For a majority of ski areas and many skiers, the season is over.

We’ll play that call by ear. If the weather is right, a warm sunny day followed by a freezing night, there could be a few more days on the slopes.

The likely choices will be Sugarloaf, Sunday River and Wildcat, all mountains well known for late season skiing. As this was written, no golf courses were yet open in Maine, eliminating that alternative for many skiers. I did get a call from Kevin Cullen up at Maple Lane in Livermore.

He said the snow was going fast and he expected to open April 15. Many others shoot for that date each year, but how many make it this year will be determined by the weather. Skiing or golf, this time of year the weather decides. For now, our focus will be on skiing with a look back.

The biggest news this season was obvious: Bode Miller’s winning the Overall World Cup title kept us watching race results all season.

In the early season, with wins in all four disciplines, it looked as if he might have the Overall clinched midway through the campaign. Instead, failures to finish gate races, especially slalom opened the door for Benjamin Raich and the Austrian threatened to grab the title away from Miller. The CVA grad closed the door in the final races to become the first American to win the overall crown since Phil Mahre and Tamara McKinney both won in 1983.

In his early racing, Miller was a gate specialist winning in GS and Slalom. In order to compete for the Overall, he focused on the speed events, Super G and Downhill, and it in those events that he piled up the points, taking the Super G title on the way to the Overall.

Now the ski world will be watching to see if the champion can regain his slalom and GS form to be a threat in all four disciplines in next year’s Olympics.

One thing is certain, Miller’s dramatic style along with his open honest statements will make it another campaign to watch.

We also followed Kirsten Clark’s comeback from injuries, and while the CVA grad from Raymond failed to win, she did have some top ten finishes and felt good about her progress. She capped the season with a fourth place finish in the National Championships Super G. If “Clarky” continues to improve she could be a factor in the 2006 Olympics.

Another CVA grad, Seth Wescott from Farmington won a world championship in Snowboard Cross and expects to be in the Olympics next year. In addition, at least three more from CVA were at the recent National Alpine Chamionships at Mammoth Mountain in California, Sam Sweetser of Cumberland, Liz Thompson from Saddleback and Eric Kankainen from Kingfield. With the number of skiers and snowboarders from Maine in competition at all levels, we could have several in the 2006 games.

We saw one ending this season when a bout with the flu finally ended Paul Schipper’s streak of skiing every day Sugarloaf was open. He started in 1980 and racked up 3,903 days before staying home Jan. 3.

The record is being submitted to the Guiness Book of World Records and Sugarloaf is honoring him next Sunday. In a ceremony on the mountain, a plaque will be placed on Narrow Gauge with a section being named “Schipper’s Streak”. Schipper is in special company as only four trails have been named for individuals in the past. The list is impressive, Winter’s Way for Amos Winter, King’s Landing for King Cummings, Stub’s Glade for Stub Taylor, and Fred’s Pitch Glade for Fred Webster. All hold a special place in Sugarloaf history and Schipper has earned his as well.

Looking back at days skied, there were some early in the season with sparse cover, but from mid-January on the skiing improved with each storm and we had some of the best skiing in years.

Let the price competition begin

Ever since the American Skiing Company introduced the first discount season pass, there has been speculation about how long it would last. Would it be repeated next year or would a gradual escalation begin? That question was answered as March came to a close with an email from Sugarloaf. Buy the All For One Pass before May 7 and the one with 14 blackout days will be $349. The All For One with no black out dates will sell for $599. The pass is good at Sunday River, Sugarloaf, Attitash, Mount Snow, Killington and Pico. Last year, the price was extended beyond the original date and went up to $379, which was good until early fall. How it will work this year will depend on how many grab the early price. Skiers will want to check for other offers as ski areas respond to this first discount announcement.

Dave Irons is a freelance writer who lives in Westbrook.