By Kate Bartlett
With ski season upon us, we’re fortunate to have one of the areas top ski resort destinations at the heart of Ellicottville. Skiers and snowboarders travel from Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Ontario to hit the slopes with family and friends. Let’s take a look at what makes this snowbird’s paradise so unique.
Dash Hegeman is the Marketing Director with Holiday Valley has had fun sliding on the snow since he was two and a half years old. “I grew up here on the slopes of Holiday Valley. This is such an incredible place, especially in the winter. It’s really an honor for me to be able to help spread the word about all the fantastic things that take place here and the awesome team of people that make it all happen.”
Marketing Director with
Holiday Valley.
Holiday Valley has a deep-rooted foundation of doing everything possible to help people have fun in the winter. “Seeing people come back to the resort, excited to hit the slopes, or about to introduce a friend or loved one to skiing or riding, that’s the stuff that I enjoy seeing. There are so many people in this area who define themselves as skiers and snowboarders, that it makes the start of the season a very special time of year because so many of us (myself included) wait all year for winter to come back to WNY so that we can feel that thrill of sliding on snow again.”
While every season is unique, Holiday Valley consistently feels the excitement and enthusiasm when guests hit the slopes. “It’s awesome to see,” says Dash. “Personally, I’d love to see everyone to feel that way about winter. The Snowmaking Team is out there, working very hard to get more terrain open as quickly as possible so that we can continue to build on that excitement level.”
“The people at Holiday Valley make us who we are. There are people who’ve been working here for decades. There are guests who have been coming here with their families for generations. Holiday Valley is a special place to so many people. People get married here in the summer. They vacation here year-round. They use sick days at work when we get an unexpected 10” of lake effect snow on a random Wednesday so that they can be first in line at the lift and get first tracks. And yes, that stuff happens at other resorts but here at Holiday Valley it’s so noticeable throughout the entire resort. The energy level, especially as we start the season, is just so high that it makes you excited to be a part of it.
From an industry standpoint, Holiday Valley is unique because of its continued commitment to reinvesting back into the resort and the guest experience. It’s something that not every resort is able to do and it’s fantastic that Holiday Valley has such a long history of doing this. It has resulted in the resort getting high rankings in the SKI Magazine Readers Resort Survey. This season Holiday Valley was ranked #6 in the east by SKI readers, which for a resort the size of Holiday Valley, is a tremendous accomplishment that everyone here is very proud of.
Dash encourages readers to come out and try skiing or snowboarding. “Our Snowsports Team is here for you and highly trained to help you get comfortable sliding on snow. Additionally, if you’ve been skiing or riding for a while, there’s always more to learn and the Snowsports Team can help you take your skills to the next level.”
For more information, trail conditions and to purchase passes, visit https://www.holidayvalley.com/winter/winter/ call (716) 699-2345 email info@holidayvalley.com and follow on social media for updates.