Summit County – Arapahoe Basin is set to be the first ski resort in North America to open for the season when its Exhibition chairlift starts ferrying skiers and snowboarders up the mountain at 9 a.m. today.
It is the earliest the 60-year-old Summit County ski area has ever opened – and the first time it has won the fierce competition with Loveland Ski Area for the opening-day champion title.
“It’s been a really close race,” said A-Basin spokeswoman Leigh Heirholzer. “It has been a real nail- biter the past 24 hours, seeing if we could pull it off.”
Loveland, which has won the earliest-open bragging rights the past six years, said it plans to open Saturday.
“There is a little bit of a pride factor involved in the fact that we’ve held the title for the past six years, but we’re just happy that the ski season is starting,” said spokesman John Sellers. “We’ll get open as soon as we can.”
Last year, A-Basin trailed Loveland by one week, opening Oct. 23. The previous year, Loveland won the race by just one day.
Heirholzer said the snowmaking equipment A-Basin installed four years ago combined with last month’s major early-season snowstorm gave it the edge needed to win this year.
“Those were the two deciding factors,” she said.
Colorado Ski Country USA, an industry trade group, said the annual competition is a great way to grab national attention for the state’s 26 ski resorts.
“We’ll get a significant amount of national press out of this,” said spokeswoman Molly Cuffe. “It really helps create early-season momentum, and it sets the tone for the rest of the season.”
Last year, a record 12.53 million skiers and snowboarders hit the slopes across the state, according to Colorado Ski Country.
A-Basin’s High Noon run, which has an 18-inch base, and its terrain park will open today. Lift tickets will be specially priced for opening day at $43 for adults, $38 for teens and $19 for children.
“It’s time to go skiing,” Heirholzer said. “We’re just excited that we can get the season started.”
Staff writer Julie Dunn can be reached at 303-954-1592 or jdunn@denverpost.com.
