emerald
An Oregon Daily Emerald Supplement
r
Wednesday, November 10, 1982
Ski area brightens Bend economy
Sunrise
At first glance, it's just the new name
of a recent addition to the ski slopes of
Mt Bachelor in Central Oregon
But to Bill Healy, president of Mt
Bachelor, Inc., the name means a
whole lot more
It signifies the dawning of a whole
new era of expansion, not only tor Mt
Bachelor but for much of the Bend
Redmond area in Central Oregon
Healy is so confident of Mt
Bachelor's expansion plans that he
claims the added ski runs and lodges
will take us to the top" of the national
ski scene
As this new sun of expansion inches
over the horizon of Central Oregon, it
will illuminate one of the fastest
expanding ski areas in the United
States
Included in the plans are eight addi
tional ski lifts, three more day lodges,
an increased number of cross country
trails, and the pinnacle of Healy's
dream — a lift to the top of Mt
Bachelor's slopes, allowing year-round
skiing
All of that expansion will increase the
number of skiers that can take to the
slopes from the present 10,000 to
22,000, and more importantly for
Central Oregonians, add 5,000 addi
tional jobs by 1995
All of this planned growth will be just
that — planned Healy believes the
growth won’t take away from what he
feels is Mt Bachelor’s major selling
point — a quality ski experience.
"We can control our own course of
development and maintain that
essential commitment to quality
growth," Healy says
Mt Bachelor, located on the powder
side of the Cascade Mountains, sits 22
miles from Bend The 9,065 toot volca
nic cone is dotted with nine chairlifts,
three day lodges, and 22 kilometers of
groomed cross country trails
The ski area's management strongly
identities with the Bend-Redmond area,
because visitors to Bachelor who want
to fly to Central Oregon must land at the
airport in Redmond, while overnight
skiers must stay either in Bend or at one
of the multitude of resorts that have
sprung up between Bend and
Bachelor
"We re a little bit western, a little bit
family, but with all the services
necessary for a complete ski vacation,"
Healy says.
Bachelor began as a ski resort in
1958, when a few skiers — including
Healy — decided to put together a ski
area that was developed "by skiers for
skiers," says Healy.
"Our guiding philosphy was to open
up some good skiing — to hell with
profit as long as the bills were paid —
and that is still the way we like to think
about it,” Healy says.
"We don't intend to put as many
people on the hill as possible, but rather
to create a quality ski experience for
our skiers."
"Our” is a key word when Healy talks
about his resort. He and the rest of
Bachelor's management feel their rapid
growth in the last quarter-century is
based on their treatment of the skiers
who choose Bachelor’s slopes.
And that is the crux of Bachelor’s
future growth — offering the skier a
“quality ski experience,” something
which will distinguish Bachelor’s
slopes from Sun Valley, Idaho or
Aspen, Colorado
“In these times of financial uncert
ainty, we must not submit to the
tendency to sacrifice customer service
or quality product development for the
sake of immediate profit," Healy says.
“Experience shows in the long run, it
will not pay off.”
Healy’s approach over the last 25
years has paid off. Under Healy's
leadership, Bachelor has grown to
become one of the top 15 ski resorts in
the United States, according to the
"Inter Ski Services White Book of Ski
Areas."
Bachelor has been affected by the
national boom in skiing that began to
take off in the mid-1970s. Since 1975,
attendance at Bachelor has increased
55 percent, to the point where last year
500,000 skiers used Bachelor s slopes.
That pushed Bachelor to a number four
ranking nationally in skier days.
An even more compelling statistic for
Central Oregonians is the fact that 84
percent more skiers are coming from
out of state to use Bachelor’s slopes
That is an important statistic for
residents of the area surrounding Mt.
Bachelor, because out-of-state visitors
generally stay longer and have more
money to spend.
Currently, the presence of Bachelor
as a ski resort — and the various spin
offs it produces — pumps $67 million
into the Central Oregon economy.
Approximately 16 percent of the area’s
work force — over 3,000 people — is
tied directly to the ski industry.
And, according to an economic
feasibility study of Bachelor's Master
Plan for expansion, the growth in the
area’s ski mecca could increase com
munity income from winter recreation
to as much as $208 million annually.
But, cautions the report compiled by
the Central Oregon Intergovernmental
Council, the exact value of these
increases depends on “the ability of Mt.
Bachelor and the Bend community to
continue to attract skiers and to provide
the support services necessary for a
vacation experience."
The support services are already in
place. Skiers can find everything from a
$10 bunk to a $100-a-night condomin
ium. Mt. Bachelor offers a multitude of
lift and lodging packages, which in
clude accommodations at a number of
surrounding hotels, condos and
resorts
And once the lift to the top of
Bachelor’s volcanic slopes is complet
ed, Healy will be able to offer visitors
year-round skiing. The new lift will
permit 360 degree skiing and increase
the vertical ski area from 1,700 to 3,000
feet.
The year-round lift will open next
winter, and when the first skier tests the
newly opened slopes, Central Oregon
may never have to fear an economic
sunset.
Story by John Healy
Inside...
A killer cold
Page 2B
A downhill trend
Page 21