New Zealand’s venerable Coronet Peak was scheduled to open for the season. Didn’t happen. Despite the presence of snow-hungry skiers and snowboarders, overnight rain and fierce winds closed the mountain before it opened.
But the next day dawned clear, bright and with 5 cm of fresh snow. About 2,000 sliders were there for the delayed opening day. Coronet spokesman David Ovendale said, “There are so many skiers and boarders, we are thinking of opening a second major lift.” He added, “The core terrain is looking superb for this time of year.”
The ski area has spent $30 million on major improvements to the base area and snowmaking. These changes will be celebrated in a two-day on-hill extravaganza June 28-29.
FoMoInfo, http://www.nzski.com/mountain.jsp?site=coronetpeak.
— Jules Older
