ikon pass details released

[Jully]

If you actually tried to back up your claim, you would see that on each of the mountain's Facebook pages that posted this deal, it is almost universally an AWFUL response from customers. I have gone through all the comments on Sugarloaf, Killington and Sunday River... not a single post in favor of the IKON Pass. The majority of the comments on the Teton Gravity Research FB Post are also negative, and that is a much broader audience than New England/East Coast. I think I saw 2 positive comments out of 50+ on TGR.

Hah...I hadn't thought of looking at the FB comments on the announcements. Was just looking at the ones on the Killington post about Icon and some are absolutely brutal. I did see one comment from someone on Killington's post that thought the new pass was great (but they travel out west a lot I gather from the resorts they were happy about).

the facebook comments on the eastern mountains are pretty funny. people are losing their shit. and the less informed (90% of the people out there, we're an outlier group of obsessives) are all like 'don't worry just get max again', lol.

i doubt the western places are getting any hate. if they are, its probably about the influx of easterners that will flood Jackson :razz:

RMSP passholders are actually upset. Seen quite a few of them posting on the main Ikon page. Also Mammoth passholders are pissed too (I think $899 is more than the Cali pass previously).

Unfortunately for Alterra, they likely were actually banking on grabbing a bunch of eastern visits out west. They are going to be disappointed I think. I know I might be getting the MCP depending on the mountains it has. Makes me think the MCP will go bye bye next year if it steals from Ikon too much.

 

[cdskier]

RMSP passholders are actually upset. Seen quite a few of them posting on the main Ikon page.

What are the RMSP passholders upset about? I don't see much that was taken away from them...but I do see a lot more they now would get. Not sure what the early rate on the RMSP was, but the Ikon Base at $599 basically gives unlimited access to the same resorts they had on the RMSP and then some...

 

[KustyTheKlown]

yea this seems the same as RMSP plus a lot more unless I'm missing something

RMSP may have been $459 early bird? so it could be a price bump gripe? but they get Jackson altabird etc. i guess CO homers don't feel the urge to travel as much...

 

[Jully]

What are the RMSP passholders upset about? I don't see much that was taken away from them...but I do see a lot more they now would get. Not sure what the early rate on the RMSP was, but the Ikon Base at $599 basically gives unlimited access to the same resorts they had on the RMSP and then some...

yea this seems the same as RMSP plus a lot more unless I'm missing something

RMSP may have been $459 early bird? so it could be a price bump gripe? but they get Jackson altabird etc. i guess CO homers don't feel the urge to travel as much...

I believe it was a bit under $500. That is probably the only gripe? Steamboat is now blacked out too, so they're stuck with Copper and WP (both get BIG crowds). Much less of a big deal than the change for easterners!

All in all I think it is just different. For us back east this is clearly designed to drive people out west, it is not meant to be a standalone eastern pass like MAX ended up being for many. If you're looking to ski less than 20 days back east and 20 or more days out west, this is probably a huge improvement over MAX.

Out west Alterra seems to be looking to steal market share from Vail through a bunch of perk days at other mountains.

 

[Zand]

Have to imagine with all the eastern hate on this pass, someone might look to swoop in and take advantage. This is Vail's big change to really pick up the eastern market.

 

[abc]

I believe it was a bit under $500. That is probably the only gripe? Steamboat is now blacked out too, so they're stuck with Copper and WP (both get BIG crowds). Much less of a big deal than the change for easterners!

Price is definitely an issue. I know quite a few people who got the RMSP and ski WP and Copper exclusively, but only a limited days. Their break-even point is now higher. Keep in mind when your home mountain is Copper+WP, you have it good and there's really not a whole lot of motivation to go ski anywhere else. So it's a pure price increase for no good benefit.

The black out on Steamboat also hurts some. I used to get the RMSP and spent Christmas at Steamboat, the only mountain that has reasonable lines and very often GOOD EARLY SEASON SNOW! Granted, since I travel to other mountains so I'll deal with losing SB over Christmas. But for Denver locals, again it's a pure lose.

What I think quite likely to happen, is SOME of those complainers WILL drive to Aspen for those 5 days. And they WILL change their mind about the balance of the new pass!

Alterra is probably banking on some of them being impressed by Aspen they may even go all the way to Jackson and Big Sky.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

same distance approximately denver>steamboat and denver>aspen, no?

 

[xlr8r]

Put me in the camp of MAX pass holder (for the last 3 seasons) that is not going to buy Ikon. The brilliance of MAX was its simplicity, every mountain had 5 days, every mountain had no blackouts, every mountain was effectively treated the same on the pass. The no blackouts was huge and allowed for so much flexibility, I play my ski planning in the east week to week, and sometimes day to day. MAX allowed me to go to Vermont for a weekend if there were great conditions, go to New Hampshire if I just needed a day trip, or go to Wachusett if I just needed an escape for a few hours. Ikon is way too complex in comparison. Forcing you to plan ahead and is designed to be limiting in comparison to the flexibility of MAX.

Have to imagine with all the eastern hate on this pass, someone might look to swoop in and take advantage. This is Vail's big change to really pick up the eastern market.

I agree that there is probably another shoe to drop. Some possiblilities:

Crested Butte as it stands now has been completely left out of the Colorado pass wars, so Triple Peaks could be joining up with Epic possibly similar to what Telluride did. Which would then put Okemo and Sunapee on Epic.

Mountain Collective supposedly is still going to happen for 18/19 but almost all current MC areas are now on Ikon. This leads me to believe MC will look very different next year. The only MC mountains in North America not on Ikon are Snowbasin, Sun Valley, and Taos.

 

[Zand]

Put me in the camp of MAX pass holder (for the last 3 seasons) that is not going to buy Ikon. The brilliance of MAX was its simplicity, every mountain had 5 days, every mountain had no blackouts, every mountain was effectively treated the same on the pass. The no blackouts was huge and allowed for so much flexibility, I play my ski planning in the east week to week, and sometimes day to day. MAX allowed me to go to Vermont for a weekend if there were great conditions, go to New Hampshire if I just needed a day trip, or go to Wachusett if I just needed an escape for a few hours. Ikon is way too complex in comparison. Forcing you to plan ahead and is designed to be limiting in comparison to the flexibility of MAX.



I agree that there is probably another shoe to drop. Some possiblilities:

Crested Butte as it stands now has been completely left out of the Colorado pass wars, so Triple Peaks could be joining up with Epic possibly similar to what Telluride did. Which would then put Okemo and Sunapee on Epic.

Mountain Collective supposedly is still going to happen for 18/19 but almost all current MC areas are now on Ikon. This leads me to believe MC will look very different next year. The only MC mountains in North America not on Ikon are Snowbasin, Sun Valley, and Taos.

Haha I originally included Okemo and Sunapee in my post initially in that they might be the first to find some kind of new pass group. Epic would make bank if they had those 2, Jay, and Burke.

 

[Smellytele]

Haha I originally included Okemo and Sunapee in my post initially in that they might be the first to find some kind of new pass group. Epic would make bank if they had those 2, Jay, and Burke.

I would buy in on that.

 

[elks]

Not very appealing. Still like the Peaks Pass option a lot better... assuming it doesn't change from the past 2 seasons.

 

[MEtoVTSkier]

They don't want you to ski in the Northeast, they want you to travel west, so you can spend all the rest of your money on accommodations, food booze e.c.t. vs. day-tripping in the Northeast.

 

[JimG.]

Oh I completely agree with you there...was just pointing out why it is the way it is as I've seen numerous comments from people wishing somewhere else in the east was the unlimited option. The problem is Alterra doesn't own any other resorts in New England.

All good; happy it worked out this way.

My best 5 days this season were either at K or Pico.

 

[Jully]

I would buy in on that.

I can't imagine the crowds at Sunapee if it went Epic. It would be convenient, but also potentially dreadful.

 

[Jully]

Not very appealing. Still like the Peaks Pass option a lot better... assuming it doesn't change from the past 2 seasons.

Peaks now has a lock on the most variety in the east. Favorite part of Peaks is that it offers uncrowded options. Other passes really don't have that. Burke would be a welcome addition to Ikon or may be Epic, though unclear what the crowd situation would become if that addition happened.

 

[abc]

They don't want you to ski in the Northeast, they want you to travel west, so you can spend all the rest of your money on accommodations, food booze e.c.t. vs. day-tripping in the Northeast.

I think there's some truth in that.

At the minimum, they want skier demographic that are in the habit of traveling to destination resorts. MAX may be great for skiing locally. But where's the profit in that?

Of the northeast mountains, which are the closest destination resorts? Stowe, K'mart are the best known. So is Tramblant. Sugarbush is working its way up that rank. Stratton and Okemo on the other hand, are largely second home owners who will not travel. The rest of the formerly MAX participants are all day trip mountains. Sure there're some who will travel. But the percentage aren't nearly the same as those who ski at Stowe and K. Those are the captive audience Ikon and Epic want!

 

[deadheadskier]

What I find most interesting is that of all the Eastern options on the pass it's Stratton that offered unlimited days. Stratton is the area on the pass with the greatest problem with crowds with perhaps Loon coming in a close second. I guess the thought is that Stratton draws the demographic of skier most likely able to afford multiple trips west each season.

IMO the Ikon is definitely a step down in quality for someone who wants to ski in the East exclusively. Great to see Sugarbush on there, but that doesn't make up for the reduction of other areas.

I didn't read the full information. Is Ikon adding an add on option like Maxx did?

Sent from my XT1635-01 using AlpineZone mobile app

 

[Zermatt]

What I find most interesting is that of all the Eastern options on the pass it's Stratton that offered unlimited days. Stratton is the area on the pass with the greatest problem with crowds with perhaps Loon coming in a close second. I guess the thought is that Stratton draws the demographic of skier most likely able to afford multiple trips west each season.

IMO the Ikon is definitely a step down in quality for someone who wants to ski in the East exclusively. Great to see Sugarbush on there, but that doesn't make up for the reduction of other areas.

I didn't read the full information. Is Ikon adding an add on option like Maxx did?

Sent from my XT1635-01 using AlpineZone mobile app

What did a full season pass cost at Stratton this season?

This seems like a bargain for them and especially for kids. Can’t see how this doesn’t add to the crowds at Stratton.

 

[Smellytele]

I didn't read the full information. Is Ikon adding an add on option like Maxx did?

Sent from my XT1635-01 using AlpineZone mobile app

I didn't see that option but I was wondering the same thing.

 

[LookinForTreeS]

What did a full season pass cost at Stratton this season?

This seems like a bargain for them and especially for kids. Can’t see how this doesn’t add to the crowds at Stratton.

The strattitude pass was 380 dollars. For ages 18-31. Mine came with a $50 voucher for any of the shops there too