Oregon Public Broadcasting

Skiers and snowboarders are hitting the trails now that the snowy season is again under way.  And while many businesses are hurting in this economy, Oregon’s ski industry has been riding high. The recession is encouraging some skiers to choose slopes close to home— and lots of snow is helping the industry, too.

It’s late afternoon and the sun hasn’t quite set here Mt. Bachelor Resort outside of Bend.  Many here are still trying to get a few runs before calling it a day.

In the parking lot Susan and Tom Forsythe feel no such pressure.  These retirees from Southern California just bought their season passes.  They now live in Bend. Susan says the couple took their first lessons just last year.

“I live for winter now.  I used to surf and all that stuff. Now its like ‘Let’s just ski’,” says Forsythe.

Forsythe says last year she and her husband noticed a promotion Mt. Bachelor was running for new skiers.  It offered five days of lift tickets, rentals and lessons all for about 200 dollars per person.

“So we said let’s give it a try, if we like it than we’ll keep going forward.  And that’s what we did.  We loved it.  And then we ended up buying our own equipment and the minute the tickets went on sale this year for this season, we were right there," says Forsythe.

Andy Goggins is director marketing and communications at Mt. Bachelor.   He says the program is called “ski or ride in 5.”  The resort started offering the deal a few years ago as a way to lure new skiers at a reduced price.

“And so the product is really to get people excited about skiing and snowboarding and lock them in.”

Goggins says while the resort competes with larger ski areas in California, Colorado and Utah,  there are plenty of potential customers closer to home.

“One of our goals locally is just to grow the base of skiers and snowboarders in our own backyard and have more skiers and snowboarders per capita in Central Oregon,” says Goggins.

Scott Kaden is President of the Pacific Northwest Ski Areas Association, a ski industry trade group.

He says with the exception of Bachelor’s off-site lodging and Mt. Hood’s Timberline lodge most resorts in Oregon are primarily day use facilities.  But he says in this economy that can be an advantage.

“What it does is it makes us a little more resilient.  The day use business is not as dependent on the economy," said Kaden.

Kaden says day operators aren’t subject to fluctuating airline ticket prices and baggage fees.  He says that makes choosing a ski option close to home a good alternative when money is tight.

And the numbers seem to support that.  Last year was the best on record for Oregon ski area operators, with just over 2 million visitors recorded.  And Kaden says that story has been consistent throughout the recession.

“The last six years have been top six finishes all time for Oregon,” says Kaden.

Of course recession or no recession a good ski season requires good snow.  And last year didn’t disappoint.

By the accounts of many skiers and snowboarders the snow last year was quote “epic.”   And an extended season meant more money for ski operators, who many cases were able to make improvements over the summer.  Mt. Bachelor, for example,  spent close to 3 and a half million on new snow cats and facility upgrades.

Kaden says operators are hoping for another banner year. The La Nina weather pattern is expected to continue into this season, bringing more precipitation.

Back at Mt. Bachelor, skiing newbie Tom Forsythe is excited about conditions so far, but he admits it hasn’t quite reached the point of being worthy of superlatives.

“Last year the snow was almost  covering all the steps at the lodge there, now there’s about ten or twelve steps showing so it’s got a long way to go,” says Forsythe.

But, then again, the season is just getting started.