National Ski Council Federation Newsbeat
March 2018
Season Pass Face-Off Begins: Epic Vs. Ikon. The new Ikon Pass from Alterra Mountain Co. went out first, followed shortly by the Epic Pass from Vail Resorts. Here’s a comparison narrative to help make a decision which to buy. More. SnoCountry
Epic Pass Adds Resorts of the Canadian Rockies. Vail Resorts has unveiled a partnership with Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR) to include seven total days at RCR properties—Fernie, Kicking Horse, and Kimberly in B.C., Nakiska in Alberta, and Mont Sainte Anne and Stoneham in Quebec—on the Epic Pass. More. SAM
Epic Pass Adds Okemo, Mount Sunapee, and Crested Butte Mountain Resort. Vail Resorts launched sales for its 2018-19 Epic Pass products last week, but that didn’t stop it from entering a “long-term alliance” this week with Triple Peaks, LLC, adding the portfolio of Okemo, Vt., Mount Sunapee, N.H., and Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Colo., to next season’s Epic Pass. More. SAM
Copper Cuts Season Pass Cost, Plans Chairlift-Gondola Combo. The season pass battles are officially on for 2018-2019, and Copper Mountain has fired its salvo with an early-season pass priced about 25 percent lower than this season’s top price. The pass went on sale March 6 for $459 with an undetermined duration. Plus, a child skis or rides free if with a season pass-holding adult. Last year’s pass topped out at $599. More. SnoCountry
Killington to Invest $16 Million in Upgrades. A variety of projects will be taking place at Killington for the 2018-19 season, including the installation of a new six-passenger high-speed bubble chairlift, relocation of an existing quad chairlift, upgrades to the K-1 gondola, trail work, new RFID gates, and the addition of a Woodward Wrecktangle ninja obstacle course to its summer operations. More. SAM
Big Sky Resort to Install Eight-Passenger Bubble Lift. Big Sky Resort plans to install North America’s first eight-passenger chairlift ahead of the 2018-19 winter season. The “Ramcharger 8” will be a deluxe Doppelmayr D-line high-speed lift, featuring heated seats and blue bubbles. The new lift will replace the existing Ramcharger high-speed quad. More. SAM
Alterra Mountain Company Unveils $555 Million Capital Plan. Alterra Mountain Company will invest $555 million across its portfolio of 12 mountain resorts over the next five years, including $130 million for the 2018-19 winter season. More. SAM
Boyne Resorts to Buy Seven Properties from Oz Real Estate. Boyne Resorts has entered an agreement to acquire six mountain resorts and a scenic chairlift attraction that the company currently leases. Included in the transaction are Brighton Resort, Utah; Cypress Mountain, B.C.; Gatlinburg Sky Lift, Tenn.; Loon Mountain, N.H.; Sugarloaf and Sunday River, Maine; and The Summit at Snoqualmie, Wash. More. SAM
Bill in Congress would lead to quicker permitting for ski areas’ summer activities. Colorado ski areas seeking to expand or add new summertime activities would benefit from quicker permitting under a bill introduced in Congress by the Colorado’s two U.S. senators and by one of its House of Representatives members. More. Denver Business Journal via Google Alerts
Don’t Believe the Hype: Youth Snowboarding is Thriving. Last season, the number of youth snowboarders increased by 6 percent compared to the year prior, according to the 2017 “Participation Study,” published by SnowSports Industries America (SIA) and the Physical Activity Council. More. SIA
50-Year-Old Vail Local Skis 65,000 Vertical Feet, 38 Lift Rides and 80+ MPH in One Day. Fred Bacher decided to set himself a challenge and see how much vertical he could ski, how fast he could go, and how many chairlift rides he could accomplish in a single day’s skiing. More. SnowBrains
