The chairlifts were running and the hills were open on Friday, marking the 50th anniversary of Mount St. Louis Moonstone.
“Mother Nature has blessed us with some light flakes falling from the sky and this fresh powder is phenomenal on top of the manmade snow and there are so many people that have come from all over to enjoy it,” says Sarah Huter, Dir. of Marketing and Promotions for Mount St. Louis Moonstone.
Opened in December of 1965, Mount St. Louis Moonstone remains one only a handful of family owned ski resorts in Canada and this season the resort will offer night skiing.
Snow school director Jim Morris says skiing has enjoyed a bit of resurgence in recent years, with more young people opting for it instead of snowboarding.
“The learning curve of snowboarding may not be a quick as the sliding of skis, the longevity, some of the people who enjoy snowboarding aren’t so keen in going into the park and doing that stuff,” says Morris.
Morris has been in the industry since the 1970’s and says a big change happened with the introduction of the ‘snow park’, another reason why resorts are seeing a spike in skiing.
While skiing is making a comeback, snowboarding isn’t going away any time soon. Just ask Todd Spalding and his four-year-old son Wyatt.
“Snowboarding is our favourite, it’s like surfing, it’s like skateboarding, it’s like wakeboarding, it’s just something we like to do, we’re into board sports.”
In honour of its 50th anniversary, Mount St. Louis Moonstone is offering a special ticket price on December 19th. Along with a donation to the food bank a lift ticket will cost $4.50, the same price of a ticket back in 1964.
