Wachusett Mountain Sends Off Conversion Cup

Nearly a year after winning the 2016 National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) Conversion Cup for offering the best program in the country to convert new skiers and snowboarders into lifelong enthusiasts, Wachusett Mountain Ski Area conducted a ceremonial send-off of the cup back to NSAA to prepare for 2017 winner.

The Conversion Cup Award, a large silver trophy based on a Stanley Cup prototype, is a traveling award. Wachusett claimed ownership of the cup for one year, until the next winner is announced at next year’s NSAA National Convention May 5-8, 2017, in Scottsdale, AZ. The winner is chosen based upon proven results, creative ideas, consistent execution, and long-term commitment to the conversion effort. Several key metrics are used in the judging process, including beginner lesson volumes; quantifiable success of beginner lesson packages; season-to-date sales and repeat sales data collection; and marketing ingenuity and use of new media.

“NSAA asked us to ‘ship’ back the cup, so we took them literally,” said Wachusett Vice President Carolyn Stimpson, as the Wachusett crew loaded the cup onto a row boat on its snowmaking pond for a ceremonial bon voyage celebration. “Seriously, though, we were very proud to win the cup this past year, we see it as our job to create future skiers and riders for the industry. Even though we have relinquish the cup this year, we feel we still have one of the best programs in the country to introduce new skiers and snowboarders to the sport and keep them coming back. It was a great tribute to our team.”