Sunday River invests $1M in snow-making guns

NEWRY — Adding to one of the largest snow-making systems in New England, Sunday River announced Monday it would invest another $1 million in new snow guns this year.

Touting its commitment to snow-making, a press kit the resort issued this week included a pair of "Snowball's" — rubberized dog toys that look like snowballs and are made by the Portland-based Planet Dog.

"Last winter happened," read a card accompanying the snowballs. Despite a dismal year for natural snow the resort said it had its "second best financial year ever," in 2011-2012.

"We've built an unmatched snow-making arsenal that we're not afraid to use to its fullest potential," the release stated.

Since 2007, Sunday River's parent company, Boyne Resorts, which also operates Sugarloaf in Carrabassett Valley, has invested more than $40 million at its two Maine resorts, mainly in new ski lifts and snow-making.

At Sunday River the commitment to not only have an immense snow-making system but a willingness to use it has paid off, said Dana Bullen, the resort's president and general manager.

“Snow-making is certainly the difference between a bad season and a good season, which is exactly what we saw last winter,” Bullen said. “Anyone can make snow. Last year’s success came down to us choosing to make snow when other resorts couldn’t or wouldn’t.”

Average natural snowfall was off by 65 inches — from 165 to just over 100 inches — Bullen said.

"Snow-making is an essential part of our DNA," Darcy Morse, the resort's director of communication, said Tuesday.

Maine's three largest ski areas — Sugarloaf, Sunday River and Saddleback — all made late-spring snow-making pushes firing up their systems to make snow in late March.

But Sunday River was able to pick up extra business from resorts in Vermont that were unable to stay open after heavy rains from a hurricane struck that state. The resort also served as a substitute training and competition resort for a large number of high school, college and other alpine racers.

Adding 300 new, highly-efficient snow guns, to the resorts most popular trails will also save energy allowing the resort to make more snow with less compressed air, which means lower electricity costs. Investments in more efficient snow-making also allowed both Sunday River and Sugarloaf to qualify for Efficiency Maine grants of $300,000 each, according to Morse.

Sunday River, like all ski resorts in Maine, is hoping for a better natural snow year in 2012-13, Morse said, but if that doesn't happen they will be even better prepared to combat that.

For the last five years, Sunday River has opened for Halloween, the earliest of any resort in New England and is looking to do that again this year, Morse said.

"We're always optimistic, " Morse said. " Our reputation for making snow and having a dependable product precedes us. Last year was a definite and clear illustration that we can do it and we will do it again and of course, we hope Mother Nature visits us more often this year as well."