Is summer skiing coming?
A hi-tech snow factory could extend the ski season but summer skiing at Queenstown’s Coronet Peak? That might be a step too far, says NZSki chief executive Paul Anderson.
NZSki has applied to the Department of Conservation to install a ‘‘snow factory’’ at some point in future.
The snow factory is new kit developed in Italy that costs between $1 million and $2m. It works by taking in water and chilling it to produce ice. It is then shredded and blown through a tube, Anderson said.
‘‘You create large piles then groom it to create a piste. Then the ice can be tilled to make it fluffier and lighter.’’ The machine was unlikely to be seen on the mountain any time soon because it had a lead time of about a year to manufacture and had not even been ordered, Anderson said.
Under the Conservation Act, NZSki is required to apply for a concession for all activities on the mountain and because the concessions were long-term it had ‘‘scratched its head’’ on the extent of the activities it might offer in the future.
The technology would enable operators to produce snow at any temperature, whereas traditional snow machines could operate only at below 0 degrees Celsius.
‘‘If we had a machine at Coronet Peak we could guarantee opening at Queen’s Birthday Weekend, which could be a great game-changer both for us at Coronet Peak and for Queenstown. ‘‘That is why we have put the snow factory in there,’’ Anderson said.
The Whakapapa skifield at Mt Ruapehu already had one and used it to get its Happy Valley operating in the early season, Anderson said.
In the event of a future purchase, the snow factory was more likely to be used to cover a learner’s slope or guarantee early skiing. It was ‘‘entirely possible’’ to produce a sledding or learners’ slope in summer but there were no immediate plans to do so, he said. NZSki first needed to determine if there was demand. It was launching a new range of summer activities at Coronet Peak, including mountain biking.
‘‘We’ll read the tea leaves and see what customers are saying.’’