A brand new groomer at Great Bear Ski Valley in Sioux Falls has outdoor enthusiasts excited to hit the slopes. The park traded in their old piece of equipment for a new model worth more than $300,000.
There's a new reason to check out Great Bear and it has to do with this new snow groomer from PistenBully. It's already a hit with skier Perky McDaniel.
Matt Holsen: Are you having just a great time?
McDaniel: I'm having a ball. I'm having a ball. How can you not? The weather is beautiful. I wish there was some sun. I have a ball coming here. I enjoy it very much.
McDaniel lives in Hot Springs. She spent Christmas in New York and is stopping at ski hills, including Great Bear, on her way back to western South Dakota.
"It just makes it easier to turn. It's easier to stay in control when you've got a really good grooming job of corduroy. It just makes the experience much more pleasurable and a lot more fun," McDaniel said.
Great Bear Outside Operations Manager Joshua Goettsch says you should notice a big difference in the quality of grooming if you head out this season.
Goettsch: Fantastic. It's amazing.
Matt Holsen: What is so good about it?
Goettsch: Everything. It has integrated gradient sensors so you can see real time positioning of the blade and the tiller. It makes the best corduroy around for skiing on.
Creating a better outdoor setting for guests this winter.
"It's phenomenal skiing," McDaniel said.
With warmer weather this weekend, Great Bear is expecting a big turnout. The facility is hosting its Lazer Tubing session of 2018 this Saturday.
