‘If we miss one, it’s not going to be because we didn’t put the effort in’: Killington confident in snow preparations
‘If we miss one, it’s not going to be because we didn’t put the effort in’: Killington confident in snow preparations
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‘If we miss one, it’s not going to be because we didn’t put the effort in’: Killington confident in snow preparations
Since 2016, the Stifel Killington Cup has provided the United States with a stop on the FIS Ski World Cup circuit. It’s provided Burke Mountain Academy alum Mikaela Shiffrin an opportunity to return to the same Green Mountains that she trained on, while also elevating the Killington area as a premier ski destination.
With the event taking place over Thanksgiving weekend, the event doubles as a holiday tourist destination. But its placement early in the ski season has created challenges in recent years.
In both 2022 and 2023, warmer temperatures in the lead-up to race weekend threatened the viability of holding the event. On both occasions, though, Killington Ski Resort’s snowmaking team was able to groom the mountain’s Superstar run into a race condition.
“We’ve come down to the wire many times,” Killington snowmaking manager Greg Gleason said. “Mother Nature is not always the best business partner.”
Gleason recognized that this year’s warmer temperatures have created another puzzle to solve. The ski resort opened for skiing 11 days later than last year, but he said the experience of making the most out of pockets of cold temperatures has prepared the team for this year.
In addition, the ski resort’s new ownership added 500 additional tower snowmakers to help the total coverage area of the various runs.
This year’s Stifel Killington Cup is expected to include Shiffrin, University of Vermont alum Paula Moltzan and Nina O’Brien. The race festivities start on Friday night, with racing to follow on Saturday. NBC5 will carry Saturday and Sunday’s race coverage beginning at 1 p.m.
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