Industry News
In the ongoing “Battle of the Passes’, Vail Resorts yesterday announced the addition of Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado, Okemo Mountain Resort in Vermont, and Mount Sunapee Resort in New Hampshire to the Epic Pass in a long-term alliance beginning with the 2018-19 winter season. This brings the Epic Pass to 64 mountain resorts around the world.
Epic, Epic Local, and Epic Australia will receive seven days of skiing and snowboarding with no blackout dates at each of the three resorts for a total of 21 days. Epic 7-Day pass holders can use any or all seven of their total days and Epic 4-Day pass holders can use any or all four of their total days of skiing and snowboarding with no blackout dates at the three resorts.
As we approach the end of the current season, announcements like these are becoming a near weekly occurrence. The question now is not if Vail Resorts or Alterra Mountain Company will add more resorts to their Epic and Ikon passes for next season, but rather who will be next.
It might only be the middle of March, but next winter’s pass wars are already well underway.
The press release in its entirety is below:
Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Okemo Mountain Resort, and Mount Sunapee Resort Join the Epic Pass
• Crested Butte, Okemo and Mount Sunapee join the Epic Pass beginning with the 2018-19 winter season in a long-term alliance.
• Epic, Epic Local and Epic Australia pass holders will receive seven days of skiing and snowboarding at each of the three resorts with no blackout dates for a total of 21 days.
• Epic 7-Day pass holders can use any or all of their seven days and Epic 4-Day pass holders can use any or all of their four days of skiing and snowboarding with no blackout dates at the three resorts.
• Epic, Epic Local, Epic Australia, Epic 7-Day and Epic 4-Day pass holders will receive 50 percent off lift tickets after their respective days have been redeemed.
• Crested Butte Peak Pass Plus and Peak Pass holders; Okemo Ultimate, Classic and Gold Pass holders; and Mount Sunapee Full Ride and Skiing Is For Life Pass holders will receive 50 percent off lift tickets at all Vail Resorts owned mountain resorts.
BROOMFIELD, Colo.—March 14, 2018—Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN) announced today that Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado, Okemo Mountain Resort in Vermont and Mount Sunapee Resort in New Hampshire will join the industry-leading Epic Pass in a long-term alliance beginning in the 2018-19 winter season, bringing the total to 64 mountain resorts in 11 states and provinces and eight countries for skiers and snowboarders. Epic, Epic Local and Epic Australia will receive seven days of skiing and snowboarding with no blackout dates at each of the three resorts for a total of 21 days. Epic 7-Day pass holders can use any or all seven of their total days and Epic 4-Day pass holders can use any or all four of their total days of skiing and snowboarding with no blackout dates at the three resorts.
“Crested Butte is a perfect complement to the unique family of resorts offered on the 2018-19 Epic Pass with its legendary terrain and historic mountain town. Okemo is known as a great family-friendly resort and together with neighboring Mount Sunapee and Stowe Mountain Resort, provides three great options for skiers and snowboarders in the Northeast. We strive to offer guests the greatest value and variety in their ski and snowboard vacations and are thrilled to now be able to offer access to 64 of the most celebrated resorts around the world,” said Kirsten Lynch, chief marketing officer of Vail Resorts.
“We are proud to join the Epic Pass in a long-term season pass alliance with Okemo, Mount Sunapee and Crested Butte. Our focus on guest service, reinvestment in our resorts and outstanding ski experiences both in New England and the Rocky Mountains aligns well with the Epic Pass and Vail’s remarkable line-up of resorts. We expect this partnership will be a significant benefit to our guests and skiers and riders around the world for years to come,” said Tim Mueller, president of Triple Peaks, LLC, owner of Crested Butte, Okemo and Mount Sunapee mountain resorts.
Crested Butte is located in southwest Colorado, within the Gunnison National Forest and the Elk Mountain Range and is known for its colorful historic town, iconic mountain peaks and legendary skiing and riding terrain. The resort’s 1,547 skiable acres offer something for every skiing ability; over half the mountain is geared to intermediate and beginner skiers while also perfectly suited for the more adventurous skiers and snowboarders with some of the best lift-served extreme terrain in North America. The Town of Crested Butte boasts one of Colorado’s largest National Historic Districts and is commonly considered by many to be “Colorado’s Last Great Ski Town” with its variety of boutiques, restaurants and après-ski hot spots.
Rising above the village of Ludlow, in southcentral Vermont approximately three hours from Boston and four hours from New York City, Okemo Mountain Resort is a four-season playground that developed a reputation for quality and superior guest service as a winter retreat for skiers and snowboarders. Originally a small, community-run ski hill, Okemo underwent a significant transformation in 1982 when Tim and Diane Mueller purchased the ski area. Okemo consistently receives accolades and wins awards for snow quality, grooming, terrain parks, family programs, slopeside lodging, resort dining and its friendly employees.
Mount Sunapee is a four-season family-focused ski area with breathtaking views overlooking Lake Sunapee. Located in southern New Hampshire, it is the closest major ski area to metropolitan New England, being only a short 90-minute drive from Boston. For many years, Mount Sunapee has consistently received industry awards for excellence in snowmaking and grooming.
Following are the benefits for Epic, Epic Local, Epic Australia, Epic 7-Day and Epic 4-Day pass holders as well as for Crested Butte Peak Pass Plus and Peak Pass holders; Okemo Ultimate, Classic and Gold Pass holders; and Mount Sunapee Full Ride and Skiing Is For Life Pass holders.
• Epic Pass: Epic Pass holders will receive seven days of skiing or snowboarding at each of Crested Butte, Okemo and Mount Sunapee with no blackout dates, beginning in the 2018-19 season, for a total of 21 days. After the seven days have been used at each resort, pass holders will receive 50 percent off lift tickets. The Epic Pass offers full access to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood at Lake Tahoe; Stowe Mountain Resort in Vermont; Afton Alps in Minnesota; Mt. Brighton in Michigan; Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin; Whistler Blackcomb in Canada; and Perisher in Australia, with no blackout dates. The Epic Pass also provides limited access to Telluride in Colorado; Resorts of the Canadian Rockies across Canada; Hakuba Valley in Japan; Les 3 Vallées, Paradiski and Tignes-Val D’Isere in France; 4 Vallées in Switzerland; Arlberg in Austria and Skirama Dolomiti in Italy.
• Epic Local Pass: Epic Local Pass holders will receive seven days of skiing or snowboarding at each of Crested Butte, Okemo and Mount Sunapee with no blackout dates, beginning in the 2018-19 season, for a total of 21 days. After the seven days have been used at each resort, pass holders will receive 50 percent off lift tickets. The Epic Local Pass features unlimited access with no blackout dates to Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado. The pass also offers access to Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood, Stowe and Park City with limited restrictions; a total of 10 days at Vail, Beaver Creek and/or Whistler Blackcomb with holiday restrictions; and five consecutive days at Hakuba Valley in Japan.
• Epic Australia Pass: Epic Australia Pass holders will receive seven days with no blackout dates at each of Crested Butte, Okemo and Mount Sunapee, beginning in the 2018-19 season, for a total of 21 days. After the seven days have been used at each resort, pass holders will receive 50 percent off lift tickets. Pass holders also get unlimited, unrestricted access to Perisher during the 2018 season, and access to Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Stowe in Vermont; and Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in Lake Tahoe, California; 10 days at Whistler Blackcomb, Vail, Beaver Creek and/or Stowe, combined, during the 2018-19 season and five consecutive days at Hakuba Valley in Japan.
• Epic 7-Day Pass: Epic 7-Day Pass holders can use any or all of their seven total days with no blackout dates at Crested Butte, Okemo and Mount Sunapee. After the seven days have been used, pass holders will receive 50 percent off lift tickets. The Epic 7-Day Pass features a total of seven days with no blackout dates at Whistler Blackcomb, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin, Telluride, Park City, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood, Stowe or Resorts of the Canadian Rockies across Canada, plus seven additional free days at Afton Alps, Mt. Brighton or Wilmot Mountain.
• Epic 4-Day Pass: Epic 4-Day Pass holders can use any or all of their four total days with no blackout dates at Crested Butte, Okemo and Mount Sunapee. After the four days have been used, pass holders will receive 50 percent off lift tickets. The Epic 4-Day pass features a total of four days with no blackout dates at Whistler Blackcomb, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin, Telluride, Park City, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood, Stowe or Resorts of the Canadian Rockies across Canada, plus four additional free days at Afton Alps, Mt. Brighton or Wilmot Mountain.
• Crested Butte Peak Pass Plus and Peak Pass holders; Okemo Ultimate, Classic and Gold Pass holders; and Mount Sunapee Full Ride and Skiing Is For Life Pass holders: These season pass holders will receive 50 percent off lift tickets at all Vail Resorts owned mountain resorts.
Vail Resorts’ 2018-19 season passes are on sale now at the lowest guaranteed prices with only $49 down now and the rest due in the fall.
Visit www.epicpass.com.
