Hotham Alpine Resort’s 2009 snow season came to a wintery close on Sunday with a over half a metre of fresh snow falling over the closing weekend.
As Hotham’s lovable mascot Harry the Snowdragon performed his final act for the season, skiers and boarders made the most of the fresh powder and the Grand Final weekend half price lift tickets (for those wearing AFL jerseys) by taking to the slopes for one last time this year.
The snow storm marked the end to an eventful 2009 season which saw good visitation levels through most of the season. “It was pleasing to see so many Australians choosing to take their snow holidays at home this year. We managed to overcome challenging weather conditions and a tough economic climate to provide a good product and strong levels of guest satisfaction”, said Belinda Trembath, General Manager, Hotham Skiing Company.
To top off the unique winter experience Hotham Alpine Resort offered, visitors this season enjoyed a comprehensive calendar of events and entertainment, both on and off the slopes. Activities included international ski racing events, après evenings, fireworks, sunset tours, the world’s best athletes competing on the skier and boardercross track, kids snowmobiling, winter dogsledding, regular performances from Harry the Snowdragon, new terrain park events and features, snowsports programs and camps, grooming tours, spectacular views of Mt Feathertop, day spa winter packages, guided snowshoe tours, Olympic biathletes, and much more. There was something for everyone at Hotham whether it was skiing or riding… or simply relaxing in the alpine air and enjoying the Australian Alps National Park.
Hotham’s 2009 snow season facts and figures include:
• Hotham received well over 3 metres of fresh snowfall during the season
• Average natural snowdepth was 96cm during peak season
• Hotham’s state of the art snowmaking system topped up Mother Nature with enough snow to cover the MCG 10m deep in snow!
• Over 5000 hours of snow grooming was undertaken to create the perfect “corduroy”
• Hotham hosted 69 events including national and international ski races and the exciting 10 part ‘A La Carte in the Park’ series (rail jams, big air comp, slopestyle and banked slalom events)
• More than 50,000 guests took part in a Hotham Snowsports School lesson
So for now, it’s time to hang up the skis or board for summer and the team at Hotham look forward to seeing you on the slopes in 2010! For information on summer events at Hotham and Dinner Plain go to hotham.com.au.
