Case study: Snow Riders Tubing Hill

How to dominate the market when the weather lets you down.

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. In a region where the elevation is modest and autumns often feel like an extension of summer, operating a snow sports resort is a bold venture. Yet Snow Riders has achieved the impossible: becoming the first tubing destination to open on the entire American East Coast two years in a row.

Their secret? A strategic decision that transformed reactive management into proactive calendar domination.

The Challenge: Climate Uncertainty as a Barrier to Growth

For Matt Knott, CEO of Snow Riders, the challenge was daunting. Located just an hour from Washington, D.C., the resort has a potential market of several million people. However, West Virginia’s unpredictable weather made opening before January completely uncertain with traditional snowmaking systems.

Without guaranteed snow for the crucial Thanksgiving and Christmas period, the viability of the business model and job stability were compromised.

The Solution: Latitude 90 Technology and Thermal Independence

To break this cycle of uncertainty, Snow Riders invested in Latitude 90’s all-season snow production system. The installation is based on two L60 units, capable of covering an impressive area of approximately 7,000 m² (75,000 ft²).

Unlike traditional snow guns, which require sub-freezing temperatures, Latitude 90 technology works like a ‘giant freezer.’ The system cools a metal surface onto which water is sprayed, then the ice is finely crushed to create dry, fluffy snow.

The Latitude 90 Advantage at Snow Riders:

• Production in warm weather: Ability to produce snow even at 25°C (77°F).
• Industrial volume: Massive production of 120 tonnes of snow per day.
• Early start: Machines can be started up as early as October 1st, allowing a 30-foot-high base to be built up well before winter.

The Results: An Extended Three-Month Season

The impact of this investment was immediate and transformative for the company.

1. A record opening thanks to Latitude 90. Snow Riders was able to announce its opening on November 22nd, beating all its competitors on the East Coast.
2. Financial security and guaranteed revenue. The holiday season, the most profitable time of the winter, was completely sold out. The resort no longer has to ‘hope’ for cold weather to honour its reservations; it sells certainty.
3. Operational stability by extending the season by more than three months. Snow Riders has gone from a precarious seasonal business to a stable year-round operation. This sustainability allows for better employee retention and sustained growth, including plans to double capacity.

From Uncertainty to a Sustained Growth Strategy

For Snow Riders, the integration of Latitude 90 marks the end of the era of ‘crisis management’ linked to the vagaries of the weather. By eliminating the weather variable, Matt Knott and his team have moved the company from a state of uncertainty to profitability.

Today, instead of nervously scanning the forecasts hoping for a cold spell, management can focus on expanding its infrastructure and optimising the customer experience. With guaranteed snow from November to March, Snow Riders no longer suffers from the season: it owns it. This is the fundamental difference between a business that depends on luck and a business that controls its own success.