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A-basin!

deadheadskier

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I'm sure a number of A Basin folks are thrilled with this news. Definitely a gamble by management, but perhaps their core customers spoke loudly enough.

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thetrailboss

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No surprise. I imagine Alta/Snowbird might leave Ikon at some point soon. It’s too crowded and Ikon does nothing to help business.


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Zermatt

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It begins! The end of multi resort passes and virtually free lift tickets is in sight. If you love skiing, it is a good thing.

Actually, I believe they will live on for destination resorts where beds are limited and a million people don't live 30 minutes away.
 

snoseek

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This is such great news! I only really ski there in the spring but man is it a mess with epic passholders and parking on the weekends, even in may, is a big mess. Nice to see an area put the skier experience first.
Lots of people hoping alta ditches ikon. Parking here has been a mess all winter. Keep the passes pricey. Lots of loyal skiers will still buy them up. I think there's a decent chance of it happening.
 

abc

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Count me as both benefactor and victim.

I had Epic pass 2 years ago. Boy was parking a zoo at A-basin! But I sure benefit from the pass that let me ski Breck and Keystone on low vis days.

I think it’s a good move. I would still ski there when the condition is right. Will pay day ticket one way or another, providing they don’t jack the price up.
 

jimmywilson69

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The thing that no one but A-Basin and Vail Resorts knows is just how much money A-Basin was getting from the Epic Pass. Like was x% per visit, a flat fee per season, a flat fee per visit.

One for sure is they survived with the epic money, and will surely survive without it. Their season pass and window ticket prices are well below the average. But it was clearly more important to them to have a better customer experience. this of course assuming that Vail didn't dump them.

Its funny reading all of the epic pass holders that are crying about it on Al's blog. They offer affordably priced 4-packs early season, and if you really love skiing there you could easily get an epic and A-Basin pass for lets say around $1000.
 

abc

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this of course assuming that Vail didn't dump them.
If Loveland survives without being part of Vail all these years, A-basin will do more than fine. So it's immaterial whether Vail "dump them" or not.

Of course Vail could decide to partner with Loveland instead of A-basin. Somehow I doubt it though.
 

Smellytele

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I hadn't been to A-basin in 3 years but it wasn't packed the weekday I went then. In 2013 I went on a Sunday and it was crazy busy. well parking lot and Black Mtn express were but the rest were not bad. I think both times they were in cahoots with Vail but maybe not. I am trying to see how long they have been working with each other.
 

thetrailboss

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This is such great news! I only really ski there in the spring but man is it a mess with epic passholders and parking on the weekends, even in may, is a big mess. Nice to see an area put the skier experience first.
Lots of people hoping alta ditches ikon. Parking here has been a mess all winter. Keep the passes pricey. Lots of loyal skiers will still buy them up. I think there's a decent chance of it happening.

Exactly. It has been just as bad at Snowbird. I won't even talk about how bad BCC has become. I never thought I would see that.
 

BenedictGomez

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I just read an article that Vail is going to start pushing early season opening at Keystone to compete directly with A-basin.

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deadheadskier

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