Ski resorts across the country are finally opening. People are waxing and sharpening their skis to get ready for the ski season. This season is ready to get started, but with a few changes. 

Nonnewaug students are looking forward to hitting the slopes this ski season.

“I’m ready to go back out there,” sophomore Andrew Greene said. “I’ve been waiting for a while now and I’m thrilled that the mountains are opening.”

Ski resorts now require people to make reservations due to COVID-19 restrictions. Most mountains in Vermont require that people order tickets online. It is also recommended to order rental equipment online.

Additionally, lifts and lines are changing to help separate people from others. Single skiers and snowboarders will also have the decision to go up with someone else or alone.

Braeden Purser-Eber isn’t a fan of single people being able to choose if they want to go up alone, but he does understand.

“It’s gonna be annoying because the lines are gonna be longer, but I get it,” Purser-Eber said.

These changes are going to have a big impact on the revenue of the bigger mountains, such as Killington, Okemo, Mt. Snow, and others in Vermont. Vermont made an estimated half-billion dollars in revenue last year with around 4.7 million skiers flocking in and the average ski ticket being $93.12, according to the Vermont State Employees’ Association.

Finally, those thinking about skiing out of state may need to quarantine two weeks before and after, unless a person receives a negative COVID-19 test. This is legally required if you want to cross a state line to ski for more than 24 hours.

Greene wants to get out of the state to ski.

“I would like to go ski in Vermont because the places are better and the mountains are higher,” Greene said.

Overall, this season has a lot of potential to be fun and not get cut short like it did in 2020. Lots of people, including Purser-Eber, are excited to get back on the mountain.

“I’ve been watching snowboard videos on YouTube for a while now,” Purser-Eber said, “and every time I watch the videos, I want to go even more.”