If they were your wife's friends though and started after you got your wife into the sport, shouldn't you or your wife have been helping them know how to get deals? :smile:
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Sugarbush is being sold to Alterra...
- Thread starter mbedle
- Start date
If they were your wife's friends though and started after you got your wife into the sport, shouldn't you or your wife have been helping them know how to get deals? :smile:
mister moose
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Hopefully a surviving niche. Also Magic, Pico (sorta), Middlebury.
bdfreetuna
New member
The ones I liked I sure did and have been :lol:
BenedictGomez
Well-known member
I cant give you an answer in percentage terms, but there really are plenty of adults & groups who show up at the hill with literally no experience. Back in the sticker days, I voluntarily put plenty of lift tickets on "non-children" because I knew if I didn't I'd just be reprinting the tickets!
EDIT: Then there's the scores of tickets I clipped off because I noticed they put the wicket around the jacket's main zipper. The face-flapper special as I called it.
BenedictGomez
Well-known member
The Plattekill, Magic, MRG, Mont Sutton, and BV's of the world are my favorite places to ski. I havent been to BV in years, I need to return. I skied Sundance this year & loved it, same reason as all the aforementioned.
WWF-VT
Well-known member
First Timer to Life Timer Program: for ages 13+
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Tahoma,Calibri,Geneva,sans-serif]https://www.sugarbush.com/plan/deals/first-timer-to-life-timer-program/[/FONT]
Edd
Well-known member
So you’re basing this on your Stowe employee days some time ago (15-ish years?). I’d think the most cursory research would show the cheapest deal.
The beginner skier experience looks so unpleasant with rental equipment, wasted time, and awkward fittings. Cheap and easy is the way to grow the sport. I just don’t know how that gets done.
KustyTheKlown
Well-known member
that sugarbush first timer to life timer was amazing for my ex-girlfriend. she went from being someone who had never skied before, to being someone who goes on vacation to banff, long after we broke up. it was absurdly affordable, i want to say it was under $300 for a sequence of lessons with rentals that resulted in a free season pass after she completed the lesson sequence.
agreed that mt ellen should be kept rustic forever.
agreed that mt ellen should be kept rustic forever.
I was thinking that too. Now information is available literally in the palm of your hand with everyone having smartphones. I'm sure BG is right that there are some completely clueless people that are too lazy to do any research at all, but I also suspect that number is lower today than it was in the past when he last worked at a resort.
I know I mentioned this at some point in the past in another thread a long time ago, but I'd be curious to know the breakdown of "how" people enter the sport. What percent is introduced by their parents and start at a young age? What percent are introduced by friends (that can teach them how to look for deals)? What percent jump into it completely on their own? I'd think the first scenario is the largest followed by the second and finally the third. I started at a later age (freshman in HS), but it was still my dad that took me skiing and got me hooked (he just got back into the sport at that point after taking a break for ~20 years or so).
We love to say "how will new people enter the sport with these prices", but honestly, has anyone noticed how insanely popular the ski school programs are today? If we can keep those kids in the sport as they age, that's a very good start for sustainability. (I'm not saying we should ignore trying to get others in the sport that aren't introduced by their parents, but I also question if the outlook is as bleak as some predict. And the programs for others are out there, we just need to market them and educate people about them)
Nothing can ever get done in Slidebrook. That was part of the permit restriction when Les put in the SB express.
BenedictGomez
Well-known member
How old do you think I am? This was long after Al Gore invented the internet. I never had to hitch my horse to a post or re-tie leather bindings when I worked at Stowe.
I suspected you're around my age honestly (mid to late 30s). A lot has changed in just the last 5-10 years though.
slatham
Well-known member
Agree the options to ski the other resorts are weak (though improving every year) but Bromley for instance is very much a locals and second homeowner/renter Mountian. I am not sure people would take advantage of skiing the other, relatively small areas. I for one drive past Jiminy on every trip and have never been tempted to ski it again. The bigger question is whether they get on one of the other passes.
Smellytele
Well-known member
After the first year of skiing for these newbies how many return for the second year when the discounts go away?
Also how has the seasonal rentals but affected by VRBO? Have seasonal rental rates gone up? We used to do seasonal rentals in Jackson/North Conway back in the early 90's and now see week long rentals going for about 1/2 that. So 2 weeks of rentals bring in the same amount of what we used to pay for Nov 15-April 15.
Also how has the seasonal rentals but affected by VRBO? Have seasonal rental rates gone up? We used to do seasonal rentals in Jackson/North Conway back in the early 90's and now see week long rentals going for about 1/2 that. So 2 weeks of rentals bring in the same amount of what we used to pay for Nov 15-April 15.
B&B and VRBO have definitely taken seasonal rentals off the market which makes it harder for both guests and employees to find housing in the Valley. It has, however, opened more beds to day skiers. So this is a mixed blessing. It is a reason why we are having to find or build employee housing. This years we have around 130 beds available for employees and some more through our Tenant for Turns program.
Hawk
Well-known member
Win, is Friday going to be Sugarbush season pass holders only or both Sugarbush and Ikon passes? I have a friend with me this weekend who wants ski Friday.
Steve
Steve
WWF-VT
Well-known member
I hope and expect it's just for Sugarbush season pass holders
Yes. We will accept Ikon Passes on Friday. We believe that with both Valley House and Gate House going we will have enough lift capacity and terrain of open to both Sugarbush and Ikon Passholders. The forecast is looking a bit funky at this point, but hopefully we see snow on the mountain Friday am even if there is some rain in the Valley.
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