Yesterday, 350 NZSki staff, who will spend the winter working at Coronet Peak, attended the staff induction day, learning about the company culture, sustainability, health and safety, finding their way around the base building and ski area and meeting each other.
Ski area manager Ross Copland said the company welcomed 144 new staff yesterday, the other 60% being returning staff.
Coronet would bring in another 170 staff later this month ahead of the school holidays.
Despite an inversion layer hampering snow-making in recent days, the ski area was in ''pretty good shape'', Mr Copland said.
Little snow was forecast in the final days before opening on Saturday, so it would not be ''wall to wall and knee-deep powder'', but Mr Copland was confident eager skiers and boarders would not be disappointed.
Mount Hutt is also scheduled to open on Saturday, while Cardrona is scheduled to open June 20, the Remarkables on June 21 and Treble Cone on June 26.
