‘Everything is ready to roll’: Whakapapa Ski Area ready for busy season

Whakapapa Ski Field general manager of operations Steve Manunui is ready to roll for the 2025 ski season. Photo / Joel McDowell

The Whakapapa Ski Area is about to open for its snow-sports season and the general manager is “geared up” for it to start.

Whakapapa opened its sledding programme and first-touch snow opportunity on May 30 and is set to open the full-access skiing and snowboarding season on Matariki weekend, June 21.

Whakapapa Ski Field general manager of operations Steve “Youngman” Manunui said he and the team were looking forward to welcoming guests.

“Everything is ready to roll and we are really excited,” Manunui said.

“We are probably more excited than we have been in the last four or five years - some of the forecasts are looking good.”

Manunui said the excitement coincided with new beginnings as the ski area was now being operated by Whakapapa Holdings Ltd (WHL).

As a token of goodwill, WHL provided 10 new TT10 snow guns to the ski area operators.

“The 10 were in addition to the 45 we already have; it gives you some security with even the small amounts of snow we are getting now,” Manunui said.

“Even when we get assistance from Mother Nature, it means we’re expanding the product earlier, it enables us to make the runs wider earlier which becomes a far more usable and friendlier product.”

Manunui said it also enabled the ski field to keep operating into spring, “when Mother Nature stops giving”.

In addition to the snow guns, Whakapapa has the only snow factory in New Zealand which, unlike traditional snow guns, can be operated in any weather.

Manunui said they had been well-supported with pre-season work around lift maintenance and had also obtained a PistenBully snow groomer.

The ski field has about 120 staff, which will increase to 300 during the winter school holidays.

“That’s a really amazing place to be in, we’ve had upwards of 1600 people apply for jobs,” he said.

Whakapapa Ski Field general manager Steve "Youngman" Manunui said more than 1600 people applied for jobs.

Manunui anticipated a full, eventful season.

“We’ve planned to have the whole mountain open - there’s a little bit of a stigma since Covid that we were not planning or haven’t planned this,” he said.

“In a season like last year, it was the snow that was the deciding factor but we’re geared up for a full season, a season where all facilities will be open.

“We have a fairly full events calendar on the radar, a full catalogue of products across the range from your sightseeing to snow play to first-time skiing and snowboarding right through to the pros.”

In 2024, ACC spent more than $44 million helping people recover from snow sports-related activities. That included 1020 snow sports-related injuries that occurred in the Manawatū-Whanganui region, at a cost of $7m.

ACC injury prevention officer James Whitaker wanted people to be safe this winter.

“Hitting the slopes with friends and family is one of the most wonderful things you can do in New Zealand,” Whitaker said.

“We want everyone to embrace that and enjoy this winter season on the slopes safely so they can keep doing what they love. If we get injured on the slopes, it can significantly affect our lives, as well as the lives of friends, family and workmates.”

Manunui advised people to plan their trip before they arrived at the mountain.

“Make sure you jump on our report page so you know what’s happening,” he said.

“We’ve done a lot of planning over summer. We’ll have a full crew on, including our safety services team who are looking forward to welcoming our guests and making sure they have a safe time on our maunga.”

Fin Ocheduszko Brown is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.