January 27, 2009 E-MAIL PRINT

Mascots make a mountain of difference

by Heather Burke/

Mountain mascots such as Sugarloaf’s Amos make kids smile and get them excited about going to ski camp. (photo: Greg Burke)

Mountain mascots such as Sugarloaf’s Amos make kids smile and get them excited about going to ski camp. (photo: Greg Burke)

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Before I had kids, I thought a ski resort had to have a high-speed quad to be a worthy destination. Upon review, and after raising two skiing kids, I now recognize that you need a mascot to be the real deal.

Mascots really do make a difference. It took the ski industry a while to recognize what Walt Disney knew from the start. That is, resort employees come and go, but mascots stay, make the kids want to play, and give the resort a happy identity.

Fuzzy friends breathe life and loyalty into otherwise basic base lodges and standard ski schools. Kids adore characters (except for the occasional timid toddler that finds a 6-foot mouse terrifying).

Mascots make people smile with their warm fur and big paw waves. My kids loved Sugarloaf’s Amos the Moose when they were 5 and 6. We even skied to Amos’ cabin on the mountain along Moose Alley. Our kids just couldn’t get enough of Amos and Blueberry the Bear — so they insisted on going back to ski school the next day, no hesitation, no bribery needed.

Smugglers’ Notch Resort has a cast of cuddly characters, including the big cheese Mogul Mouse (perhaps Mickey’s cousin to the north). Smugglers’ band of bear and oversized mice make a child’s experience playful and positive in an otherwise unfamiliar, even unnerving, environment. Smuggs’ furry friends have helped earn the Vermont resort a reputation as “the best ski resort for families.”

As a parent, I also appreciate that a mountain mascot can use his (or her — equal opportunity amongst the four-legged) magical power to pass along safety messages. Who would you rather listen to: a white Bengal tiger on a snowboard or a scary ski patrol with an ice pick and an icy beard?

My advice to ski resorts: if you don’t have a mascot, create one, or adopt the National Ski Area Association’s Snow Monsters. Of course, having a 6-foot furry costume in a ski school locker is not sufficient. Characters need to be out and about, pressing their furry flesh, welcoming families on arrival, waving to kids at day care and ski camp, and appearing at resort events.

Pats Peak is hosting a Mascot Day Feb. 1, inviting costumed characters like Oakie the Acorn of Oakhurst Dairy. The Red Sox' Wally the Green Monster helped christen Sunday River’s Chondola at its grand opening. What a brilliant cross promotion for the resort and the brand, but most importantly, it’s fun for kids.

My advice to parents, take your kids online to SnowMonsters.com. This is one of the few indoor surfing sites I condone. Snowboard Beavers and Powder Pigs reinforce the skiers’ responsibility code. They tell tales of bad things that can happen when you ski closed trails, ski too fast, or ski without a buddy.

When it comes time to plan your family getaway, seek out ski areas with silly mascots such as Gunstock’s Gunny the Bear and C-more the Penguin at Cranmore. Don’t under estimate the power of a powder pig or a penguin. Mascots can make a ski vacation a little more magical.

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