While some Iowa motorists and sidewalk shovelers may be cussing the snowfall, those who love winter sports are celebrating the brisk temperatures and the new blanket of flakes.
Mark Gordon, general manager of Sundown Mountain Resort in Dubuque, tells KCRG-TV they had an excellent first weekend of the ski season.
“It’s a fabulous opening day,” Gordon says. “We had a great time yesterday, and last night, the snow makers were able to open up a whole new set of runs, so we have even more people here today to check out the snow.”
Gordon says the resort had a very high turnout, with hundreds of people going skiing and snowboarding.
“People that ski tend to be a little more optimistic, and skiing makes you feel good,” Gordon says. “It’s a lot like in a weird way, flying. You’re going down at sometimes 40 or 50 miles an hour, and you know you feel good.”
Skiier Katlyn Fogg tells KCRG-TV that she was thrilled to be there for the premiere of another season of winter sports.
“We’ve been talking about skiing all year,” Fogg says. “We were so excited about it, so we were ready for opening weekend. We were excited it was this soon.”
Steele Schmitz was in Dubuque for the snowboarding. “I’ve been here for the past three years,” Schmitz says. “I went with my friend and it’s just a great experience to come out here and snowboard during the winter, since there’s not much to do in Iowa.”
The resort’s general manager says the cold weather is good news for the entire rest of the season, as it helps Sundown to stock up on snow, so they can stay open during warmer spells.