NSBS Day 4: I Am Cannon

Sick Bird on Upper Hard
Sick Bird on Upper Hard

One unifying aspect shared by attendees of the Northeast Ski Bloggers Summit is passion. That passion is not only something that brings us together but also something we feed off. We inspire each other to further those passions. One of the things I am most passionate about is Cannon. I love the mountain.

I didn’t want my fellow bloggers just to ski Cannon, I wanted them to see if from my eyes. Not to adopt my perspective but to understand something very personal about me and my passion. Maybe they would not find Cannon to be a special place, but they would at least understand what makes Cannon special to me.

Harv on Upper Hard
Harv on Upper Hard

With a storm lined up for our planned Cannon outing on Thursday, I was very excited. For months, I day dreamed of a perfect tour for the group and the missing element on Monday was enough snow. Serendipitously, Thursday is also a Two-fer day. Cannon’s deals continue to make it the best mid-week value in New Hampshire.

Unfortunately, the storm timing was not ideal for us. Only two inches had fallen by the time we boarded the Peabody Quad. But it continued to snow all day, increasing in intensity during the afternoon. When we left, it was still coming down steady with promises that Friday might be the pick of the week. Conditions improved throughout the day. With more snow overnight, Friday will be quite good.

As the snow continued to pile up, we hit many classic runs. The drifts on Vista Way were powdery and surfy and bumps on Upper to Middle Hard were sensational! However, careful line choices around a few ice patches were critical to our enjoyment. Knowing the right line can make or break a great run. The upper mountain trees were skiing great leaving my companions were itching for more.

But I saved my ace in the hole for the last run where we found boot to knee deep untracked covering a minor bone yard. Epic! A powder day was saved by careful and concerted conservation. We paid for our epic score as lower elevation off map trees are decidedly boney rock gardens. We were happy with that run but in no way would consider a repeat. Take that for what is is worth.

Matt Comes to a Stop on Upper Hard
Matt Comes to a Stop on Upper Hard

Cannon’s latest tag line was a topic of discussion on Monday. My fellow bloggers couldn’t understood the I Am Cannon tag line. We had discussed Cannon’s recent failed attempts at creating a tag line more family and beginner friendly such as the Cannonista theme or The Big Easy (which I gently poked fun of on Monday’s post). I had always loved the “It’s a Blast!” tag line for its playful double entendre of place and meaning.

I Am Cannon is a statement of self definition provided by Cannon to be used by its diverse and passionate fan base. Marketing everywhere is decidedly focused on consumers not only self identifying themselves with a brand but doing so proudly and openly, sharing that self definition with friends that share their interests. It is a genius marketing campaign. But having recognized it as such, I had no use for it and continued to lament the loss of “It’s a Blast!”

For months I have been anxiously awaiting this week so I could show off my mountain and my passion to the NSBS crew. Perhaps they will never return to Cannon but at least they’ll understand why I am such a fanatic about the mountain. If not in practice than at least in spirit, I’ve fulfilled the premise of the marketing strategy. So I’m in. Its a special place that I am passionate about and I love to share that passion.

I Am Cannon.

5 thoughts on “NSBS Day 4: I Am Cannon

  1. Although a very different beast from the previous day ski area; both are up there is prime example of classic hills. I might not be Cannon or Wildcat, but I would love and take prime if either one of them was my local mountain.

  2. I didn’t need any convincing about Cannon beforehand, but it was great to see Steve in his element, hopping through Mittersill’s rabbit warrens. A shame that we didn’t get a chance to speak with anyone from marketing, would’ve loved to hear more about their thinking behind those campaigns.

  3. I got in contact with Greg via email. He mentioned that he nixed the Cannonista campaign as one of the first things he did when he started at Cannon and that it eventually led to the I am Cannon campaign. The previous Big Easy campaign was an obvious attempt to launch the Tuckerbrook area and champion Cannon as a family area. I think they hit the mark pretty good with the I am Cannon thing.

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