Industry News
Today, Wednesday, September 11, Thredbo Alpine Resort, Australia, wrapped up its winter 2024 skiing and snowboarding season. The resort had previously announced a closure for this coming Sunday, September 15, but has now closed early due to challenging weather and snow conditions this month. Despite the early closure, the season was still a big success with two months of incredible snow conditions in July and August, a triumphant launch of the brand-new Alpine Coaster, the record-breaking winter events calendar, the construction of Australia’s only 22-foot Halfpipe, 13 foot Mini Pipe, and more.
Thredbo General Manager Stuart Diver says he is proud of the world-class guest experience the resort offered this winter. “While we may be finishing earlier than expected, we also had some of the resort’s best-ever months this season with many big wins to celebrate. To our incredible team who worked tirelessly to make every guest’s experience special this winter, I express a heartfelt thank you. We look forward to welcoming everyone back next winter,” Diver said.
Ideal Snowmaking Conditions, Fresh Powder & Bluebird Days
For the first two weeks of August, some locals went as far as to say that the snow conditions in Thredbo were the best that they had experienced for 10 years. While the conditions may not have lasted until the end, Thredbo is proud of the incredible skiing and snowboarding conditions it offered from mid-June to late August.
Thredbo invested heavily in new snowmaking infrastructure ahead of this season which proved to be an invaluable asset once again. Consistently freezing temperatures created ideal snowmaking conditions from mid-June onwards, allowing the resort to fire up snowmaking operations almost every night and build a strong snow base that ultimately enabled the resort to stay open for as long as it did.
Several significant snowfalls joined forces with the strong snowmaking operations to offer incredible snow conditions in July, coinciding with the peak school holiday period. A big storm in July saw Thredbo receive 75 centimeters of fresh snow across one week, creating powder conditions for skiers and snowboarders to enjoy every day. From late July to late August, guests enjoyed an entire month of high-quality on and off-piste conditions and stunning bluebird weather with sunshine, light winds, and excellent visibility almost every single day.
New Thredbo Alpine Coaster Soars Above Expectations
Thredbo Resort officially launched the Southern Hemisphere’s first-ever Alpine Coaster on opening weekend this winter and it’s been hugely successful ever since. Open 365 days a year, it offers a new way for guests to experience the mountain as they coast along 1.5 kilometers of stunning alpine terrain. In winter, this creates a completely unique experience in Australia where riders can enjoy snowy vistas all the way down.
While it was always expected to be an exciting new attraction, it’s been even more popular than Thredbo expected with much higher visitor numbers than originally forecasted. Daily ride numbers are capped to manage the rider experience and unexpectedly, this number has been maxed out on multiple days this season. Another surprising statistic from this season’s Alpine Coaster data was a strong pattern of repeat visitation with guests not just riding the Alpine Coaster multiple times in one day but returning to ride it on two or even three weekends in a row.
Thredbo General Manager Stuart Diver said that Thredbo is proud to be taking proactive action to support and protect local tourism now and into the future. “We are completely committed to investing in our year-round offering. The Alpine Coaster has proven to be a big success in winter and now we’re excited to see the impact it will have 365 days a year. This world-class attraction will build upon our wide range of outdoor adventures this summer and will be a huge drawcard to the region in the shoulder seasons,” Diver said.
Australia’s Biggest Winter Events Calendar Breaks Records
Thredbo has boasted Australia’s Biggest Winter Events Calendar for many years however this year was the biggest one yet, offering a series of brand-new events and securing record-breaking event turnout.
Thredbo’s famous après lineup was bigger than ever this winter, adding two new events across nine straight weekends featuring 18 headline acts including Bag Raiders, Client Liaison, The Jungle Giants, KLP, Peking Duk, Poof Doof Ski Club, Sneaky Sound System, Stace Cadet and more. On July 27, First Base featuring Peking Duk presented by Canadian Club secured record numbers for Thredbo with thousands of guests turning out to dance underneath the fireworks with one of Australia’s biggest music acts.
Also on this winter’s huge calendar, Thredbo hosted new family-friendly events at the Kids Snow Festival during school holidays, a lineup of action-packed skiing and snowboarding events, a series of unique Alpine Experiences, an exclusive lodge takeover activation with Range Rover, a wide range of backcountry tours, weekly flare runs and fireworks, daily live music and more.
Thredbo Becomes Australia’s Home Of Winter Actions Sports
Thredbo elevated its winter action sports offering to a whole new level this winter, building a new 22-foot halfpipe, a new 13-foot mini pipe, and a 65-foot jump all while hosting a new event to support the future stars of the sport. To support athlete development ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics, Thredbo worked with The Stomping Grounds Project to build Australia’s first-ever 22ft Halfpipe for Olympic training during a Southern Hemisphere snow season. The 22ft Halfpipe and a 65ft jump were built in August at the top of the Cruiser area, creating a world-class on-snow training facility that enabled Australians to train for the Olympics in their backyard and a series of the world’s best snowboarders including Scotty James made this their Southern Hemisphere training ground.
Australian pro snowboarder, Olympic medalist, and the world’s best halfpipe rider Scotty James became Thredbo’s newest ambassador earlier this year. As part of the partnership, Scotty generously donated a mini pipe cutter to Thredbo, enabling the resort to build the all-new 13 foot MOOKi’s Mini Pipe in the Cruiser area this winter for skiers and snowboarders of all ages and abilities to enjoy.
To further support the development of the next generation of Australian athletes, Scotty and Thredbo joined forces to host the first-ever MOOKi’s Mini Pipe Cup event on August 18. A free new skiing and snowboarding event, this sold-out day provided 150 kids the opportunity to spend the day riding with Scotty in the newly built MOOKi’s Mini Pipe. On the day, Scotty awarded a new MOOKi’s Mission Grant to two young riders who exhibited remarkable effort and passion. Aiming to support their future careers, the massive prizes included $1,250 cash and a 2025 Thredbo Season Pass.
A Huge Summer Season Ahead
Thredbo Resort will officially reopen for its summer season of mountain biking and hiking on November 16, 2024. To find out more about Thredbo’s summer offering, please click here.
