AlpineZone Ski Area Challenge: Whiteface

[Greg]

Sandy Caligiore from Whiteface also agreed to take the AlpineZone Ski Area Challenge! This is your chance to get official answers to your ski-related questions direct from a Northeast ski resort representative! Please post some suggested questions in this thread and I'll select ten to present for official responses.

As always, please be respectful of Sandy and keep it civil. Also, please refrain from asking specifics about skier visit numbers, financials, demographic information, etc. Whiteface needs to be discrete about certain information.

Ask away!

 

[Greg]

http://forums.alpinezone.com/viewtopic.php?t=1665

 

[ChileMass]

I am surprised at how little awareness of Whiteface and Lake Placid there is once you cross the NY border into New England. Even going through Albany, it's only about 5 hours to Whiteface (about the same as Sugarloaf from metro Boston) - any plans to increase marketing effort inthe New England region, especially Boston?

What package deals are available for next year, especially in non-holiday periods?

Any new trails from the summit planned?

Any chance Whiteface will host an FIS event in the near future?

 

[teachski]

Being a teacher, it is very hard, if not impossible for me to get to a ski area mid-week, yet all special discounts seem to take place during the mid-week. School vacations are usually blacked out from these discounts and specials. Have you ever thought of having a couple teacher appreciation days through out the season, including one or two during the normally blacked out school vacations?

 

[IrishRover]

Teacher Days

Quit beggin. You choose your profession. Very weak.

 

[Greg]

Quit beggin. You choose your profession. Very weak.

Lighten up, Rover. BTW, I locked your other topic and I'll just include a link to it here as a reminder:

http://forums.alpinezone.com/viewtopic.php?t=1669

Please, simply reply to this thread to suggest questions; do not not create a new one. Thanks for the question though, and welcome to the boards!

 

[jimme]

Well, Sandy might remember me from the scathing email I sent him regarding the possibility of cabins being built off trails at Whiteface. :wink: I was impressed that he took the time to answer my letter. That aside, here are my questions.

I've always thought of a State owned ski area to be "for the people" of the State and that the State subsidized operating expenses so that prices would be low allowing the less afleunt to ski. At $62. Whiteface is $8. higher than Gore ($54.) for a day ticket while Belleaye is only $42. This put Whiteface's ticket price in line with VT resorts like Killington. Why is Whiteface the most expensive and what caused the rate increase from what I think was $56.?

What is the pitch of the steepest trail, and The Sildes?

Jimme

 

[teachski]

Re: Teacher Days

Quit beggin. You choose your profession. Very weak.

This was not intended to be begging. Areas all over the place have special days for different things and different people. Some have state days, some have firefighter days, some have military days, why not a teacher's day?

 

[ts01]

Any way the Gore / Whiteface "Empire Card" could be extended to include Belleayre? I think it would pull downstate skiers, who would purchase the card for day trips to Belleayre, further up to Whiteface if they're going to take a longer trip or two.

 

[Greg]

I sent these off to Sandy. Thanks for the questions!

 

[Greg]

Sandy's responses are in:

http://skiing.alpinezone.com/articles/challenge/response.htm?resort=whiteface

More very complete answers! 8)

 

[riverc0il]

i've been meaning to get up to whiteface for a while now. being a north of boston resident, i am definitely one of the people whiteface is trying to get up there based on the response. however, jimme's comment hits to the heart of the matter and i am not satisfied with the response in the least. i simply can't justify driving all the way up to whiteface only to get raped at the ticket window (i consider anything over $50 to be rape, fwiw; and $60 and over i simply do not pay).

let's go deeper: if the ski area is state owned and 1/3 is paid for by the state, then the ski area has a huge advantage over other ski areas in that it only needs to cover 2/3 of it's actual operating costs. i'll consider lack of lodging on mountain to wash out that 1/3. next comment is that the lift ticket is not one dimensional -- what about food, beer, rentals, ski school, and gift shop (my poor assumption if whiteface doesn't have any of these, but even most state owned and run ski areas have them). my close experience with NH owned and operated cannon with a $45 weekend ticket, CHEAP two-fers mid-week, and a huge amount of terrain to cover leads me to wonder how much more the expenses are at whiteface to justify $62. perhaps whiteface is the money maker for ORDA?

not hating against whiteface here, like i said i really want to try the place out. but compared to other state owned inside and outside of NY, the price really seems wacked and definitely keeps me from making that long drive. the answers to the challenge were real and straight up, but i don't seem satisfied enough with the price question and definitely won't be trying out whiteface without a substantial weekend discount. btw, i ski solo so ski & stay package aren't gonna help.

 

[Greg]

Steve - this was Sandy's response to your comments:

Regarding your $50 price threshold, i suggest you purchase a 4-pack for under $200. I know you ski solo. But for a 5 hour trip, you might want company. Also, Lake Placid is a kickin' town. Good to experience with friends. These tickets are good all season, including holiday periods.

On the revenue question, we have food, beverage, rental and ski shops. However, we only receive a small percentage of those receipts. And you're correct. Most visitors to ORDA venues frequest Whiteface and Gore.

Regarding weekend discounts, other than purchasing a 4-pack, there are no such price breaks.

 

[riverc0il]

word, thanks for the response. a 4 pack seems good for a budget skier such as myself, but tough for people who probably won't ski the same area more than once or twice in a season with exception of their 'home' mountain (especially considering the drive and what would be a once per season "big trip"). good call about bringing some non-skier friends as the area has lots of non-skiing activity, hadn't considered that as most resorts don't have much to offer the non-skier.

on the small percentage nod, in my business we have a saying that a small part of a large number is still a large number heh. i understand setting pricing is a challenge in regards to making sure the area is in the black. a state area can't afford to have a year in the red for sure! but the price is definitely causing sticker shock, especially when compared to other state owned/run.

any ways, thanks for the follow up answer. i just wanted to voice the thoughts of your typical solo boston area skier. hopefully the challenge can work with information going both ways!
:cheers:

 

[FaceTime]

Super Sunday?

Sandy:

In your response you indicated no w/e discounts. Does this mean no Super Sundays in 04-05? Say it ain't so!!!