Snow Business: Eversource Turning Corporate Campus into Special Olympics Snow Sports Courses

WINDSOR, CT — Eversource Energy is transforming is Windsor campus into a snow sports venue for the upcoming Connecticut Special Olympics Winter Games.

It's an annual endeavor that Eversource staffers take seriously and have fun doing.

Just ask Andy Ouellette.

His day job at Eversource is that of a program administrator for the company’s safety team. That means he is interested in winter weather.

Very interested.

He’s always checking the local weather forecasts this time of year and he is particularly interested in days with frigid temperatures and low humidity. That’s because Ouellette oversees the snowmaking efforts for the Special Olympics cross-country skiing and snowshoeing competitions.

“We watch the forecasts for possible safety hazards all year long, but what I am looking for now are a few days in a row when it is really cold and there’s low humidity,” Ouellette said. “That’s the perfect combination for making snow. We want to create a base that will last, and then hopefully Mother Nature will help us out with some natural snow to add to what we make.”

On Friday, Mother Nature served up a cold, dry morning.

Volunteers set up about 1,000 feet of piping that carries the water and compressed air needed to make snow.

With more cold in the forecast, the snow guns will likely be running all weekend at Eversource’s Windsor location to get the courses ready for the 200-plus athletes expected to compete in the Nordic skiing and snowshoeing events.

“Our snowmaking team, made up of employees and retirees, is the only one in the world that makes snow exclusively for a Special Olympics event,” said Ken Bowes, vice president of transmission performance at Eversource and a member of the Special Olympics Connecticut Board of Directors. “We are extremely proud of their efforts and also proud to be part of such a wonderful competition that has become part of the fabric of Connecticut.”

Close to 1,000 Special Olympics athletes and Unified Sports partners are expected to participate in the 2017 Special Olympics Connecticut Winter Games, which will also feature competition in downhill skiing, snowboarding, floor hockey, figure skating, and gymnastics at venues in Middlefield, Simsbury, East Hartford and Plainville.

Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing will take place at the Eversource Windsor location at 1985 Blue Hills Ave. in Windsor.

The opening ceremonies, including the traditional parade of athletes are scheduled for March 4 at 10 a.m.

Events and award presentations will take place throughout that weekend.

For more information, visit www.soct.org.

Photo Credit: Eversource

Chris Dehnel is a Patch editor and past-president and current executive secretary of the North American Snowsports Journalists Association Eastern Division. His Snow Business column appears regularly during the season.