Vail Resorts acquires Kirkwood

[kickstand]

This opens up some interesting options in the Tahoe area

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20120222/NEWS/120229960/1078&ParentProfile=1055

 

[Nick]

Vail Resorts buys Kirkwood

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20120222/NEWS/120229960/1078&ParentProfile=1055

BROOMFIELD, Colo. — Vail Resorts, Inc. today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Kirkwood Mountain Resort at Lake Tahoe, Calif., recognized by skiers and snowboarders as offering some of the best high alpine advanced terrain in North America. Vail Resorts is purchasing the ski resort as well as the undeveloped sites at the center of the base area which are zoned for residential and commercial development for a purchase price of approximately $18.0 million. The seller will retain a participation interest in the base area parcels and will continue to own the remainder of the real estate development sites. Following the acquisition, Vail Resorts will now operate three world-class mountain resorts in the Lake Tahoe region which between them offer the entire breadth of the skiing and riding experience, including Heavenly Mountain Resort in South Lake Tahoe, Northstar California on the north shore and Kirkwood Mountain Resort.

Ski Stef / VDK - time for another road trip??

As of today, Epic Pass and Epic Local Pass holders will have unrestricted access to ski and ride Kirkwood.

 

[Nick]

Damn you beat me too it. Gonna merge my thread into this one.

 

[snoseek]

Any reason I had to stay in Tahoe just evaporated.

With that said the Epicpass just gained a whole lot more cred points. Vail reorts needed a place like Kirkwood but I'm not so sure Kirkwood needs a place Like Vail Resorts. I carry passes to both so I could essentially throw one in the trash can...

 

[ski stef]

Interesting! Thanks for the heads up..Would be a fun trip to head that way and hit those mountains

 

[2knees]

Any reason I had to stay in Tahoe just evaporated.

With that said the Epicpass just gained a whole lot more cred points. Vail reorts needed a place like Kirkwood but I'm not so sure Kirkwood needs a place Like Vail Resorts. I carry passes to both so I could essentially throw one in the trash can...

Are you saying this because Vail needed something with more teeth in their portfolio? I've skied kirkwood but not vail. Only thing I can say about kirkwood is there is alot of stuff there i wouldnt even think about attempting.

 

[snoseek]

Are you saying this because Vail needed something with more teeth in their portfolio? I've skied kirkwood but not vail. Only thing I can say about kirkwood is there is alot of stuff there i wouldnt even think about attempting.

Yeah Vail/BC/Breck/Heavenly are all a good time but Kirkwood is in a different league than any of their resorts as far as chutes/shit to jump off ect....and its the kind of terrain that pushes you to ski stuff a little steeper. Keystone doesn't have that effect on me

 

[thetrailboss]

Interesting.....

 

[snowmonster]

Can we convince Vail to buy an eastern mountain so we can have a pass that has reciprocal rights to ski in CO and CA?

 

[jimmywilson69]

Can we convince Vail to buy an eastern mountain so we can have a pass that has reciprocal rights to ski in CO and CA?

I am sure the Killington People would love that until they shut down Killington at easter every year!

 

[thetrailboss]

Is it me or does $18 mill seem small?

 

[jimmywilson69]

Is it me or does $18 mill seem small?

Maybe Vail is eating some debt as well.

Hell if I would've won the powerball, I could've bought Kirkwood then the AZ summit could've been there!

 

[deadheadskier]

Doesn't Kirkwood have utility issues (water/electricity) that really limits the amount of development they can do without improving that infrastructure? Thought I read that somewhere.

Perhaps that was the reason for the sale and the cheap price. Maybe the former Kirkwood owners didn't have the capital to improve infrastructure like Vail would be capable of.

 

[thetrailboss]

Maybe Vail is eating some debt as well.

Hell if I would've won the powerball, I could've bought Kirkwood then the AZ summit could've been there!

That must be part of the deal. I just looked at the trail map since I only know of its reputation but nothing specific. Two HSQ's and a lot of great terrain.

 

[Nick]

Maybe Vail is eating some debt as well.

Hell if I would've won the powerball, I could've bought Kirkwood then the AZ summit could've been there!

That would have been something, ha!

 

[AdironRider]

Doesn't Kirkwood have utility issues (water/electricity) that really limits the amount of development they can do without improving that infrastructure? Thought I read that somewhere.

Perhaps that was the reason for the sale and the cheap price. Maybe the former Kirkwood owners didn't have the capital to improve infrastructure like Vail would be capable of.

This is why its so cheap. Every ounce of power is from a generator. No utilities are run that a ways.

 

[vdk03]

Vail resorts are making moves, even more of reason for another road trip. I also heard that Vail tried to make a move on Copper this year, but got shut down. Building quite the monopoly.

 

[snoseek]

At the same time good things could come out of this. Kirkwood has some infrastructure issues along with the power issue as mentioned. There is tremendous potential with this mountain....also they get a LOT of snow (not so much this year) and with that Vail could carve out a real player in the Tahoe market.

Where do i go to get away from vail resorts for the remainder of the season? I wish i picked up a sierra pass now!!!

 

[thetrailboss]

I wonder if the bad snow season was another factor in the low price?