Corduroy in fashion
Ski areas are rolling out the white carpet

Asnow boarder negotiates a turn atop the well groomed surface at DMR last weekend./Photo by Todd Newcomer.

by Will Sands

Corduroy is in high fashion all over Colorado this year. Ski areas throughout the state are sinking big dollars into expanding and improving their grooming operations, and Southwest Colorado is no exception. An aging skier market is one of the key factors in the push toward perfectly finished terrain.

Early last season, Crested Butte Mountain Resort made a surprising announcement. The small, central Colorado ski area had long been known for its abundance of extreme terrain and carved out a market niche with events like U.S. Extreme Skiing Championships and a two-year stint with ESPN’s X Games. Last year, Crested Butte’s marketing department did an about face, announcing that the resort now offered “Colorado’s Best Corduroy.” Ski area owners trademarked the phrase and have been touting the quality of Crested Butte’s grooming ever since. Crested Buute Mountian Resort’s vice-president and general manager, Randy Barrett, said that the grooming initiative is just part of the resort’s goal to become more family friendly and guest oriented.

“We want to raise the bar again,” he said. “We want to continue to ensure that we deliver the best product we can.”

Over the past decade, the profile of the average skier has changed. According to a recent National Ski Areas Association demographic study, the most prominent trend in skiing and snowboarding is the continued aging of the visitor base and substantial growth in visitors aged 45 and up. In fact the number of older skiers jumped from 21 percent of the total in 1997-98 to 31 percent last season, according to the 36-page report.

Ashley Boyden, communications manager for Colorado Ski Country USA, commented that Colorado areas have become aware of the changing dynamic and are adapting to it.

“A great deal of our business comes from the baby boomer market, and we’ve heard that these skiers crave groomers and want corduroy,” she said. “We want to provide that for them, just like we want to provide terrain parks and challenges for our younger skiers. We’ve seen an increased emphasis on grooming, particularly at the destination resorts.”

Boyden said that ski areas throughout the state are stepping up the amount and quality of groomed, intermediate terrain.

“Over the last several years, there has been an increase, and that comes from a demand from our guests,” she said. “Some resorts are actually grooming as much as three times per day.”

Durango Mountain Resort also plans to buff out a larger portion of the mountain this season. Much of this year’s $850,000 in capital improvements at the resort was dedicated to improving the corduroy picture. DMR purchased two new Bombardier 350 Snowcats, which operate 50 percent faster than the current fleet. With the new machines, mountain crews hope to reach their goal of grooming 90 percent of beginner terrain and 70 percent of intermediate terrain each night.

“Over the past three years, there’s been an increased focus on improving the quantity and quality of the grooming on the mountain,” said Matt Skinner, DMR communications director. “This year’s upgrades are a progression of that program.”

Skinner concurred that the baby boom is continuing to shape the industry. However, grooming also benefits and attracts families.

“There’s definitely an emphasis in the industry on improved grooming,” Skinner said. “It’s easier to ski on a smooth surface, so it’s great for baby boomers and young kids alike, as well as those just out to cruise. Durango Mountain Resort prides itself on having great intermediate and beginner terrain, and we want to offer the best conditions possible.”

Corduroy is also spreading on the other side of the San Juan Mountains. The Telluride Ski Resort, another area known more for steeps than flats, purchased four new cats in the last year at a total price tag of $1 million. Mary Helyn Kirwan, the ski area’s director of communications, said that Telluride is making an effort to enhance its product for the less-than-expert skier.

“We’ve seen the continued aging of our customer to an average age of 43.9 years,” she said. “And we’re focusing on better customer service, better product for our guest and more grooming for the beginner and intermediate skier.”

Increasing the quality of corduroy broadens a ski area’s appeal, according to Kirwan, and helped push the ski area to record skier day numbers last year.

“We want our guests to enjoy the best product we can offer,” she said. “Grooming enables a greater variety of skier abilities to experience our terrain.”

Meanwhile, skiers inclined more toward moguls and powder are not necessarily getting squeezed out of the picture. Colorado ski areas are hoping to strike that perfect balance, according to CSCUSA, and keep the entire skiing and snowboarding public happy.

“You can still always find bumps and powder stashes at Colorado ski areas,” Boyden concluded. “But now, you’ll have a freshly groomed trail right next door.” •