There are good years and there are bad years and they understand that. And those challenges have changed significantly in the past half decade. They gain their own comfort not so much by counting snowflakes but by checking in on the company's finances every month. Thirty years ago, the Colorado ski business was about gutsy visionaries with names like Ralph Walton, Chuck Lewis, Ron Allred, and Harry Frampton. As the need for capital increased faster than Orcutt could keep up, the ski areas went public and now skiing is big business, with a focus on shareholders expecting hefty returns instead of snow riders expecting a floaty turn.
Nothing lights a fire more than rancorous shareholders.
Wall Street pressure is what's behind the industry's almost frenzied drive to increase skiing, says Orcutt. Push to keep growing So, Salem says, look for more affordable programs targeting never-ever snow riders. Look for more real estate development and more cheap season pass deals in the spring to help iron out seasonal fluctuations in cash flow. And look for resorts to start paying more attention to summertime, golf-oriented projects. And look for Orcutt and Salem to be watching it all very closely.