"Ski season is our Super Bowl:" Seven Springs opens its slopes for the season
SEVEN SPRINGS, Pa. (KDKA) - Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Somerset County opened its doors for the season Friday morning, with folks hitting the slopes for the first time, getting there bright and early to beat the rush.
Ski season is officially here and so are the traditions for Annie Casturo and Trey Wagner, juniors at Mount Lebanon High School.
"I'm so excited. This is my favorite time of year," Casturo said.
"I love the snow. I love skiing. I love the whole season," Wagner said.
They got to Seven Springs at 4 a.m. to be first chairs.
"You're like the first people that get to go up the lift and then the first people that get to ski down and just like kicks off the ski season," Casturo said.
"It's kind of just like an experience of its own that you don't really do anywhere else," Wagner said.
It's something they've been doing together for five years, and despite waiting in the frigid cold for five hours they say it's worth it.
"We wouldn't miss it for anything," Casturo said.
Brett Cook is the vice president and general manager of the resort.
"Ski season is our Super Bowl," Cook said.
Cook said it's an average time for them to open, possibly a week or two later than they'd like, but they've been preparing since the summer.
"Been replacing snowmaking pipe all over the mountain, some new snow guns on certain trails," Cook said.
They're expecting a large turnout this weekend, and Cook encourages visitors to buy lift access ahead of time online, either through a lift ticket, Epic day pass, or season pass. Lift tickets are limited every day and current availability is listed on the resort's website. If they're sold out online, you won't be able to buy them in person. Passes and ski school lessons are not limited.
New this year, you can get them on a revamped cell phone app called "My Epic," where you can also find trail maps, the latest snow and run conditions, and fitness stats.
"You can track your time on the slopes, how many lifts, how much vertical, how fast you go," Cook said.
For Casturo and Wagner, that could be helpful as they race against each other all season long, doing what they love.
"There's nothing like going fast down the hill and just feeling the wind in your face like that's my favorite feeling," Casturo said.
The resort will be open through the weekend and then reopen next Friday for the season.