![]() While they have remained relatively tight lipped about their intentions, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them unveil a multi-resort pass in an attempt to replicate Vail’s success. ![]() ![]() Aspen Ski Company along with KSL Capital Partners and Intrawest recently joined forces to purchase Mammoth Resorts. Vail’s approach to the ski industry is ruthlessly effective and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. And while their customers may be saving money on lift tickets, they are paying for it big time in other areas. Vail has vertically integrated their resorts in such a way to capture every single dollar that guests spend over the course of their vacation. When these people arrive at the airport they are being picked up in a Vail owned shuttle, staying at a Vail owned hotel, eating at a Vail owned restaurant, and skiing on rental equipment from you guessed it- a Vail owned rental shop. With each new acquisition, Vail increases its number of season pass holders and in turn increases the number of visits to their resorts. This idea of an affordable season pass across several mountains seemed ludicrous at first, but Vail saw the big picture they realized that lift tickets are only a piece of the pie. In case you needed any proof that their model is working- over 650,000 EPIC passes were sold for the 2016/17 season netting a whopping $525 million (and that’s before they sold a single cheeseburger)! When skiers from those cities plan their winter vacation away from their home resort, they’re most likely doing so at another Vail Resort. With unlimited access to 15 resorts on the pass for the 2017/18 season, Vail has cast its net over Northern California, Denver, Salt Lake, Boston, Minneapolis, Detroit, Chicago, and Vancouver. In addition to purchasing resort destinations, they made a number of strategic mountain purchases near large population centers which, by adding those resorts to the Epic Pass, has massively increased their consumer base. Fast forward ten years and they have amplified this strategy with incredible effect. When it came time for them to book a ski vacation away from home, many were making the trip to Lake Tahoe (or vice versa). Their pass holders not only had access to five mountains in Colorado, but Heavenly in California as well. When Vail introduced the EPIC pass in 2008, they changed the game. So when it comes time to purchase our season pass, we froth at the options that offer unlimited skiing at a multitude of resorts- all for less than what a season pass cost ten years ago. We envy our buddy who just posted about their epic day at Whistler on Instagram, and we want to experience the same. In addition to taking weekend trips to our local ski hill, we now want to ski new and exciting places. Technology has fueled our desire to travel farther from home than any generation before us. Our use of social media and access to affordable transcontinental flights not only keeps our loved ones accessible, but the entire world. Millennials are connected constantly in a way no previous generation has been (often times to a fault). Before I offer more of my opinion on Vail as a company, however, I want to highlight what I see as a growing trend in the industry and what it could mean going forward. As a lifelong skier I have reaped the benefits of lightning fast lifts and dedicated patrol, but as a current resident of Vail I must admit I feel resentment towards the corporatization of our sport. Since Vail unveiled its multi-mountain pass ten years ago as the centerpiece of its growth strategy, they have become the most powerful ski company in the world. ‘Minnie’ Dole founding the National Ski Patrol in 1938, Doppelmayr constructing the world’s first detachable quad in 1981, and most recently Vail Resorts introducing the EPIC pass in 2008. ![]() In the history of skiing there are a handful of events that have unequivocally shaped the industry into what it is today.
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