a general question

[2knees]

At this point in the year, do you get angry when areas reduce operations or even close down completely when there is still significant snow on the mountain? I see some threads here and there on various boards moaning about this lift being closed or that mtn closing. Personally, while i dont like it, i cant bitch about it cause who can blame a ski area for not wanting to take a bath financially simply to keep a handful of skiers 100% happy. Its a business afterall.

what is your take?

 

[MarkC]

The way I see things is anything open after the first weekend in April is a bonus. People need to realize that for the most part the ski industry is a for profit venture. As soon as the funds stop coming in the door it does not make business sense to stay open. Snow sports are winter activities usually enjoyed by people that like to play golf, or go to their kids little league game in the spring / summer. If there were money in it every resort would blow a superstar to stay open till July 4th.

 

[FRITOLAYGUY]

I agree with you, its a business afterall, no point in staying open when your employees might outnumber the skiers during the week.. If the snow is so signifigant as everyone says, earn your turns, plain and simple.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

At this point in the year, do you get angry when areas reduce operations or even close down completely when there is still significant snow on the mountain? I see some threads here and there on various boards moaning about this lift being closed or that mtn closing. Personally, while i dont like it, i cant bitch about it cause who can blame a ski area for not wanting to take a bath financially simply to keep a handful of skiers 100% happy. Its a business afterall.

what is your take?

Exactly, it's a business. The skiing at Whiteface was great today, but there were only about 100-150 people there, probably half of them pass holders. I really appreciate the fact that they are open, but I wouldn't be angry if they where not.

After this week I'm told they will stay open weekends as long as the snow holds. Major props to them.

 

[andyzee]

I would hate to be the manager that makes the call to leave an area open, even when the customer base doesn't warrant it.

 

[MadPadraic]

To take this in a slightly different direction, I, for one, am paying close attention to which areas stay open late, and will factor that into future season pass purchase decisions. A product I would almost certainly buy after April 8th--which seems to be the date that a lot of hills are committed to closing on--would be a late season pass to a place committed to staying open as long as possible.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

To take this in a slightly different direction, I, for one, am paying close attention to which areas stay open late, and will factor that into future season pass purchase decisions. A product I would almost certainly buy after April 8th--which seems to be the date that a lot of hills are committed to closing on--would be a late season pass to a place committed to staying open as long as possible.

That's a good point.

 

[andyzee]

To take this in a slightly different direction, I, for one, am paying close attention to which areas stay open late, and will factor that into future season pass purchase decisions. A product I would almost certainly buy after April 8th--which seems to be the date that a lot of hills are committed to closing on--would be a late season pass to a place committed to staying open as long as possible.

Good point, buy my belief is that you would be in a very small minority of pass/ticket purchasers. The majority couldn't care less about skiing into April, much less May or June.

 

[MadPadraic]

Maybe. All I can say is I would be interested in it, and that I purchased a similar product from Snoqualmie one year, and the next year I bought a weekday+sundays and nights pass to the same area.

 

[thetrailboss]

I think it is about a balance. The most obvious resort in the cross hairs is Killington because their strategy WAS to open early and stay later. It was how they marketed the place and what made it unique. They probably sold many, many midwinter vacations because of the reputation as the place that "would definitely have snow and skiing." Now that they are cutting back, Killington is just becoming "another ski area."

Beyond that example, it's all about demand. If each of us early and late season skiers and riders brought one or two non-passholders with us on our outings, then this would not be an issue. The mountains would get the $$$ from the ticket and bev sales. I think that is a good challenge for next season for AZ members...see if we can make a difference. I know that I brought/referred many folks to a certain VT resort this year :wink: and my "footprint" was much larger than being a single passholder, when you factor in the additional tickets, meals, T-shirts, hats, beers, etc. that were purchased by my guests/friends.

 

[2knees]

349 dollar passes and a 9 month season dont work very well together.


you cant have it both ways.

 

[MadPadraic]

But how about a $129 pass for an extra 4-6 weekends? That's slightly closer.

 

[2knees]

But how about a $129 pass for an extra 4-6 weekends? That's slightly closer.

actually that is something that asc or killington did for a while. a spring pass for april 1st through the end of the season. not sure why they stopped it. but why not offer it. especially since the area(s) open late have little or no competition.

 

[andyzee]

actually that is something that asc or killington did for a while. a spring pass for april 1st through the end of the season. not sure why they stopped it. but why not offer it. especially since the area(s) open late have little or no competition.

I used to do the ME tix and the Escape pass which used to be Sugarbush's equivelant of the ME tix. Then when spring rolled around, I would purchase the Spring pass at Killington. Since then Sugarbush stopped selling the Escape Pass and ASC came out with the All for One and stopped selling the Spring pass. I imagine a lot of people did like me and just purchased the All For One, there was no longer a reason for the Spring pass. Make things even better, if you had ME tix left by the time the Spring pass went on sale, you could use the remainder towards the price of the Spring pass.

 

[thetrailboss]

349 dollar passes and a 9 month season dont work very well together.


you cant have it both ways.

That's right. I was referring to the time of Preston Smith or SKI. :wink:

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

To take this in a slightly different direction, I, for one, am paying close attention to which areas stay open late, and will factor that into future season pass purchase decisions. A product I would almost certainly buy after April 8th--which seems to be the date that a lot of hills are committed to closing on--would be a late season pass to a place committed to staying open as long as possible.

Good point, buy my belief is that you would be in a very small minority of pass/ticket purchasers. The majority couldn't care less about skiing into April, much less May or June.

I disagree Andy, Mad wrote season pass. IMO the vast majority of season pass holders want to ski into a late season. IMO day ticket buyers are a different market.

 

[andyzee]

I disagree Andy, Mad wrote season pass. IMO the vast majority of season pass holders want to ski into a late season. IMO day ticket buyers are a different market.

Although it may be more likely that pass holder would be the ones that want to ski later, I'm not sure that this would be true for a majority of them. I for one could go all year

 

[2knees]

That's right. You obviously do not know of Preston Smith or SKI. That is what I am talking about.

you're right. :roll: I've only been skiing there since 1984.


cheap passes and reduced budgets have come hand in hand with asc. if you recall, the pass price under preston smith and SKI was in excess of 1000 dollars. but go ahead and make bs assumptions about what i know and what i've experienced at killington.

 

[Greg]

you're right. :roll: I've only been skiing there since 1984.


cheap passes and reduced budgets have come hand in hand with asc. if you recall, the pass price under preston smith and SKI was in excess of 1000 dollars. but go ahead and make bs assumptions about what i know and what i've experienced at killington.

Sorry trailboss, but you just got owned... :lol: Now let's all lighten up, guys.

A lot of good points here. Interesting thread.

 

[2knees]

yes, lighten up i will.

to take the killington thing a bit further though, asc also operated killington under the old open early close as late as possible scenario. only when they were totally in the tank did they offer the a41 and also start reducing expenses. so based on that, i wouldnt say that the cheap pass was the only reason or even a big reason for the shortened season. I do find it hard to believe people, and no, not trailboss, but people can complain about reduced seasons and such while they are buying a season pass at a major mtn for the cost of a monthly car payment.