NEWRY, Maine (AP) Sunday River has staked its
claim as the first ski area in Maine to open for the season.
The resort opened its slopes on Friday, giving skiers top-to-bottom
runs.
''We're making snow,'' said Sunday River spokeswoman Susan DuPlessis.
''All the guns are going.''
Many ski resorts nationally have opened earlier than usual this year
due to early snowstorms. In Maine, Sunday River with more than 1,600
snowmaking guns often claims bragging rights to being the first to open.
Other ski mountains will open soon. Sugarloaf in Carrabasset is set to
open Friday, and other ski areas are tentatively scheduled to open in
mid-December.
The early opening is good news for Maine's ski industry, which attracts
more than 1.2 million skiers a year and pumps an estimated $250 million
annually into the state economy.
Ski areas last winter had 6 percent fewer ski visits than in 2000-2001,
due to mild weather conditions and the impact of the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks.
At Sunday River over the weekend, skiers were given more trails than
usual to ski on for the opening day.
''It's better skiing than I expected for this time of year,'' said Josh
Thompson, 23, of Portland. ''Usually it's icy. But it's kind of like
spring skiing.''
''It's the best opening day I've seen in years,'' said Beth Healey, a
regular at Sunday River. ''There's even a bit of powder and frozen
granular.''
This time of year, hard-core skiers are always hoping for snow, said
Julie Parisien, the three-time Olympian ski from Auburn.
''You're basically counting the hours of under-30-degree weather,'' she
said. ''You're getting your ski stuff out of storage and you're just
psyched. It's a great feeling. This time of year always reminds me of
training.''
