Skifield manager impressed with French ski resorts

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 1, Issue 45, 1 May 1984, Page 3

Skifield manager impressed with French ski resorts

J^Tony Wright, general ^Bmnager of AHI Turoa Skifields returned to Ohakune last week after a month in France. Mr Wright was in France at the invitation of a department of the Frech Government along with 20 other senior skifield person-

nel from other parts of the world. The group spent most of the month visiting selected French ski resorts looking at French-made skifield equipment. "We were all astounded at the vast size of French skifields" said Mr Wright

"They're huge. Even the Americans were impressed." Equipment viewed by the group was very technologically advanced. A lot of this development was attributable to the fact that much of the equipment on skifields in France was owned by local municipalities but operated by commercial interests. The financial and borrowing strengths of municipalities meant that operators had much shorter payback periods. "We looked at equipment as simple as a single person poma right up to aerial tramways carrying 1 80 people in one tram car" said Mr Wright. There are advanced ideas in snowmaking and skifield maintenance through to snow shifting — sometimes several kilometres through hoses. "I was positively pleased to have gone on the trip" said Tony Wright "I saw equipment in action which influenced my views on future planning for Turoa Skifield."