halloween pre-season ski, followed by its official opener on November 8^th.  Sugarloaf, Maine another Boyne USA resort, opened on Friday, November 9^th.

Southern Vermont’s Mount Snow opened its season on November 7^th of this year and has the distinction of being the first New England area to open with top to bottom skiing and 7 runs in all. This is its earliest opener since 1998.

 

Let the Skiing Begin!