The Future of the Ski Industry

[Highway Star]

 

[mbedle]

LOL - just sitting back, having a drink and enjoying the show....

 

[skiNEwhere]

I'm just using cars to illustrate that the consumer price index needs to be looked at in relation to minimum wage, I'm not trying to argue what types of cars people buy, or if they're new or used. Average obviously means some cost more, some cost less. Im sure all these high end, tricked out SUV's and pick-ups are somewhat responsible for skewing the 31k average for the price of cars today.

$4,500 by the way, would buy you a new Camaro in 1978 with base options, which IMHO is a lot cooler car than a Versa

 

[St. Bear]

Here's your 4k 1978-mobile for comparison

I'd be more interested in the space ship in the background.

 

[skiNEwhere]

I'll take one of these thank you very much

 

[BenedictGomez]

the consumer price index needs to be looked at in relation to minimum wage

Why?

That would be useful if you wanted to compare what a 17 year old working the fry grill at MCD could afford in 1984 versus 2014, but not too useful for ski industry economics. I think you're confusing minimum wage versus CPI with median income versus the CPI. Median Income is down a whopping 8% in the last 7 years. Wages are stagnating, raises are rare, and people who lost their jobs and have been fortunate enough to find a new one are generally either being hired for less than their previous salary or forced to work part-time. All negative indicators for spending in general, and certainly for discretionary (i.e. ski) spending.

I'd be more interested in the space ship in the background.

I stared at that for a good 20 seconds before giving up. I still have no idea what it is.

 

[skiNEwhere]

I'm thinking this may be more up you alley. Judging by the length of that sub, you could probably all your pairs of ski's in there too!

 

[skiNEwhere]

Why?

That would be useful if you wanted to compare what a 17 year old working the fry grill at MCD could afford in 1984 versus 2014, but not too useful for ski industry economics. I think you're confusing minimum wage versus CPI with median income versus the CPI. Median Income is down a whopping 8% in the last 7 years. Wages are stagnating, raises are rare, and people who lost their jobs and have been fortunate enough to find a new one are generally being hired for less than their previous salary. All negative indicators for spending in general, and certainly for discretionary (i.e. ski) spending.



I stared at that for a good 20 seconds before giving up. I still have no idea what it is.

I'm not trying to compare against medium income. I'm trying to compare against how affordable skiing is for those making minimum wage. My mom skied as a self-employed struggling artist in the 70's, she didn't "make" minimum wage per se but she could find ways to afford skiing. Today that's impossible on minimum wage.

I'm just showing that by looking at minimum wage vs. CPI, we can see how more of each paycheck is allocated on the necessities, and less on disposable income.

This is just one variable though.

 

[Not Sure]

$4,500 by the way, would buy you a new Camaro in 1978 with base options, which IMHO is a lot cooler car than a Versa[/QUOTE]
Camaro...nice car indeed....Jarred a funny memory from my youth.
Camaro pulls up to a four way stop by a general store ...2 guys walking tword a hopped up Gremlin ...exchange stares.
Camaro pulls out laying rubber....2 guys look at each other ,run to Gremlin jump in and punch it doing a sharpe U turn and ...Boom engine blows up ...car rolls to a slow stop by the sign.....Me and my buddies rolled on the ground laughing at the site.

 

[dlague]

Then why are revenues up also?

Look at Stowe's lift ticket increase as an example! pretty logical

 

[St. Bear]

I love life and I truely think that good times are here and are in the cards for the future...but winters, no matter how they cook the books, are nothing like they were as far as consistency and longevity of the 40s-60s. Thus...the resorts are the future, unless the jetstream settles down...and the resorts are imho simply robber barons. Things would be a lot better if resorts' max passes were set at a % of one's income...for Everybody. They'd make a LOT more $$$...and more people would have the opportunity to ski as much as they want...society would be a much healthier one, mentally and physically....and if the wealthy wouldn't partake in visiting the resorts as much...ts.

You have to take what a guy like Joe Bastardi says with a grain of salt. That being said, he's not the only one who I've heard say that we're heading towards a cooler overall climate similar to the 50's-70's.

 

[bigbog]

I'm bullish on the industry, but (as in an earlier version..LOL) I'd like to see us all get cards with chips in them, a portion devoted to maintaining the figures on our previous year's earnings...and have resorts charge on a % of those earnings for Passes for Everyone, instead of a fixed figure...being small change for the wealthy and a month's earnings for some. Have often thought it would make it a more civil society for all...imho, just my $.01. Look at the numbers and imho resorts would make more $$$. I don't see where anyone could reject that win-win...y/n?..instead of just blindly raising taxes on the wealthier.

 

[BenedictGomez]

winters, no matter how they cook the books, are nothing like they were as far as consistency and longevity of the 40s-60s.

Irrespective of the fact I have no idea what (or who) you mean by "cooking the books", last winter was one of the coldest and snowiest in the last 100 years.

the resorts are imho simply robber barons. Things would be a lot better if resorts' max passes were set at a % of one's income...for Everybody. They'd make a LOT more $$$...

No, they wouldn't.

society would be a much healthier one, mentally and physically....and if the wealthy wouldn't partake in visiting the resorts as much...ts.

Yes, if only we could do something to keep those "evil" wealthy people who work hard to earn their money away from the resorts. Wouldn't life be grand then? Good Lord in heaven, you sound like one of those hypocritical losers from Occupy Wall Street.

 

[BenedictGomez]

You have to take what a guy like Joe Bastardi says with a grain of salt. That being said, he's not the only one who I've heard say that we're heading towards a cooler overall climate similar to the 50's-70's.

St. Bear says the above.....

Yeah...agree about what our present has potential to produce St.Bear! Think instead of being wishy-washy about how friendly the Iraqi gov't is to its people...we should've stood our ground, locked up all the scam artists in Iraq and made it a state...

And this is the response.........Happy Hour just ended?

 

[BenedictGomez]

I'd like to see us all get cards with chips in them, a portion devoted to maintaining the figures on our previous year's earnings...and have resorts charge on a % of those earnings for Passes for Everyone, instead of a fixed figure.............a month's earnings for some.

 

[Not Sure]

Lets see how this works out.http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/ri...mployees-unlimited-vacation/story?id=25696231

 

[SkiFanE]

I'm not a big financial whiz, and not fulling informed of all the posts in this thread. But you can't compare 2014 ski experience with 1970s. I started skiing in 1970 and have only missed a few winters in between. Except for a few 'big' areas in VT and NH, everything was small time in the 70s. Skiied in your jeans (no special expensive gear). Knit hats, my mom made those and my ski mittens. I had hand-me-down gear and went on the school bus after school to the tiny feeder hill in town next door. Rope tows, fed by an old Ford. There was the expert trail with the super fast rope tow (that crapped out your clothes), and 2 small ones and a T-bar. Went to to a bigger moutain in NH (Crotched) in 1980 or so...slowest chair lift, waits were 30-45 mins for a small run. Snowmaking? Hmm... maybe a few guns here and there...dont remember much at all. Many icy lean snow years.

If things werre like that today, you could afford it. But skiers now demand more...so price HAS to go up - how can you have detachables and grooming and snowmaking with same dollars? You're high. When I graduated college my first professional job was not much more than minimum wage lol. Not enough money to pay for skiing and living on my own - so I picked up a second job in a liquor store - first 6 months I saved for new gear, then thru the winter it paid for my tickets. You find a way. Maybe skiing is a motivator to working hard...work the fryolater at McD as a career and dont ski, or get a skill/trade/reputation and pull yourself up to a better paying job so you can ski? Or get a second job? The small mountains in maine are dying...noone wants to go, even though you could probably afford it as a fryolator guy. Peoples baseline criteria for skiing is exponentially greater than it was when i was a kid... Honestly I don't know how I could ski in such crappy gear, without being cold...or maybe I was but the memories fade in the aura of skiing...but people nowadays cannot take such conditions.

I'm not trying to compare against medium income. I'm trying to compare against how affordable skiing is for those making minimum wage. My mom skied as a self-employed struggling artist in the 70's, she didn't "make" minimum wage per se but she could find ways to afford skiing. Today that's impossible on minimum wage.

I'm just showing that by looking at minimum wage vs. CPI, we can see how more of each paycheck is allocated on the necessities, and less on disposable income.

This is just one variable though.

 

[steamboat1]

When I first got my drivers license at 16ish I went to VT. for weekends from NYC. 2 days lift tickets, 2 nights lodging, food, gas & partying Saturday night I'd still come home with change from $100.

 

[spring_mountain_high]

Yes, if only we could do something to keep those "evil" wealthy people who work hard to earn their money away from the resorts. Wouldn't life be grand then? Good Lord in heaven, you sound like one of those hypocritical losers from Occupy Wall Street.

do you really believe that all, or even most, wealthy people 'work hard' to 'earn' their money

 

[mister moose]

do you really believe that all, or even most, wealthy people 'work hard' to 'earn' their money

All? No, there are exceptions which fuel your shortsighted, judgmental opinion. Yes, most do.

Although I'm sure you think most bosses just sit around with their feet up, telling everyone what to do, and they got there by luck or graft, and you could do a better job than your boss, or even his boss, and that the farther up the ladder you get, the easier it is.