Loveland Is Open
Georgetown, CO -The first skiers and snowboarders took to the slopes at Loveland Ski Area in Colorado to officially kick-off the nation's ski and snowboard season.
Snowmaking and winter temperatures helped Loveland Ski Area claim the coveted title of being the first ski area in North America to open for continued business for the 2003-2004 season.
We are coming off a pretty successful year and are excited for the start of another successful, snow-filled season on the slopes, said Rob Perlman, President and CEO of Colorado Ski Country USA."Skiing and snowboarding are synonymous with Colorado and we are thrilled to once again welcome visitors across the globe to our world-class resorts.
Travel and tourism is the second largest industry in the state generating more that $7 billion in spending and employing more that 200,000. Colorado‚s ski industry represents an estimated 20 percent of the state‚s larger travel and tourism sector.
An Oct. 28 opening date secured Loveland's goal of opening before Halloween each year. As usual, enthusiastic skiers and riders filled the Loveland parking lot hours before first lift, some even camping out the night before.
"There is so much excitement in the air as Loveland‚s guests and staff alike wait in anticipation for the first chair of the season, said Loveland Marketing Director, Kevin Wright." Skiers and boarders are itching to get out and make their first turns and our elevation of 13,010‚ allows us to cater to this demand.
Loveland will open with chairlift #1 serving three runs: Catwalk, Mambo and Homerun. There will be top-to-bottom skiing and riding on more than a mile-long run, dropping 1,000 vertical feet. Base depths will vary 10-20 inches. Snowmaking efforts will open additional terrain as soon as possible. Loveland‚s web site,
Arapahoe Basin has been Loveland‚s top competitor in the race to open. With 100 percent of their new snowmaking technology operational this year, they fired up their snow guns in late September in order to be a contender in the race to open first. Arapahoe Basin will have its earliest opening ever scheduled to open by Oct. 31.
Thanks to cool winter temperatures in the high country, other resorts in Colorado Copper Mountain, Keystone, Winter Park and Steamboat are also making snow and plan to open in the next couple weeks. Go to