Snow fun goes off with a bang

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 538, 6 September 1994, Page 1

Snow fun goes off with a bang

The best evening ever, after the busiest 1994 day was how marketing manager Scott Lee described Saturday at Whakapapa. He said 6500 people visited the field during the day to enjoy the perfect snow and weather conditions. After the sun went down, about 3000 people enjoyed the 'best ever' Coca Cola fireworks display at the bottom of the Centennial Chairlift. $6000 worth of fireworks were let off. The Coca Cola fire engine was there giving away drinks, two barbecues were going, free sparklers were handed around, all adding to the atmosphere.

Afterwards comedian and magician Nick Nicholas entertained in Lorenze' s Cafe & Bar, and Willie Hona and the Wicked Edge sound system entertained in Happy Valley. Sunday the field opened late, with high winds dogging the field all day causing lifts to be shut down at times. About 2500 people visited the field. Turoa had a record number of Yeti Club members — more than 1 oo — help the 'ageless' Y eti celebrate his birthday on Sunday at the Snowflake Cafe. The turn-out reflected the increasing numbers joining the Yeti Club, said Rob Jewell of Turoa Ski Resort. Saturday saw about 4000 people on the Turoa field with excellent snow and weather. About 3000 people visited Sunday, with good conditions in the morning and white-out conditions in the afternoon. Because of the conditions the Father's Day race was cancelled. Ski patrol staff geared up for a search late in the afternoon when four skiers were reported missing. However with a break in the weather, the four managed to 're-orientate' themselves and walked out of the Organ Pipes area to the skifield base. The Whakapapa Coca Cola holiday activities continue this week (see the Ruapehu Snow Builetin) and Turoa has the Tip Top Ski FM Treasure Hunt on Wednesday , 1 pm at the top of the Park Lane chair, and the Subaru Family Weekend, where Subaru drivers get discount vouchers and go into a draw for prizes. Bumper season for Turoa ski resort Bumper snowfalls throughout the season and great weather for the August School Holidays have both combined to produce a superb season so far for Turoa Ski Resort, says market-^^^r ing manager, Joanna Savage. +■ "The snow base is similar to that experienced^^^V \ A in 1992 when Turoa had the biggest snowfalls since they opened back in 1978." ope Turoa celebrated their 100,000th^^^>T\M^ skier visiting the mountain for Turn to Page 2

Bumper Ri onch ■ nucfx#nu ski season FROMPAGE1 the 1994 Season on Saturday. Julie Gilbert of Auckland was presented with a bottle of Mumm Champagne and a complimentary ski pass and lesson for being the 100,000th skier to visit Turoa this season. Julie was at Turoa with her two children, Matthew and Nicholas, who were taking part in the Diet Pepsi Junior Race Series. "It was a perfect day to celebrateour 1 00,000th customer of the year - we had beautiful blue skies with great top to bottom skiing," said Miss Savage. Spring skiing "We're going into the best time of the year for skiing at Turoa. Turoa' s south westerly aspect means the snow keeps cool and stays in great condition right through the long sunny Spring days and September is generally the most settled weather of the season." Turoa' s season ends on 24 October.