Organisers of yesterday's Wakatipu Ski Club annual fundraising sale are struggling to explain why attendance was down 42% and sales slumped by $40,000 on last year's event.
Organiser Pete Devine said only 778 $3 adult tickets were sold for the event at the Queenstown Events Centre, compared with 1350 at last year's event, which saw queues stretched almost to State Highway 6 at Frankton.
"That's significantly down. It could be because of the economy, but last year it was as though we hadn't been touched by the recession," Mr Devine said.
Last year, 1400 items were sold out of the 3000 displayed, with $145,000 raised. This year, 1090 items were sold out of the 2500 displayed, raising $105,000.
The money goes towards the club's ski and snowboard programme and sponsorship of local winter sport achievers.
"I suspect it's just economic conditions. It's hard times and people are a little bit more frugal with their spend but there's no scientific analysis to it," Mr Devine said.
A warm autumn, lack of snow and yesterday's fine weather could have also discouraged people from attending.
"There's no snow on the mountains and yesterday it was bright and sunny, the type of day you'd want to go to the beach or a picnic," Mr Devine said.
