TUROA SKI REPORT

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 1, Issue 43, 17 April 1984, Page 5

TUROA SKI REPORT

The management and staff at Turoa have been busy over the summer period, tidying up after the disappointing 1983 season, and preparing the skifield for the 1984 season. 1983 was a good season to find out the weakpoints in our operation. As a result the team of mountain staff have been engaged in further extending the . snow fencing on the mountain area to ensure areas that last season lost snow early or failed to retain it in sufficient quantity, will be covered this season. The Wintergarden beginners area at the top of the Parklane Chairlift has had another 150m of snowfencing prepared along the lift track to assist the snow coverage in this area. The new Jumbo T-bar which was installed in 1983 will see 30m of snow fence placed around the bottom drive station and 400m of fence placed along the uphill track. The effectiveness of these fences has been • well proven overseas and over the past five years at Turoa. Acting as baffles the snow fences cause snow-carrying •ld to slow down and, as a ult, the snow is deposited on the leeward side of the fence, creating a small warehouse Which can be cleared as required by the snow-cats, or simply left to fill in gullies or troughs on the trails and lift tracks. This passive form of snow maintenance has enabled Turoa

to extend the life of several of the main trails, and has been responsible for the earlier opening of ski season. Novice and beginner skiers will once again be able to enjoy the man-made snow on the Valley rope tow. Since 1979 Turoa has experimented with snow making on our lower slopes, with the result that the Valley rope tow has been able to be skied upon, whilst the immediate environs remain bare of snow. The Parklane chairlift (1st chair) will be sporting a new motor for the coming season. The summer maintenance programme has seen the Giant chairlift motor checked and overhauled, but it was felt that the faithful Deutsch motor in the Parklane lift be replaced entirely. Considering the conditions that these motors operate in, the hours of service they provide, and the work expected from them, they really do give an excellent service. The work was undertaken by Loadlift Equipment (part of the Ceramco Group) and once again. should provide Turoa with trouble-free lift operation " in 1984. Skiers will notice the big new information board, situated in the base area complex, overlooking the carpark. Built to withstand the worst conditions, the information board'' will ensure questions can be quickly and easily answered. Mountain Road The Ohakune Mountain Road has had further tarsealing done over summer, and as a result only 4(4 km of road remains unsealed. Each year additional seal is laid and it is hoped that a gravel-free road will provide pleasant access to Turoa within the near future. To assist with any problems on the road the skifield engineers and maintenance staff have fitted a new snow blade and grit spreader onto an exArmy RL Bedford 4WD truck, which will be capable of both clearing excess snow and laying grit on the road when icy.

Ski Academies The Turoa Ski Academy is providing an extended programme for 1984. The 5-day mid-week ski programme provides a course of intense ski instruction within the camaraderie of a small group situation, under the professional direction of an instructor who remains with the group for the duration. Junior Ski Camps, Adult Ski Academies, Recreational Raoe Camps and, during the August school holidays, special HalfDay Ski Academies will be available. Ski School Director John Ball and his team of instructors are once again running these ski academies, unique to New Zealand and endemic to Turoa. The success of these Academies can be measured in the rate of returning pupils each year. For 1 984 there will be an Academy each week from July through to mid-October. The emphasis over the 1983/84 summer has been to fine-tune the whole operation, iron out small niggling problems and improve the efficiency of the skifield so that in 1984 we are better able to provide each skier who visits Turoa with an optimum skiing eXperience.