MANITOWOC (NBC 26) — The Ariens Nordic Center makes their own snow and says it's worth the cost
- Ariens Nordic Center Sport Development Director Sean Becker says the cost to make the snow is worth it
- He says they are one of only three Nordic courses in the state with the ability
- Becker told me that making artificial snow is now a necessity
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
We may not have sang “Let it Snow” enough over the holidays, this was the least snowy January in 19 years!
For a cross country skiing course, this type of weather could halt operations, but here at the Ariens Nordic Center, the lack of snow just adds another step.
Sean Becker, Ariens Director of Sport Development, makes it with a snow machine that pressurizes water and air through colder air.
"When it's warmer and the winds are blowing higher that can become more expensive to do,” Becker said.
He told me Ariens is one of only three cross-country skiing locations in the state that does this. He says the cost can't be calculated, but no matter the price, it's worth it.
"I really think it offsets what we're doing here,” said Becker.
In fact, Becker calls it a necessity as the track has become a safe haven for Nordic skiers in the area.
"When the packers start losing we decide we might as well keep skiing and keep ourselves in shape,” joked Andy Luloff.
Lulloff says he uses the track to train for a 53 kilometer race in February.
"We can always come here and count on great snow and great grooming,” said Luloff. “So all of the cross-country enthusiasts are very happy with it."
"We do hear from a lot of other ski areas that say, 'How do we start this process, 'How do we get into this process?'." Becker says. "If you're waiting on mother nature to do it, it just hasn't happened the last few years. This way we can guarantee that we will put snow down and people will come to the door."
Becker told me that 2025 is the third straight year where an event was moved to Ariens, due to lack of snow at a different venue. Another big event is coming up. This weekend Ariens is hosting a high school sprinting championship bringing a few hundred athletes to town.
