Fickle weather just one challenge at Shawnee Peak
Photo / Tim Greenway
Chet Homer, owner of Shawnee Peak, says ski resorts combat compressed seasons by making more of their own snow. Even that has become a more efficient process.
Chet Homer, who bought Shawnee Peak in 1994, has annually invested in the latest snow-making and on-hill technologies and services, created a ski program for schools and recreational organizations and donated substantially to charity.
Shawnee Peak, which was established in 1938 and is Maine's third-largest ski area, has 220 acres and more than 40 trails plus, with snowmaking equipment to cover most of it. The Bridgton resort sees 120,000 to 140,000 skiers per year. Over the past two seasons, upgrades include improvements to the base lodge, a new triple chairlift and the addition off 70 low-energy tower guns and four fan guns.
This is a business where the environment is a major player. Unseasonably warm weather has been an issue this season. Mainebiz caught up with Homer on a January day that was encouragingly chilly. Below is an edited transcript.
Mainebiz: Do you view global warming as a potential problem for ski areas?
Chet Homer: The extremes are more extreme. We had one of our poorest Decembers, but the amount of terrain we had open was better than our competitors. But if it's 70 degrees on Christmas day, you don't think about skiing. I don't see ski areas opening in October, as they used to. I see the season compressing. But this past Martin Luther King Jr. day was one of our better ones and helped us recoup some of shortfall from December. Skiing isn't going away in Maine. It's a huge driver in the winter economy.
MB: What's the latest in technology?
CH: We were first in the state to use high-efficiency snow guns and one of the first in the country to use both portable air for snowmaking and a loading conveyor system for our chairlift — innovations that have become standard practice in the industry. Making snow uses a combination of water plus air compressors. When we first purchased the mountain, it came with very inefficient snowmaking guns that used four to five times more compressed air than we now use. Back then, a gun would use 500 cubic feet per minute of air. Now we use 100 CFM or less. That's allowed us to run a hundred guns on a good night, versus maybe 30. That means getting more snow in a shorter period of time. On a good night, we'll have 100 snow guns and eight fan guns going, pumping 3,500 gallons of water per minute. Fan guns have onboard, rather than external, compressors. They're efficient and have a much farther throw for open areas and wide trails.
MB: How did you get into the business?
CH: I wanted to be my own boss. It seemed like a fun business. I'm a sports guy, and this is outdoor recreation. It's not without stress, but after 22 years, I take the good with the bad. This is the latest we're having to make so much snow since I've owned it. Here it is, almost February and we're still trying to open up a couple of trails. But we have good reputation and people come back every year.
MB: You've raised a lot of money for charity. Why is giving important to you?
CH: I feel lucky that I'm in this position to offer help to these young families and their kids. It's something I've always felt is important. The first year we helped the Jimmy Fund in Boston. We started the Moonlight Charity Challenge our second winter. Last Friday, our Charity Challenge raised over $52,000 for the Maine Children's Cancer Program. Over the last 20 years we raised almost $750,000 for various charities. I take personal pride in having a big charity fundraiser every year. And we have an adaptive program that grows every year, where all the kids in the western lakes region basically ski for free.
MB: Do you ever get a chance to ski?
CH: I usually ski every weekend, in the morning to check out the trails. Then I go park cars or hand out candy at the lifts, so I can get to know our customers better.
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