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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, January 3, 1993                   TAG: 9301030061
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-6   EDITION: METRO   
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

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VA. SKIERS UNDAUNTED BY WARM WEATHER

Virginia resorts say skiers have been flocking to their slopes despite the recent warm weather.

The Wintergreen and Massanutten resorts reported more skiers in December than in the same month in 1991.

The industry has endured mild winters during the past two seasons.

"So far it's been great," said Mark Glickman, spokesman for the Wintergreen resort in Nelson County. "We've been off to a great start. We were sold out last weekend; and we had six New Year's parties, and they were all sold out, too."

December business at Wintergreen, where seven of 17 trails are open, was 40 percent higher than the same month in 1991, Glickman said. But most of the resort's business will come during the colder months, he said.

"Anything we do in December is gravy because January and February are really the heart of the skiing season," Glickman said.

Business also was brisk at the Massanutten resort in Rockingham County, resort spokeswoman June Brinkman said.

"It's very good," she said. "We have seven [of 14] trails open. We opened with four, and we've never had fewer than four."

Brinkman said 12,000 paying skiers visited Massanutten from Dec. 9 to Dec. 31 - double the number that usually comes during that time.

During the 1990-1991 season, 45,000 skiers visited Massanutten from mid-December through mid-March. Last year 77,000 people skied the resort; and resort officials were hoping for a busy January, February and March, she said.

Brinkman said Massanutten has been able to keep the trails snowy this year despite the warm weather because of new snow-making equipment. She also said the improved economy also may have helped attract more skiers.

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