Taxing the Mountain: Vail Resorts’ Blended Sales Tax Angers New Hampshire Residents A quiet policy change is generating loud complaints in the Granite State. When Vail Resorts disclosed in its investor presentation that it would begin separately charging a blended sales tax of approximately 3.2% on all multi-resort Epic Pass products, the company framed it as a compliance realignment — a tidy housekeeping exercise to bring its pricing architecture in line with […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | April 18, 2026 2 Comments
Vail Resorts Challenges Lawsuit Threatening Key Park City, UT, Chairlifts The legal battle over the slopes at Park City Mountain is intensifying as Vail Resorts moves to shut down a lawsuit that could potentially halt operations at two major ski lifts. According to reporting by The Park Record, the resort operator filed a motion last week to dismiss a complaint brought forward by UI Charitable Advisors, a Provo-based nonprofit that claims […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | April 16, 2026 4 Comments
Are You Owed Money? Vail Resorts Ski Instructor Wage Lawsuit Deadline Is Tomorrow — April 15 A critical deadline is fast approaching in the Vail Resorts ski instructor wage lawsuit. Eligible workers have until Wednesday, April 15, to opt in to Quint et al. v. Vail Resorts, Inc.—Civil Action No. 20-cv-03569. The case is currently before the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, presided over by Judge Daniel D. Domenico. Related: 3 Employees File Lawsuit […] Industry News Jacqui Davis | April 14, 2026 0 Comments
Vail Resorts Angers Swiss Locals After Closing Crans-Montana Early Despite Strong Conditions The lifts have stopped spinning, but emotions are still running high at Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Local Swiss skiers and business owners are angry that the Swiss resort owned and operated by U.S. conglomerate Vail Resorts ended its 2025–26 ski season on Easter Monday, despite excellent snow conditions. A Change.org petition launched roughly two weeks before the shutdown gathered more than 1,200 […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | April 8, 2026 0 Comments
Shaydar Edelmann Is the New Vail Mountain COO and He Comes With 25 Years of Credentials Vail Mountain has announced a major leadership change at the COO level. Beth Howard, Vice President and Vail Mountain COO since 2019, is retiring after a 41-year career that helped define the modern ski and hospitality experience across Vail Resorts‘ flagship mountains. Shaydar Edelmann has been named her successor, appointed Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. The announcement marks a […] Industry News SnowBrains | April 8, 2026 0 Comments
Vail Mountain, CO, Announces Abrupt April 8 Closing Day — 11 Days Earlier Than Planned Vail Mountain Closing Day 2026 Moved Up to April 8 Vail Mountain, Colorado’s, closing day 2026 is Wednesday, April 8 — pulled forward 11 days from its previously projected April 19 date, as warm temperatures and true spring conditions decimate the snowpack. Related: Which Ski Resorts are Still Open in the West? — Closing Dates of Remaining Resorts The resort […] Industry News Noah Wehrman | April 4, 2026 0 Comments
Antitrust Lawsuit Alleges Vail Resorts and Alterra Inflated Lift Ticket Prices to Force Season Pass Sales A new federal class action lawsuit filed on March 23 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado is taking direct aim at the business model that has come to define modern skiing in North America. The complaint targets Vail Resorts and Alterra Mountain Company—the two dominant players behind the Epic Pass and Ikon Pass—alleging that both companies […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | March 25, 2026 0 Comments
Vail Resorts Opens an Official Online Merch Store Covering 15 Iconic Ski Resorts New Vail Resorts store debuts with official branded merchandise from 15 world-class resorts, including Vail Mountain, Whistler Blackcomb, Breckenridge, and Park City Mountain. Guests can now shop merchandise from their favorite resorts year-round from anywhere in the United States. Vail Resorts has announced a new online retail store for official resort and Epic-branded apparel and accessories. Available now at EpicShop.com, […] Gear SnowBrains | March 23, 2026 0 Comments
Rob Katz Buys $5 million in Vail Stock on Monday with No Plan to Fix Reputation Issues It is no secret that Vail Resorts’ stock price has been struggling for years. After peaking in November 2021, the stock price is now worth roughly a third of what it was after a relentless five-year decline. Vail Daily reported that Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz recently purchased roughly $5 million in Vail Resorts stock, bringing his holdings to almost […] Industry News Zach Armstrong | March 19, 2026 0 Comments
Vail Resorts Scraps $50 My Epic Gear Membership Fee and Rolls Premium Rentals Out to Everyone Vail Resorts unveils plans to transform the rentals experience for every skier and rider; a multi-year roadmap to bring more choice, convenience, and personalization to all gear rentals Next season, anyone renting Demo skis or snowboards can pick their model from the best gear selection online across 12 resorts, and get premium gear technologies like BOA® ski boots; these features […] Gear SnowBrains | March 17, 2026 0 Comments
Park City, UT, Billionaire Matthew Prince Takes Aim at Vail Resorts After Earnings Shortfall Park City, Utah, local billionaire and Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince is once again expressing interest in purchasing Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR) from Vail Resorts, arguing he could drastically improve the experience for guests and employees. Related: A Battle for Park City Mountain, UT: Billionaire Matthew Prince vs. Vail Resorts Empire On March 9, Vail Resorts reported lower-than-expected Q2 earnings. Prince […] Industry News Luke W. Smith | March 15, 2026 6 Comments
National Avalanche Center Releases Full Report on Solo Backcountry Skier Killed in Avalanche Near Vail Pass, CO A solo backcountry skier died on March 7, 2026, after triggering an unintentional hard-slab avalanche in the south fork of Resolution Creek, Colorado, locally known as Boss Basin near Vail Pass. The incident occurred on a northeast-facing slope where the skier was making his second descent of the day. The National Avalanche Center has released an official report detailing the […] Avalanche Martin Kuprianowicz | March 13, 2026 1 Comment
How The Epic Pass Changed Skiing: A Data Driven History of Vail Resorts Rob Katz, CEO of Vail Resorts, recently gave an interview to the Wall Street Journal where he discussed Vail’s strategic shift from day tickets to season pass revenues, and the subsequent rise in ticket prices and crowding across Vail’s wide collection of ski resorts. The story of the megapass revolution has been told several times over, but details remain murky […] Brains Zach Armstrong | March 13, 2026 2 Comments
Vail Resorts Profits Fall as Poor Snowfall Puts Damper on 2025-26 Season Vail Resorts reported its quarterly earnings for Q2 of the 2026 fiscal year ended January 31. According to the press release and 10Q filing from March 9, the company has been struggling with the historically low snowfall affecting many of its key resorts, resulting in lower quarterly earnings and lower visitation numbers. Chief executive Rob Katz described the winter as […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | March 12, 2026 0 Comments
Cali Pass Launches 2026-27 Sale With Spring Riding Available Immediately at 4 California Resorts The Cali Pass is now on sale, offering skiers and snowboarders early-bird pricing for the 2026-27 season and, for the first time, a dedicated pass tier for college students. Related: The Cali Pass Breathes Life Back Into Skiing Early-bird prices are available through April 30. Buyers who purchase now can begin riding immediately this spring at Bear Valley, Dodge Ridge, […] Industry News SnowBrains | March 11, 2026 0 Comments
Last Seats Available: Join Miles Clark for Heli-Skiing in Alaska This April With Pulseline Adventure Heli-skiing in Alaska sits at the very top of many skiers’ lifetime bucket lists—endless glaciated terrain, deep maritime snowpacks, and dramatic spines rising straight from the sea. This spring, a small number of remaining seats are still available for a guided trip with professional freeskier and SnowBrains founder Miles Clark through Pulseline Adventure, which has one available window left on […] Offer Martin Kuprianowicz | March 9, 2026 0 Comments
Skier Killed in Avalanche Near Vail Pass, CO, Marking State’s 1st Avalanche Fatality of 2025–26 Season A skier was killed in an avalanche in the Boss Basin area near Vail Pass in Colorado’s backcountry, marking the first avalanche fatality of the 2025–26 winter season in the state. Related: Avalanche Near Kootenay Pass, BC, Kills 23-Year-Old Snowmobiler According to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC), the skier was reported missing on Saturday evening, March 7. According to […] Avalanche AvyBrains | March 8, 2026 0 Comments
Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz Opens Up About Expensive Lift Tickets, Crowding In Wall Street Journal Interview In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz gave some insight into how he and Vail Resorts view high ticket prices, crowding, and dwindling Epic Pass sales. Katz seldom gives interviews, so his conversation with WSJ Correspondent Roberto Ferdman gives a rare glimpse into his thinking on some of the more contentious issues facing […] Industry News Zach Armstrong | March 1, 2026 31 Comments
California Snowboarder Sues Vail-Owned Retailer, Gear Makers After Severe Eye Injury at Keystone, CO A California snowboarder has filed a lawsuit alleging defective equipment contributed to a catastrophic facial injury he suffered during a crash at Keystone Resort in 2024. According to court records first reported by The Denver Post, Duncan McDonald, of Los Angeles, filed the complaint Tuesday in Colorado’s 17th Judicial District Court through attorneys with The Komyatte Law Firm in Golden. […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | February 27, 2026 4 Comments
Vail, CO, Finally Opens Legendary Back Bowls in Early February, Marking One of the Latest Openings in Modern History After months of waiting, side-eyeing snow totals, and watching storms miss Colorado altogether, Vail Mountain officially cracked the gate to its Legendary Back Bowls and Blue Sky Basin this week—in what stands as one of the latest Back Bowl openings in the modern era. In a post shared on Vail’s Facebook page Thursday, the resort announced a limited opening of […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | February 6, 2026 0 Comments
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