SNOW FOR SKIERS

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29820, 12 May 1962, Page 13

SNOW FOR SKIERS

Experiment At Coronet Peak

(N.Z. Press Association) DUNEDIN, May 11

Snow will appear on toe Coronet Peak ski fields next week if a new artificial snow machine is successful. The machine is to be tried this week-end, and if it succeeds, there will be enough snow for ski-tog within three weeks. There is not usually enough snow for ski-ing until the middle of June on the most popular ski field in the South Island, but the machine should make some difference. A new compressor will be taken up to the mountain this week-end for the six-ton machine, which will be operated by the Mt. Cook Tourist Company. Mr G. Maslin, Queenstown manager for toe company, saiid tonight that there would have to be experiments. The machine needs at least four degrees of frost to operate.

“It would be at least three weeks before there would be enough snow to ski on.” Mr Martin said. “That is, if toe machine is successful.”

Water pipes have already been installed over the peak, and from these, jets will pump water. The water will be atomised in the frozen atmosphere and the fine spray should fall as snow.