How do you guarantee an early October opening as a ski resort? You need to ensure good temperatures, ensure enough staff, and, of course, ensure there’s enough snow, right? You can ensure there’s enough snow with snow guns, sure, but why not just stash away a ton of snow in the spring and bring it back out in the fall. It sounds crazy, but Kläppen resort actually did it, and they’re going to be celebrating the benefits in just a few days.
Kläppen, located in Salen, Sweden, will be opening a section of its parks Thursday through Sunday beginning October 5. Natural snow? No. Snow making snow? No. Massive snow pile stored under a large tarp? YES! In fact, according to their website, Kläppen ensures a solid base of snow throughout the season, no matter how much snow is actually falling from the sky, all thanks to their extensive snow making and snow storage system.
“On the rail side, there is currently a massive snow pile covered with tarps containing several thousand cubic meters of snow from the previous season. This will be excavated and transformed into a rail park of Kläppen Snowpark standards.“
Why are they seeking these early openings? According to their own website, it’s in hopes that they’ll be able to push the freeski and snowboard scene in both Sweden and Northern Europe, creating a place where people can begin training in the park much earlier than in a lot of other locations. Monday through Wednesday, the park is reserved for the National Team. Thursday through Sunday, it’s open to the public.
“We want to push the park scene in Sweden and northern Europe, providing the Swedish national Freeski & Snowboard team with the best conditions. We achieve this by opening Kläppen Snowpark as early as possible, long before the winter season begins.”
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