World Cup at Killington - Should it stay, or should it go?

[Big Bob]

WC race = stay
Race camps = 3 day MAX

Butt it does help pay for a few tanker loads of off road.

[PinnacleJim]

Last I heard hosting the WC is a net loss of $1m for the resort. POWDR used to cover that, but now that K is independent, this will come out of their pockets. I guess they will have to decide if they get $1m worth of advertising value from the TV exposure.

[Downdraft]

Beat that dead horse some more flat landers.

[newpylong1]

The hill prep expenses are likely a loss, but the numbers must work in the end. If it was a net $1M loss it wouldn't have lasted more than one season.

[Midwest Skier]

Love it, keep it.

[RENO]

We have no credible data indicating it's a loss. It's all hearsay. I can't imagine K would operate this losing millions for many years. That would indicate the operators of K are complete idiots...

[rogman]

Hard to put a value on the advertising, branding, and reputational enhancement gained by hosting the WC, all of which indirectly translates into revenue. Doesn’t matter, Cumming liked it, new owners like it, it’s staying. Big props to Mr. Moose for his mic drop post.

[Bubba]

Mike several years ago stated more than once that they lost money on the WC and $1M was the figure used. Whether that's changed through the intervening years is anyone's guess. My thinking, however, is that there is real marketing value to the WC in terms of future real estate sales and, if that's a correct analysis, then the loss could be made up by Great Gulf through a sponsorship arrangement.

[Southside_Bobby]

Mike made the statement about the loss a few years ago. He has not made such a claim recently.

I always thought it was an odd statement to make. What was that number based on, and was the statement aimed at FIS to secure a better deal from them going forward? For all we know, that has since occurred.

I don't believe for a second that K is currently losing money on this event.

[Bubba]

Mike made the statement about the loss a few years ago. He has not made such a claim recently.

I always thought it was an odd statement to make. What was that number based on, and was the statement aimed at FIS to secure a better deal from them going forward? For all we know, that has since occurred.

I don't believe for a second that K is currently losing money on this event.

Mike showed the numbers and the details after either the first or second year. I don't think he's said anything since.

[Captain Hafski]

I also have been questioning that K loses money on the WC.

Regardless, I'm hoping it's here to stay ! Though I am not a racer [did some Nastars back in the day though and did the Ski Bum races back in the late 80's when I lived here for my sabbatical]. I love to watch the world cup circuit. We get the Peacock / Ski and Snowboard Live programming every year just for that [both alpine and moguls]. Before the K Cup, saw 4 races at the Calgary Olympics [Tomba / Vreni show in Mens and Womans GS and SL] including getting to see Ingmar race in the GS and SL. Also caught the end of a Men's Slalom [w/ Bodie Miller winning it !] on one of our St. Anton trips.

Love the WC weekend festivities. If you haven't been, the Bib Draw [for the GS] on Friday evening is not to be missed. Even I suck it up and buy a beer from K for this. Then we watch the first run of the GS and SL each day at home before Truckin' up to the mountain to catch the second runs. Looking forward to it again this year.

With the World Cup, we get Superstar earlier as a result butt it doesn't compare to the pre-World Cup days when they blew Supe when it was cold in Mid December [and moutain wasn't crowded before Christmas] and we got to ski the Hero Whales on a black diamond trail.

Bring it on !!!

[volklopposition]

I love it. You have to be someone to get the world cup. They should go for world cup moguls too! The sum of the parts would be greater than part of the whole or something like that.

[twilkas]

I'm all for the WC, it's great to see Killington on the world stage.

Especially while Mikaela represents. I wouldn’t want K to stop til she retires.

Agree! she's a special beast. Year #1, got away with being far up SS during the race. Seeing her come by at race speed within 30ft, i swore i felt the ground rumble, i'll never forget that. Keep WC rolling K!

[Mister Moose]

WC is on, passed snow control.

[BurrPondSkiTeam]

Mike made the statement about the loss a few years ago. He has not made such a claim recently.

I always thought it was an odd statement to make. What was that number based on, and was the statement aimed at FIS to secure a better deal from them going forward? For all we know, that has since occurred.

I don't believe for a second that K is currently losing money on this event.

They are definitely losing money and it's well more than $1 million.

I do not know the arrangements with FIS and ORF or other organizations currently, but World Cup host sites "back in the day" used to have to pay for all travel, lodging and food for the racers, their coaches and support teams (today, considering where they're coming from to get to Killington, some of the travel costs could be ameliorated though an arrangement with FIS or other hosts).

On the other hand, almost anyone in Europe or elsewhere in the world who even somewhat follows World Cup racing (or Mikaela, actually) knows something about Killington (and/or Vermont) by now.

That's worth losing some money over. Is it too much? We find out every time the agreement with FIS is renewed by Killington.