The rivalry between Breckenridge
and Vail continues with Breck claiming a second straight
year of victory in terms of skier visits.
While Vail remains the largest
resort in the States, Breckenridge attracted more
skier visits, with less than half the terrain. Vail
saw but a 0.3 percent drop in skier visits, while
Breckenridge bucked the trend with a 3.7 percent increase.
"I don't think it was a surprise
to anyone; I definitely think that snowfall had a
role in the numbers being down," said Amy Kemp, communications
manager for Keystone. "Any time we decrease, it's
concerning to us, but it's definitely something we
can make up."
The 1999/2000 season began with
record-low November snowfall and weak travel patterns
around the millennium holiday. With its higher elevation,
powerful snowmaking system and proximity to the Front
Range, Breckenridge had a strong early season despite
the statewide industry's weather problems.
"We had a very, very slow start
to the ski season at Vail, whereas Breckenridge had
a very strong start," said Bill Jensen, chief operating
officer for Vail Mountain. "I would say the entire
difference in our skier visits occurred before Christmas.
From then on, things turned dramatically at Vail and
we started to improve."
Jenson now feels things are
going in the right direction, enigmatically closing
with his theory that: "The 1999 season ended with
the glass half empty, but the 2000 season ended with
the glass half full."
