HoliMont Starts a New Season
HoliMont Starts a New Season
Resort will welcome members this Saturday; Open to the public weekdays
Photos / HoliMont
It’s official: HoliMont’s opening day for the 2025 season is this Saturday, December 14th! Thanks to a cold, snowy start to December and HoliMont’s dedicated snowmaking team, there will be plenty of snow to go around this weekend. “We’ve had a great start already,” said Snowsports Director Travis Widger of the recent weather. “Between natural snowfall and our manmade snow, we got about 54” last week. Saturday is going to be terrific!” Whether you’re a returning member, prospective member, or a member of the public, HoliMont welcomes you to enjoy the slopes this season.
Widger said there’s been a lot of activity lately as HoliMont prepares for the season. “We have staff coming back and members coming back to get their picture passes and get settled for the winter, get their skis tuned in the rental shop, and all that good stuff!” With the region’s post-Thanksgiving snow accumulation, the Westmont and Sunset base areas have already been seeing some action. “There’s a lot of people today that are hiking up to earn their turns,” Widger said.
During the next few weeks, HoliMont’s competitive programs are going to start training, and the end of the month will bring Christmas Camp for all of HoliMont’s programs. There’s plenty of fun to look forward to on New Year’s Eve, as the day includes a giant slalom race beginning at 9:00am, as well as a New Year’s Eve party for members and their guests, complete with fireworks. Speaking of the holidays, Widger noted that HoliMont’s chalet can be booked for corporate holiday parties, with catering options by Dina’s at the Mont. Call 716-699-2320 for more information.
HoliMont’s retail shop is open to members and the public seven days a week beginning on Saturday. “There’s always new logo wear and HoliMont swag,” said Widger. “We did an art contest in September on social media where people submitted designs. We just had the first run of those t-shirts from the winner of the art contest; they tie in the summer and the winter aspects of HoliMont.” HoliMont’s Gear Up team can get you ready for the season - from simple tune-ups, to repairs, to specialized adjustments for certain snow conditions and skiing styles. Gear Up is open on Friday, December 13th from 9:00am-3:00pm and daily beginning on Saturday.
HoliMont welcomes the public to come ski/snowboard Monday through Friday, with the exception of Christmas week, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Presidents Day. “We’d love to have the public come ski and snowboard during the week,” said Widger. “We also have great access to snowshoeing, hiking, and fat tire mountain biking trails right from our base at Sunset. In conjunction with our team here, who grooms our cross-country trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, we also, together with WNYMBA (Western New York Mountain Biking Association) groom mountain bike trails for fat tire biking. That’s obviously weather dependent, but they’ve been groomed a couple times already with the big, fresh snow we got last week.”
HoliMont also offers many events that are open to the public, like Contractors Day on January 31st. In partnership with primary sponsor B&L Wholesale, HoliMont welcomes anyone in the contracting field and the trades to come out and enjoy the slopes. “It’s been a long-time running event,” said Widger. “We get contractors from all over the Southern Tier and Niagara region that come to ski. There’s a giant slalom ski race, the Bombardier Ball Drop, and food by Dina’s. It’s a great way to come out and spend the day with your staff or bring your clients to enjoy HoliMont.”
HoliMont is seeking new members to grow the HoliMont family! Widger explained, “Our trial membership is a great way to join the club and see what it’s all about and really get the full experience. You join for a year with no initiation fee and your kids get half off all seasonal programs that year. You can jump in and show your family what winter could be like!” For more information about trial memberships, contact HoliMont at 716-699-2320 or visit www.holimont.com.
There’s no better time to explore HoliMont than the start of a brand-new season, and Widger is eager to kick things off this Saturday. A Mansfield native who grew up skiing in Ellicottville, Widger said, “I always look forward to just skiing, snowboarding, being outside enjoying the winter, and really taking advantage of what we have here in western New York.” For news and events, be sure to follow HoliMont on social media.