Ruapehu skifields set to open this weekend

Ready to rumble on Ruapehu.

OPINION

It’s time to get those mittens on, wax the skis and slide into the ski season.

Signs are looking good for much-needed snow up the maunga this weekend, for the scheduled start of the season, and importantly, we still have the full complement of ski fields to choose from.

Even if you’re not a skier, it’s still part of the magic of living in the central North Island, and combined with the Winter Festival that also starts this weekend in Taupō, and the Ohakune Mardi Gras last weekend, it ensures a steady flow of fun-seekers through local motels, shops and hospitality venues.

The uncertainty surrounding the future of Whakapapa and Turoa ski fields has been stressful for anyone who relies on them for their income and for those who love playing in the snow.

The skiing and snowboarding industry is worth an estimated $100 million to the economy of the Central North Island each year, but the buzz and excitement it creates over the cold, winter months is also worth a fair bit to the people who live around the mountains.

The Government has sunk a lot of money into the ski fields to keep them open this winter, which has raised a few eyebrows from taxpayers who resent putting their hard-earned dollars into what is a prohibitively expensive sport for a lot of families.

That’s understandable, but the cost of shutting the fields down in the North Island would be even greater in lost incomes and lost taxes. Physically removing the infrastructure from the mountain would cost up to $100 million, not to mention the loss of sporting opportunities for many North Islanders.

If you are someone like me, who skis every once in a while, it can be a pricey sport on a casual basis.

For those who get hooked on the white powder, invest in the gear they need, and the “lifetime”’ passes, it’s no more expensive than many other active pastimes. It’s worth noting that those who are likely to pay the most for the failure of the business are those who bought season passes.

More money has been sunk into one-off events like the America’s Cup, for similar commercial reasons, so it is a financial no-brainer, although the long-term effect of climate change remains a worrying wild card.

Nothing will boost efforts and enthusiasm for a sustainable solution more than a big, early dumping of snow and a successful 2023 season. Although it’s frustrating to see a ready-made solution to the issue fall over at the last hurdle, it is important to take the time to find the best model for future ownership.

I suspect there would be considerably less enthusiasm for another bail-out in the foreseeable future.

The uncertainty surrounding the fields could have an impact on the bottom line this winter but let’s hope, if we do get a cracker of a season, that people will turn out in droves, to prove once again that Turoa and Whakapapa hold an important place in the culture of the North Island.