Feeling the thrill of the chill

Snowfest puts thousands of Central Texans in holiday spirit.

By Tony Plohetski

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Sunday, November 3, 2002

Sabrina Cheshire and a friend took their seats in bright yellow inner tubes Saturday, paused for a moment and then sped down a snowy slide.

"It was too fun!" Sabrina, 7, said, laughing. "We got to twist around, and it was fast. I want to do it again."

Sabrina and thousands of other children and adults alike took advantage of a rare opportunity in Austin: a chance to frolic in the snow.

But this was no act of nature.

More than 100 tons of snow was trucked into the city as part of Snowfest, presented by the Austin American-Statesman and several other sponsors. The event, in the Austin Convention Center, continues today from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In addition to the fun, the event attracted about 50 vendors from New Mexico and Colorado, whose wares included the latest ski gear and attire, hotel and ski resort brochures, T-shirts and coffee mugs.

Lessons in snowboarding and skiing were also available, giving parents a chance to test their children's interest before heading out for a ski vacation.

Pete Guerra, owner of Events Marketing and Management in Durango, Colo., brought his venture to Austin this year after successful festivals in Houston and Dallas.

With college football as competition and a floundering economy, Guerra wondered early Saturday how successful Snowfest would be.

But by the afternoon, thousands of people had filed through the admissions stand, paying $8 a ticket. Organizers said they expect about 15,000 people by the time the event ends.

"It's a great market," Guerra said. "There are a lot of skiers here, and there are a lot of transplants who have left the mountains to come here."

Organizers said they plan to make Snowfest an annual event in Austin, where snowfall is rare. Officials also said cooler temperatures and rain Saturday might have contributed to attendance. With light rain most of the day, temperatures hovered around 60 degrees. The chance of rain was expected to decrease to about 40 percent today, with highs around 68 degrees.

Other Snowfest sponsors included Nissan Motor Corp. and radio stations owned by LBJS Communications.

Ken Stone, marketing director for Angel Fire Resort in northeastern New Mexico, told spectators about his new "You Keep the Gear" program, in which people who visit the resort for snowboarding lessons are given $600 worth of equipment. Ordinarily, visitors must rent the gear.

Stone said with fierce competition among resorts this year, his company had to develop an unusual program.

"The feeling I'm getting is that people are going on vacations, but they are going to go where there's the best value," Stone said.

Greg Barone, who brought his wife, Gina, and two children, ages 9 months and 3 years, said his family hadn't considered a trip to the mountains until Saturday.

"We've taken a couple of brochures from a couple of places," Barone said. "The kids are really liking it. They've had a good time."

tplohetski@statesman.com; 445-3605

For more Snowfest photos, go to statesman.com and look for Photos of the Day.