Rocky Mountain region sees 3rd best ski season; US industry reports 2nd best season
DENVER (KDVR) — This year's ski season was good — really good, according to the National Ski Areas Association, which said about 61.5 million skiers visited U.S. areas this winter.
That means the 2024-25 ski season had the second-most visits on record to U.S. ski areas. The 2022-23 season remains the most attended in recorded history, with just under 65.4 million skier visits recorded in the U.S. The association noted that this number is 'widely considered an anomaly across the travel and recreation industries,' spurred by a post-COVID-19 surge.
FOX31 Weather: View the latest Denver forecasts, maps and radar
The NSAA counts skier visits as each time a lift ticket or pass is used at a ski area, and the currently released numbers are preliminary, as several ski areas extended their seasons after the release was published on May 12. That includes Arapahoe Basin, which has set its closing day for June 8.
However, the association found that this previous ski season had 1.7% more visits than the previous season.
'Several years ago, we set an ambitious goal of reaching a three-year rolling average of 60 million skier visits. We've now surpassed that benchmark for four consecutive seasons,' said NSAA President and CEO Michael Reitzell in the group's announcement of the visit numbers. 'While weather will always be unpredictable, this year was less volatile overall, and nearly every region saw solid snowfall.'
The group noted that more ski areas were operating this year, up to 492 from 484.
'The 2024-25 season may come to represent a new baseline for the industry. Even if 'normal' continues to evolve, this season gives us a strong point of reference for what steady, healthy growth looks like,' Reitzell added in the announcement.'
NSAA said that the Rocky Mountain region, which includes New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, accounted for nearly 43% of all ski visits nationwide during the 2024-25 ski season, and ranked third out of the 47 seasons on record.
However, the Pacific Northwest recorded its best season on record: 4.7 million visits, which represents a 10.9% increase over the 2023-24 season.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NBA rumors: Suns' Kevin Durant trade desires could hint at Karl-Anthony Towns
The post NBA rumors: Suns' Kevin Durant trade desires could hint at Karl-Anthony Towns appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Phoenix Suns are working on finding a Kevin Durant trade this summer after a disastrous 2024-25 season resulted in the departure of head coach Mike Budenholzer and a need to shake things up. As the Suns try to retool their roster in what's expected to be a post-Durant world, Matt Moore reports on his Hardwood Paroxysm Substack that they 'have indicated to teams that center is at a premium for them in any KD talks.' Advertisement While Moore notes there's still a chance Durant sticks around, he says fixing the center 'disaster' left behind when Deandre Ayton left is a major priority. This echoes recent reporting from The Stein Line's Jake Fischer, who said upgrading at center is a priority regardless of a Durant trade. Is Karl-Anthony Towns an option? Knowing Phoenix wants to upgrade at center, the mind immediately wanders to New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns. In the aftermath of the Knicks' Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Indiana Pacers, the KAT trade chatter began immediately. While Towns and Jalen Brunson just led New York to its first ECF appearance since 2000, many have questions about if those two can actually win a championship together due to their defensive shortcomings. Bill Simmons opined on a KD-KAT trade earlier this week, citing Towns' close friendship with Devin Booker as a reason for the Suns to pursue the option. KAT and Book played together at Kentucky, nearly pulling off an undefeated season before losing to Wisconsin in the Final Four. If Phoenix truly has no interest in rebuilding, giving Booker a star running mate with whom he has a good relationship makes some sense, even considering Towns' flaws. Advertisement For the Knicks, this would be a drastic move given Towns is so much younger than KD and did just help get this team two wins short of the NBA Finals. Perhaps the thought is this run was a fluke and New York just needs to get out of the KAT business, which is essentially what Simmons argues. Durant isn't what he once was, but he's still a high-level scorer who could take pressure off Brunson, and Mitchell Robinson could potentially be the starting center. (Whether Robinson could hold up without getting hurt is another question, and that goes for KD as well.) The Suns will surely consider all options when it comes to a Kevin Durant trade. If the Knicks are actually serious about trading Karl-Anthony Towns, maybe we see some fireworks.
Fox Sports
40 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
IPL finally delivers for King Kohli after overcoming a conflict and ushering in a teenage star
Associated Press AHMEDABAD, India (AP) — Virat Kohli shed tears. Of joy. At last. Cricket's biggest star, known as 'King Kohli' by his 300 million-plus followers on social media, was there in the infancy of the Indian Premier League in 2008 and had to wait 18 seasons to clinch the title with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. After the six-wicket win over Punjab Kings on Tuesday night to end a dramatic, disrupted season for the world's richest franchise cricket league, Kohli slumped to his knees and cried. He retired from test cricket during the season, leaving his focus on the Twenty20 format at the IPL. 'I have given everything to this franchise for the last 18 years," the 36-year-old star batter said. 'I never thought this moment would come.' Young star emerges The 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi became an instant hit and set all kinds of records when he made his century. With some of India's biggest stars nearing retirement, he's being touted as the next big thing. A final scene Narendra Modi Stadium was decked in India's national colors while players from Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings went about their pre-match rituals. Both teams went into the decider aiming to win their first IPL title. Fighter jets roared across the evening sky, leaving tricolor vapor lingering. Later, the closing ceremony was a celebration of India's armed forces. This final — on a weekday — was originally scheduled for May 25, and meant to be played in Kolkata. But the league was suspended for a week because of the cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan. In the past, the IPL has moved to South Africa and the United Arab Emirates because of national elections or restrictions imposed to during the COVID-19 pandemic. The suspension due to a border conflict was unprecedented. Border conflict The Punjab Kings-Delhi Capitals game on May 8 was abandoned midway, and squads and broadcast crew traveled by train from Dharamsala to Delhi. Foreign players and their families flew out immediately for their safety. IPL is the biggest money spinner in cricket – one of the biggest properties in world sport – and the major stakeholders were determined for the show to go on. IPL's resumption was never in question once the cross-border tensions eased. The new schedule was drawn up — six venues were short-listed and the final moved from Kolkata to Ahmedabad. Perhaps the biggest takeaway was the swift return of most of the contracted foreign players, especially for teams still in knockout contention. In some situations, where replacements were sought, the Board of Control for Cricket in India allowed teams to hire players short-term. Sri Lanka's Kusal Mendis, for example, got out of his PSL contract with Quetta Gladiators and signed up with Gujarat Titans for the remainder of the season. The big knocks While the league suspension will go down in history, the season will be memorable for some scintillating cricket — 200-plus totals were posted a record 52 times in 74 matches this season. The previous best was 41 in IPL 2024. Additionally, 200-plus was chased down on nine occasions. 2024 runners-up Sunrisers Hyderabad, who finished sixth this season scored the season's highest against Rajasthan Royals — 286-6. It also posted the highest successful run-chase, scoring 247-2 in reply to Punjab's 245-6. Bengaluru, which arguably boasts of the most passionate supporters in the IPL, winning its maiden IPL title was perhaps a marker of how well the season reemerged after the forced suspension. What's next for India? During the break, Indian cricket also took a giant leap toward its future. Stalwarts Kohli and Rohit Sharma had walked away from test cricket within six days even as the Indian selectors looked ahead to the tour of England which begins this month. Shubman Gill is the new test skipper and will lead India into a whole new era. Sai Sudharsan, the highest run-getter of IPL 2025 with 759 runs in 15 games, has also been picked in India's test squad for England. ___ AP cricket: recommended in this topic
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Construction to begin at Carter Lake reservoir
DENVER (KDVR) — Carter Lake reservoir is getting ready to undergo some upgrades. The 1,100-acre reservoir located in the foothills northwest of Berthoud and southwest of Loveland is on the verge of a multi-year construction project. The Larimer County Department of Natural Resources said on Tuesday that preliminary staging work is being initiated at the reservoir, in preparation for a project the agency says is aimed at improving roads and enhancing visitor access at both Carter Lake and Horsetooth reservoirs. National Western Center to begin expansion on equestrian center, hotel The construction project — which will have multiple phases — is being partially funded by the Colorado Federal Lands Access Program, according to the LCDNR. Mobilization activities at Carter Lake will include site surveying, staging construction equipment and materials and implementing stormwater mitigation measures, the LCDNR said. Specific project areas set to undergo construction at Carter Lake include: Eagle Campground main access road and parking lot repaving County Road 31 turn lane expansion Quarry Day Use parking lot construction Big Thompson Day Use Area parking lot construction North Pines Campground main access road and parking lot repaving Carter Lake and Horsetooth are the two largest and most visited reservoirs in Larimer County, according to the LCDNR, which said the two also rank in the top 10 in Colorado, attracting more than 1.5 million visitors each year. Free on Your TV • New FOX31+ App for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV Visitors to Carter Lake are asked to follow posted safety protocols while construction is ongoing. Residents who would like more information about the project and to receive regular updates can visit the project website. Construction at Carter Lake is expected to be completed by early 2026. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
