Strong Early-Season Conditions Fuel Record Holiday Performance, Bring FIS Freestyle World Cup Back to New Hampshire
Melody Nester, Ski New Hampshire
Conway, NH — Ski areas across New Hampshire reported a highly successful 2025 holiday period, fueled by early-season snowfall and cold temperatures perfect for snowmaking, according to Ski New Hampshire, a trade association representing more than 30 New Hampshire ski areas.
“Conditions were generally great leading into the holidays, thanks to Mother Nature delivering consistently cold weather and several snow events,” said Jessyca Keeler, president of Ski New Hampshire. “In many cases, resorts opened earlier and with more terrain than initially planned, which required some swift operational adjustments. Nonetheless, snowmaking and grooming teams were consistently highlighted by our members as key contributors to success, as they were able to rise to the occasion and capitalize on existing conditions. And despite a couple of ice and rain events over the last month, they were also able to maintain terrain availability and deliver a high-quality guest experience. Guests responded to this, and as a result our ski areas saw broad-based gains in both visitation and revenue compared to last year, with several locations posting double-digit growth and setting new holiday benchmarks.”
Performance gains were seen across nearly all resort departments, with snowsports schools, food and beverage, and retail emerging as standout performers. The early snow also enabled many Nordic areas to open earlier than in previous years. Waterville Valley Resort reported that Nordic sales were one of their biggest standouts.
Tubing operations also delivered gains at locations including Great Glen Trails, King Pine, and McIntyre Ski Area, as well as at Cranmore Mountain Resort, where the introduction of nighttime Arctic Lights tubing helped drive increased visitation. At Crotched Mountain, Midnight Madness kicked off on Dec. 27 with record-breaking attendance under their all-new energy-efficient directional LED lights.
Several resorts also cited special events as holiday bright spots, including the New Year’s Eve Bash at Mount Sunapee and Loon Mountain Resort’s sold-out New Year’s Eve celebration. Also on New Year’s Eve, Attitash Mountain was able to offer the terrain required to host the Stan and Dan race on Spillway, marking the event’s return on New Year’s Eve for the first time in seven years.
This premier event will bring the world’s top freestyle athletes (including Granite Stater Kasey Hogg from Kensington) to New Hampshire for one of the most important competitions of the season, serving as the final World Cup stop before the 2026 Winter Games. Favorable weather conditions in the Granite State are enabling even bigger events to make a comeback. U.S. Ski & Snowboard recently announced a venue change for two FIS Freestyle World Cup events in Park City, Utah, due to warm weather and insufficient snowpack there, and confirmed that The Intermountain Health Freestyle Cup presented by Stifel will be coming to Waterville Valley Resort on January 15–16, 2026.
“We have tremendous respect for Deer Valley and the incredible work they do hosting world-class events. Snow conditions are unpredictable and are something every resort understands. We appreciate the immense effort they put into their mountain. We’re honored to step in and proud that Waterville Valley can rise to the occasion. Hosting an event of this scale on a compressed timeline is no small task, but our staff, partners, and community are fully committed and excited to come together quickly to deliver an exceptional experience for athletes, fans, and organizers alike,” said Tim Smith, President and General Manager of Waterville Valley Resort.
With just a few weeks to go, Waterville’s mountain operations, snowmaking, grooming, and event teams are going all-hands-on-deck to prepare the venue and deliver a world-class competition worthy of the sport’s elite athletes. This year marks the third consecutive time Waterville Valley has hosted the Freestyle Cup on Lower Bobby’s Run. “As the birthplace of freestyle skiing, there is no better place to honor the sport’s legacy than here in the Valley,” said Smith.
Admission to the Intermountain Health Freestyle Cup is free, and Waterville Valley Resort is making it even easier for spectators to take part in the excitement with specially priced lift access throughout the event. Foot Passenger Lift Tickets on the Valley Run Quad are available for just $20 per day, offering convenient uphill and downhill access to the competition venue. For guests looking to experience the entire mountain, Full Mountain Lift Tickets are only $26 per day, providing access to all open lifts via skis or snowboard—an exceptional value representing an 80% savings off regular window pricing. Visit Waterville.com for more information.
Ski New Hampshire is the statewide association representing 30+ alpine and cross-country resorts in New Hampshire. For more information on ski areas, trail conditions, trip planning, and events at Ski New Hampshire resorts, visit SkiNH.com. For further information about New Hampshire, visit VisitNH.gov.