Killington’s experts made Mount Fenway come to life

Boston Globe

By Kevin Paul Dupont Globe Staff  February 11, 2016

The temperature was in the low 20s, just fine for making and maintaining snow, when Big Air kicked off at Fenway Park Thursday night. The deep, packed blanket that lined the full length of Mount Kenmore was produced by a seven-man crew from Killington (Vt.) Ski Resort, working in tandem with Natick-based HKD Snowmakers.
According to Michael Joseph, communications manager at Killington, the resort’s crew began making snow almost immediately upon arrival at Fenway Sunday, and worked almost 24-hour-a-day shifts to have the hill ready by midweek. The 100-plus boarders and skiers began working out on the scaffolding-supported hill Wednesday, and the boarders began their qualifying runs Thursday morning.
The Killington crew included personnel trained specifically in snowmaking as well as members who typically concentrate on the grooming and maintenance of Killington’s terrain park. To get the job done on Mount Kenmore, Killington personnel employed a total of four HKD guns, of both fan and land variety.
“It’s really unique for us,’’ said Joseph. “We have some steep pitches at the resort, but nothing quite as narrow as the scaffolding. It presented some challenges. We actually had snowmakers on belay with snow guns to set stuff up.
“We came down here with a full head of steam, ready to take care of whatever challenges were thrown our way. Kind of hard to prepare for, so we brought everything down here but the kitchen sink.’’

 

Killington and HKD used some 300 tons of crushed ice, supplied by the US Ski and Snowboard Association, to make the snow that boarders flew across in Thursday night’s championship.
“USSA allocated 700 tons total,’’ said Joseph, “so we can bring in more if we need reinforcements.’’
The entire snowmaking process could have been in peril if, like last week, temperatures had remained in the 40s.
“We were getting a little nervous about that, but it all went off without a hitch,’’ said Joseph, noting the crew’s excitement. “It’s not very often they are going to get a chance to make snow inside Fenway Park. It is fun to bring that mountain experience and mountain engineering knowledge to an urban environment.’’