Skiing circa 1977

[billski]

When reading this New Yorker article about skiing in Vermont, it's hard to believe it's 1977. Tickets at Stowe were $15. Bromley, Hunter (the best), Sugarbush ("Mascara Mountain" in the article) and Magic were the hot spots. Everything is relative, Magic's weekend tickets were $13.

 

[Geoff]

In 1977, it cost $5,000/year to go to an expensive private university. A $20,000 salary was good money, not poverty level. If you inflation adjust it, skiing is cheaper now than it was in the 1970's. Back then, season passes were certainly more expensive since they all broke even at 20+ days.

 

[wintersyndrome]

Article was cool, but in getting all nostalgic, I like the ad for the Harry Chapin album on page 112.

 

[puckoach]

Was part of a group house a year or so prior to that article. First year, we moved around the three, Bromley, Stratton and Magic. Second year, some of the housemates worked the lifts at Magic, so we "rode the carpet"....

In fact, our dog Brandy, a St Bernard, took up residence at Magic as well, complete with a neck cask !

Haven't been back there since. But, I do recall eating at The Mill, and many a night at the Crazy Goat Inn !

 

[orangegondola]

Puck, Time to come back.

 

[marcski]

What's inrteresting too is that Stowe was just $2 more for a day pass than Magic was back then.

 

[billski]

What's inrteresting too is that Stowe was just $2 more for a day pass than Magic was back then.

Even more interesting is how skiing outpaced the consumer price index:

stowe 593%
bush 527%
brom 500%
magic 454%
cpi 350%

Using the article's 15/13 rates and current weekend rate as comparison.

 

[KevinS]

$15 in 1977 is $53 in 2009.

Though we get more for our money than we did before. More lifts, more trails, more snowmaking. So it is kind of a wash.

 

[4aprice]

Even more interesting is how skiing outpaced the consumer price index:

stowe 593%
bush 527%
brom 500%
magic 454%
cpi 350%

Using the article's 15/13 rates and current weekend rate as comparison.

That's scary. At one time I thought about giving it up when tickets hit $50 +. Silly me.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[puckoach]

Puck, Time to come back.

Will try and do that this year !!!

BTW, while I might be singing to the choir, skiiing, even today is a great sports bang for the buck.

Owning a jet ski at $9,000. start-up, plus the "stuff". Or, a Motorcycle at about the same.
vs $800 for some quality skis, boots and bindings and $75 a day.....:beer:.

 

[billski]

BTW, while I might be singing to the choir, skiiing, even today is a great sports bang for the buck.
.

Agreed. The only thing I have to complain about is nothing but a pay cut for five years.

 

[riverc0il]

$15 in 1977 is $53 in 2009.

Though we get more for our money than we did before. More lifts, more trails, more snowmaking. So it is kind of a wash.

I don't buy that line of thinking. Expectations are higher as well, so that washes a better product out, IMO.

I would like to see a study in which ski lift ticket prices are not only compared to inflation and CPI, but ALSO for disposable income on discretionary spending taking into account cost of living, telecommunications, college, loans, etc. Basically, what percentage of money is discretionary after what the average family would consider essentials. In other words, if discretionary spending was less as a percentage of household income, that would also create a bigger gap.

I remain unconvinced that the "real" price of skiing has not increased when all factors are adjusted or controlled.

Additionally, in today's economy, many folks are not getting pay increases (or even pay cuts) really means loosing money. Inflation increases prices and without raises to off set inflation, the buying power of a dollar decreases. It will be interesting to see what continued unemployment does... as people just give up and stop looking for work yet the unemployment rate continues to be steady... that means it is really getting worse as people just give up and report that they are "not looking" for work even though they would prefer to have a job.

 

[bigbog]

Article was cool, but in getting all nostalgic, I like the ad for the Harry Chapin album on page 112.

I'll take Raquel Welch's command of Shakespearean linguistics in Fantastic Voyage over Harry, although I liked a few of his melodies/lyrics, anytime....

 

[mister moose]

$15 in 1977 is $53 in 2009.

Though we get more for our money than we did before. More lifts, more trails, more snowmaking. So it is kind of a wash.

I think there's several things that have changed since 1977 other than just inflation, that have added to the costs of running a ski area.

Increased insurance costs.
Increased regulatory costs and related engineering and legal expense.
Increased mandated labor costs, ie payroll taxes, unemployment, etc. (Think about how much the cost of an hour of an auto mechanic's time has gone up)
And yes, higher resort infrastructure costs; grooming, snowmaking.