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Cardrona smashes skier day record by 30,000!

snow action team 10.10.2016

Cardrona’s previous skier day record has been smashed by over 30,000 visits this year – a sign of growth in both the snow sports and local tourism industries. Investing in key areas such as carparking and the Valley View base area, along with a focus on minimising pinch points, has created a more even spread of capacity. Continual investment in terrain management including the SnowSat system, snowmaking capacity and grooming fleet has created a more stable, season-long product.

Cardrona looking good back in early June

Cardrona looking good back in early June

The entire resort was open top to bottom on Opening Day June 11, including Valley View Quad for the first time in the lift’s history. Early snowfall, increased snowmaking capacity and tactical terrain management saw the resort fully operational from day one.
“It’s been a fantastic season at Cardrona. The snow came just when we needed it and we opened the whole mountain on schedule,” says Cardrona’s General Manager Bridget Legnavsky.
Cardrona’s Closing Day on Sunday saw a range of events for the whole family to celebrate the change in season together. Throughout the day there was live music in the Courtyard, the Fashion in the Field catwalk, as well as many keen skiers & snowboarders trying to make it across the 12m long pond skim at the base of McDougall’s Quad.
The Fun Never Stops was the finale in a long season of event highlights at Cardrona. August’s Jossi Wells Invitational Big Air was a huge hit with both athletes and spectators, with competitors lauding the Cardrona Big Air “the best jump in the world”. Cardrona’s new year-round events division, GoldX Events, is part of the resort’s strategy to grow in traditionally quieter times.
“It’s an exciting time for Cardrona – this season’s strong visitor numbers, fantastic events like the Jossi Wells Invitational, and our athletes’ amazing performances have all helped raise the profile of the resort and the snow sports industry as a whole,” says Legnavsky.
With the resort closing to the public, the doors are now open to the world’s best skiers and snowboarders for Cardrona’s annual Spring Camp. For two weeks, athletes from across the world will join New Zealand’s best in a training camp specifically designed for progression, including Big Air, Slopestyle, & Halfpipe programmes.
The 31 year-old McDougall’s Quad had its final swansong, calling its very last chair to the public today. Work will commence shortly on Cardrona’s New Zealand first McDougall’s Express Chondola, which will be installed in time for Winter 2017, all as part of Cardrona’s bigger development plan.
“We’re all going on a journey to make Cardrona as good as we can,” says Legnavsky. “You know it’s been a great season when your heart sinks as you see the trees turn green and the snow start to melt!”
Cardrona’s 2017 season passes are on sale from now until October 31 in a price freeze on the 2016 rates. For more information, visit www.cardrona.com/seasonpasses.

Crazy events and closing days go together; this was Cardrona's © Jen Houltham

Crazy events and closing days go together; this was Cardrona’s © Jen Houltham