By Evan Johnson
KILLINGTON—Vermont ski and snowboard resorts have joined together to support the hosting of the Women’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup at Killington Resort. In spring 2017 the Vermont Ski Areas Association (VSAA) board of directors agreed to sponsor the Killington Resort-based event with a $50,000 sponsorship contribution.
“The Vermont ski industry is a unique one, where competing interests can be put aside to support common goals for the state of Vermont and our ski industry as a whole given the world stage exposure this event generates,” said VSAA President Parker Riehle in a press release. “We are proud to show a united front and welcome racers and visitors to the state together. … Given the enormous benefit of global coverage and attention this event brings to Vermont as the top Eastern ski destination in North America, it was a very welcome proposal.”
Last November’s races in Killington marked the first World Cup in the eastern U.S. since 1991 at Waterville Valley, N.H., and the first in Vermont in nearly 40 years,
Killington Resort President and General Manager Mike Solimano said the race raised the profile of skiing in the East and at Killington, but was an expensive endeavor. Last year’s race came to a net cost of $1.2 million, Solimano said at the summer kickoff event in April. The resort and its parent company, Powdr Corp., have been working on ways to make the event more sustainable for the future.
One of those ways is local support. On Town Meeting Day, Killington residents approved a town budget that included $100,000 to help cover hospitality costs associated with the race. Should the race not take place, it will remain in the town’s general fund.
Pending FIS approval, the next World Cup at Killington would take place Nov. 25-26.
