Arizona Snowbowl celebrates end of longest ski season ever

Snowbowl ended its longest ski season in its history with a big celebration on Memorial Day.
Published: May. 29, 2023 at 6:06 PM MST

FLAGSTAFF, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — Usually, when you think of Memorial Day, it involves the beach, lake, or the pool. But in Flagstaff, it’s a different story. Arizona Snowbowl is celebrating its longest season ever. Tons of people hit the slopes on Memorial Day. “What were you doing last memorial day?” asked Sarah Robinson. “Not snowboarding. I’d probably be on a lake right now like last year but this is close enough,” said Seth Bowls, a snowboarder.

“I’m usually back home on the beach. I like to go to Mission Bay with my family. So, I’m typically doing the complete opposite of this,” said Jordan Rivera, who was hitting the slopes on Monday.

It was a historic year for Arizona Snowbowl with its longest season ever. “Last Memorial Day we were already open for summer so yep this is a whole brand-new ballpark here,” said Angie Grubb, the spokeswoman for Arizona Snowbowl.

It’s a sight most have never seen before snow skis at the end of May. “We are ecstatic about it,” Grubb said. She says this is a first for the resort. “None of the snow here is manmade today. We did stop blowing snow here at Snowbowl in February so all of it is natural, thanks to those 399 inches that we received this season,” Grubb said.

Hundreds here were ringing in the end of the longest ski season they’ve ever experienced. “We were expecting a lot of excitement and a lot of people to show up. But this is certainly more than we expected, and we are so excited about it,” Grubb added.

They celebrated all the ups and downs of the season with food, music, drinks, and tons of runs. “I’m about to maybe have a burger and a brewski and just enjoy the day. Definitely going to take a couple more laps,” said Bowls.

“This is awesome. I’m going to tell my kids about this for sure,” Rivera said. In just over two weeks, Arizona Snowbowl will officially kick off their summer season. It includes sunset Gondola rides, outdoor games, and hikes. That starts June 16.

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