Industry News
Ruka and Levi ski areas have set October 4 as their opening day for the 2024-25 winter season. This marks the start of the northern hemisphere non-glacial ski season, which is four days away.
Ruka and Levi are typically the first non-glacier ski resorts to open in the Northern Hemisphere. Ruka’s ski season lasts more than 200 days, making it the longest season in Finland and one of the longest non-glacier seasons in the world. Ruka expects its ski season to last until May 2025.
“On the season opening day and weekend, the slopes in Saarua will be open on stored snow. The open lifts will be Gondola (B), SaaruaExpress (H) and Saarua III (G) chair lift. The lifts are open as of 4th of October from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.”
“Mark your calendar for October 4th, as that’s when the alpine and cross-country skiing season opens in Levi. Once again, we’ve stored a record amount of snow on the Front Slopes, providing even more skiing area. You’ll have access to the Glacier and North chairlifts, which will take you to the top of the Front Slopes.”
The resorts employ snow farming techniques to save snow during the summer months. They gather large piles of snow and cover them with large white tarps and sawdust. As opening day approaches in late September, the resorts remove the covers and spread the snow using Pisten-Bully Snowcats. While this creates the classic “white ribbon of death” situation, skiing on last season’s snow in October offers a unique experience.
Why sawdust? Studies have found that sawdust has natural cooling capabilities, which allow snow to be better insulated.
Snow farming can save up to 75% of the snow from the previous season. With the continued threat of climate change, snow farming provides a viable safety net for resorts. The holiday period is often the most lucrative period for resorts, and having limited terrain can negatively impact the guest experience. Using snow farming can negate these impacts regardless of the weather. Technologies like snowmaking are great when the weather is cold. However, snow farming allows resorts to have snow when snowmaking temperatures are impossible. Resorts like Ruka can open regardless of the temperature. Ruka is not the only resort that uses this technology. Besides Ruka, Courchevel and St. Anton, located in the Alps, have used this process to open more terrain early in the season.
Also opening this week is Trollhaugen Recreation Area, Wisconsin, which will kick off its 2024-25 winter season with its annual Fall Open Haugen Weekend.
The three-day event will kick off on October 4 with the resort’s annual Ski and Snowboard Sale and Swap. The Sale and Swap will be from October 4-6, and gear for sale can be dropped off from Wednesday, October 2, to Friday, October 4. Full details are on the resort’s social media account at Trollhaugen Ski/Board Swap Gear Dropoff. The highlight of the three-day weekend is the Rail Jam on Sunday, October 6.
Various resorts nationwide, from Colorado to Minnesota, won the “Race To Open” in North America. Perpetually, some of the first to open in the United States are A-Basin and Loveland in Colorado. Unlike Ruka, these resorts rely on cold temperatures, so snowmaking is possible in late September and October. In 2009, Loveland opened on October 6. It will be interesting to see how they compare to Levi and Ruka this year.
First resorts to open in the U.S. in the previous 15 years:
23/24: Ski Ward, Massachusetts – October 23
22/23: Wild Mountain, Minnesota – October 18
21/22: Wolf Creek, Colorado – October 16
20/21: Wild Mountain, Minnesota – October 19
19/20: Arapahoe Basin, Colorado – October 11
18/19: Wolf Creek, Colorado – October 13
17/18: Arapahoe Basin, Colorado – October 13
16/17: Arapahoe Basin, Colorado – October 21
15/16: Killington, Vermont – October 18
14/15: Arapahoe Basin, Colorado – October 17
13/14: Arapahoe Basin, Colorado – October 13
12/13: Wild Mountain, Minnesota – October 18
11/12: Wolf Creek, Colorado – October 11
10/11: Sunday River, Maine – October 23
09/10: Loveland, Colorado – October 6
08/09: Loveland, Colorado – October 7
