Killington/Pico tops 640,000 skier visits

[ski_resort_observer]

Huge article about the Steve/Chris show after their first year.

http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080713/NEWS01/807130426

 

[AdironRider]

Pretty good and well thought out article if you ask me. Its funny reading the comments from KZone, and Chris made a good point in that many in the area were indeed spoiled by the way ASC ran the company. ASC ran the company in a way that was not sustainable businesswise, and while it might have proven to be a benefit to locals, in the long term it was going to hurt the area. People need to realize this fact and deal with the reality of running an eastern ski resort in today's economic climate.

 

[TheBEast]

After skiing Killington at least a half a dozen times a year over the past 10 years or so, I didn't ski it once this year, and really didn't miss it. While the variety of terrain is great, it was time I felt to expand my horizons and skier visits to the other resorts of Vermont. We'll see what this winter brings with all the economic uncertainty ahead. I do think they're on the right path with the type of business things they're doing to right the skip at K and Pico, however hard that might be for locals to comprehend and adjust to. The days of $399 season passes are gone and more creative ways of being able to ski on the cheap are here!

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

At this rate Killington/Pico will be down to zero in about a decade..

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Wow the local motels/hotels/restaurants/retail establishments and other business's in the Rutland/Killington area are most likely hurting for certain..

 

[riverc0il]

Good for K. Great business plan, horrid PR plan. Hopefully they can get the PR piece together. Folks in the community that may be hurting should learn that you make a living by a specialized business, you die by a specialized business. You can't hold another business changing plans accountable for your lack of diversification. Economic factors and the whole supply and demand will have the ultimate say. You can't fault a business for doing what is in its and its customers best interest even if it hurts dependent businesses. You gotta move on and adjust.

 

[Rogman]

POWDR's approach, ignoring their impact on local businesses, has been short-sighted. It is a symbiotic relationship, with benefits going both ways. The Access Road, which is about as Vermont as a Florida strip mall, none-the-less significantly benefits the resort, by providing beds, beverages, and other activities not available on mountain. POWDR needs to smarten up and realize that they need the community as much as the community needs them. There is some evidence that they are starting to recognize that fact.

 

[deadheadskier]

I think Stowe will be a good litmus test in the coming years as to how a village at Killington might affect the access road businesses. It took Stowe a number of years to get the plan approved after much public concern that it would hurt business in town.

Killington at the very least should take a page out of Stowe's book and be generous with their pass offerings to people who work for local businesses who are chamber of commerce members. The last winter I had a pass in Stowe was 00-01 and a mid-week pass for such people was $250. I believe it's still available for around $400. That's just one nod towards the town folk. Killington will clearly have to do a ton of PR work to get the locals behind their plans.

 

[Geoff]

Good for K. Great business plan, horrid PR plan. Hopefully they can get the PR piece together. Folks in the community that may be hurting should learn that you make a living by a specialized business, you die by a specialized business. You can't hold another business changing plans accountable for your lack of diversification. Economic factors and the whole supply and demand will have the ultimate say. You can't fault a business for doing what is in its and its customers best interest even if it hurts dependent businesses. You gotta move on and adjust.

Yep. Killington's PR was a disaster last year.

What I've heard from people in the lodging, food & beverage, and retail business on the Access Road is that their winter was just fine. Condo rentals were strong from Christmas through March. The bottom fishers on $350 season passes and cheap ski club vouchers weren't spending much money in town. The restaurant people complain about all the Brits and Euripeans who don't tip.

I suspect the no-tell motels off the Access Road didn't do as well.

I think Killington is doing two things wrong... they really need to revisit their kid, family, and learn-to-ski pricing since that's vital to the long term health of the ski industry. They need to adopt a closing policy where they announce they'll spin the lifts as long as they can splice together a top-to-bottom way down the hill and as long as people keep showing up. I'd be fine with season passes running through, say, April 20th and having to buy day tickets, upgrade to a spring pass, or link the pass to a direct-to-lift credit card deal to fund May skiing. Most of the season pass base hangs it up in late-April. The people who ski in May should pay for it. That would make spring skiing profitable.

 

[Stache]

Dumb question maybe, does Stowe have anything like "The Bus"?

 

[Rogman]

They need to adopt a closing policy where they announce they'll spin the lifts as long as they can splice together a top-to-bottom way down the hill and as long as people keep showing up. I'd be fine with season passes running through, say, April 20th and having to buy day tickets, upgrade to a spring pass, or link the pass to a direct-to-lift credit card deal to fund May skiing. Most of the season pass base hangs it up in late-April. The people who ski in May should pay for it. That would make spring skiing profitable.

I agree. They might want to consider expanding their two-tiered approach: Blackout passes good through as you say April 20th, full passes are honored through the end of the season. It might induce more people to upgrade.

 

[Greg]

They need to adopt a closing policy where they announce they'll spin the lifts as long as they can splice together a top-to-bottom way down the hill and as long as people keep showing up. I'd be fine with season passes running through, say, April 20th and having to buy day tickets, upgrade to a spring pass, or link the pass to a direct-to-lift credit card deal to fund May skiing. Most of the season pass base hangs it up in late-April. The people who ski in May should pay for it. That would make spring skiing profitable.

I agree. They might want to consider expanding their two-tiered approach: Blackout passes good through as you say April 20th, full passes are honored through the end of the season. It might induce more people to upgrade.

Fantastic ideas and ones that seem to make a lot of sense. I can almost guarantee, however, that there will be some very vocal voices that will still complain about it if this was something they actually offered.

 

[skiadikt]

I agree. They might want to consider expanding their two-tiered approach: Blackout passes good through as you say April 20th, full passes are honored through the end of the season. It might induce more people to upgrade.

interesting idea. obviously some folks will be pissed but as a long time season pass holder (full), i kinda feel like "season pass" should mean "season" - for as long as the lifts are running. for the blackout passes, after april 20 it just becomes another blackout period. like you said more people might upgrade and there would be additional revenue from those blackout folks buying day tickets (perhaps at a discount).

unfortunately even for myself as one of the bigger loudmouths for may skiing, it's getting harder to "demand" as the price of energy explodes. all eastern ski areas are going to have to be very conservative with their snowmaking. i think we'll see them build only necessary base depths and perhaps sacrifice some trails (at k that would be ovation, vertigo, the fiddle ...). margins are gonna be squeezed since most areas have already priced their skiing for next season and especially if they haven't hedged their energy costs. if mama nature isn't as cooperative as last season, things could be very ugly ...

 

[RENO]

Season passes should be good Open till Close. We don't need Limited :???: Season passes, Spring passes, day tickets or any other gimmicks outside of the season passes. No ski area on the planet does that. :lol:

 

[deadheadskier]

Season passes should be good Open till Close. We don't need Limited :???: Season passes, Spring passes, day tickets or any other gimmicks outside of the season passes. No ski area on the planet does that. :lol:

in theory I agree

in practice if the only way to make May skiing profitable is to charge everyone, then I'm all for charging.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Dumb question maybe, does Stowe have anything like "The Bus"?

Huh..like a resort shuttle??? Or is that a place to get breakfast Burritos??

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Originally Posted by Stache View Post
Dumb question maybe, does Stowe have anything like "The Bus"?

Yup, they have had a public shuttle that picks up skiers at the motels along Rt 108 for years. It used to look like a trolly car but I haven't spent much time at Stowe for alot of years. It used to be run by the Stowe Association but it is now run by GMTA, same folks who run the MadBus here at the Bush.
http://www.gmtaride.org/main.php/show/Route?ROUTEID=Stowe Mtn Rd Shuttle

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Yup, they have had a public shuttle that picks up skiers at the motels along Rt 108 for years. It used to look like a trolly car but I haven't spent much time at Stowe for alot of years. It used to be run by the Stowe Association but it is now run by GMTA, same folks who run the MadBus here at the Bush.
http://www.gmtaride.org/main.php/show/Route?ROUTEID=Stowe Mtn Rd Shuttle

It's mostly used by the British tourists who lack cars...I feel like Stowe is a place where a car is neccasary...due to the lack of sidewalks and the rec path being covered in deep snow in the winter..

 

[that guy]

Season passes should be good Open till Close. We don't need Limited :???: Season passes, Spring passes, day tickets or any other gimmicks outside of the season passes. No ski area on the planet does that. :lol:

Isn't a blackout pass by definition "limited"

the last place I want to be skiing is at a resort during Christmas, MLK, or Presidents Week

 

[RENO]

Isn't a blackout pass by definition "limited"

the last place I want to be skiing is at a resort during Christmas, MLK, or Presidents Week

I mean "limited" season length. I have a blackout pass. Holiday skiing/riding sucks.