Industry News
Fast Tracks was only announced last week, but has already got a petition against it and has received criticsm from a US Senator. It’s fair to say that the announcement has not gone down well.
Ski industry operator POWDR announced last week that it will be introducing dedicated fast-access lanes at four of its ski resorts. For those willing to pay a premium, visitors will be able to skip lift lines and directly load the lifts at Colorado’s Copper Mountain, Vermont’s Killington, Oregon’s Mount Bachelor, and Utah’s Snowbird. Except for Copper Mountain, the Fast Tracks program is a first in terms of a fast-access pass at these ski areas.
POWDR presidents Wade Martin & Justin Sibley think people are confused about the announcement, so have penned an open letter to the community to clarify how the product works. The letter claims that at Copper Mountain, CO, where the product has been available for almost 20-years, less than 2% of daily visitors use the Fast Track product and it is no different to ski school, private lessons, or mountain tours ‘jumping the line.’ The impact on lift line wait times across the mountains is negligible.
Full letter below:
A Letter to the Community Regarding Fast Tracks
We understand how passionate you are about the mountains. Doing the things you love with the people you love is definitely a shared mission.
We also understand that change can be concerning. Our intent as stewards of the mountains is to be thoughtful and considerate. We believe there is nothing better for our communities than providing a balanced life full of adventure. To make this happen, POWDR is committed to doing all we can to protect our environment and enable participation for all.
Our recently announced Fast Tracks product, which enables upgradeable express lift access at four of our mountain resorts, has generated some questions and confusion, especially among the Mt. Bachelor community. As a result, we would like to clarify how this product works and what it means for our community and reiterate our commitment to mountain access for all.
The Fast Tracks concept has been in operation at our Copper Mountain, Colorado, resort for almost 20 years. First introduced in January of 2002 for lodging guests only, the offer was made widely available to anyone skiing the following season, in February 2003. Since that time, it has gone through a number of variations and optimizations informed through guest feedback. Product and experiential enhancements were successfully implemented at Copper Mountain and the concept was expanded to other resorts and reintroduced as Fast Tracks.
What we have learned through our recent experience with the product at Copper Mountain is that it is utilized by less than 2% of total daily skiers due in large part to our careful calibration and limiting access to ensure a quality experience for all guests. The product is additionally managed with lift loading protocols, which provide for rotation between traditional, Ski School and Fast Track lines. As a result, the impact on lift line wait times across our mountains is negligible.
Fast Tracks does not affect general access to our resorts, as it is an add-on product to a day lift ticket or season pass. Fast Tracks access is no different than the access offered through ski school, private lessons and guided mountain tours in that they all provide a finite number of fast lane experiences. These experiences are made available to every member of the public, at the same price, with the same benefits.
To this last point, as stewards of amazing mountain resort experiences on some of our nation’s most beautiful public lands, we believe we have a responsibility to create opportunities for everyone to access and enjoy the adventure lifestyle. As part of our Play Forever commitment, we are working to build a more inclusive community through our partnerships with the Burton Chill Foundation, SOS Outreach, Special Olympics, Boys and Girls Clubs and local parks & rec and school learn to ski programs. We also enable access by providing resources through the High Fives Foundation and local organizations such as Wasatch Adaptive Sports, Vermont Adaptive, Adaptive Action Sports and Oregon Adaptive Sports.
Furthermore, we provide free public access to resort amenities located on private and public land. For example, Snowbird provides access to adjacent U.S. Forest Service lands through permanently open gates at the bottom of Mineral Basin as well as Baby Thunder and has a controlled gate to access public lands via the White Pine and American Fork Twin Peaks when avalanche conditions permit. In addition, Mt. Bachelor’s Woodward Start Park and Early Riser Lift are free and available for the public to enjoy all season long as is alpine touring in specific controlled areas and access to adjacent forest and wilderness areas for Alpine Touring and Snowshoeing.
We do not believe that providing access to the public lands on which our resorts operate and offering customizable experiences for our guests are mutually exclusive. We remain highly confident based on our experience with similar products that Fast Tracks will be a valuable product for those that wish to participate and it will not compromise the experience of other guests. Nevertheless, if any guest would like a season pass refund before the season starts as a result of our Fast Tracks product, we will honor that request.
We remain committed to fostering lasting relationships with our communities and enabling the adventure lifestyle for generations to come.
Wade Martin & Justin Sibley
POWDR Co-Presidents
No confusion here. Never has been. The letter is, indeed, largely self serving BS. Take these remarks for example: “The product is additionally managed with lift loading protocols, which provide for rotation between traditional, Ski School and Fast Track lines. As a result, the impact on lift line wait times across our mountains is negligible.” Translation: It adds to the list of those allowed to cut the line.
“Fast Tracks access is no different than the access offered through ski school, private lessons and guided mountain tours” Right! It is in addition to these. Again, it adds to the wait time for the rest of us and decreases the number of runs we can make in the time we have on the mountain. Bad idea. Sign the petition. Encourage others to do so. Write letters. Speak out.
Not much consolation that they are selling “a finite number of fast lane experiences”. Aren’t there an infinite number of finite numbers? The best number would be zero.
“These experiences are made available to every member of the public, at the same price, with the same benefits.” That’s a meaningless statement. Yes, anyone can now cut in front of me for the same price.
“It is no different to ski school, private lessons, or mountain tours ‘jumping the line’”. Yes it is. Those other skiers are paying for instruction and the purpose of the lift-cutting privilege is to avoid wasting the instructor’s time. The sole function of Fast Tracks is to let some people cut in front of other people just because they paid more.
Interesting that they’re offering to refund season passes. I assume that doesn’t include Ikon passes.
As economic inequality has grown, money has bought privilege in more and more places — airports/airplanes, amusement parks, ski area parking lots, etc. But skiing, a fairly expensive sport to begin with, has remained pretty egalitarian once you get on the mountain. Why was skiing slow to fully embrace market economics? I figured it was due to (a) tradition, (b) fear of pissing off really passionate skiers, (c) the impossibility of giving people priority in a lift line setting without being too conspicuous, and (d) possible pushback from government agencies that lease some public lands to ski operators. POWDR is taking the lead at breaking this taboo. I hope they fail.
If less than 2% will use it, but it creates 98% dissension why continue to push it forward?
That letter is a bunch of bulshit. These elitist money mongers think that the 2% would continue when offered to the General Public, oh wait, they don’t think that, they know better. It’s going to jump to about 60% on a powder day and then everybody else is going to have to ski tracked Terrain. That letter was total condescension from dorks that think we can’t understand.
Legions will view YouTube vids of formerly happy Mt. Bachelor skiers raining snowballs on resort staff and line-cutting elites, who will look like terrified snowmen fleeing from the unwashed masses to the safety of their Land Rovers. Will be hilarious!!! Go for it, greed heads. You make us laugh!
Other than for the lucre, why would the Powdr poobahs enable behavior (i.e. cutting lift lines)
widely viewed as reprehensible?
As to the letter to the community regarding fast tracks… Never have so many words been used to say so little.
Bogus to the max.
“These experiences are made available to every member of the public, at the same price, with the same benefits.”
Duh! But not everyone can afford them, Einstein. Way to skirt the issue entirely. Private jets are available to everyone for the same price too. That’s NOT the issue.
“it is no different to ski school, private lessons, or mountain tours ‘jumping the line.’ ”
Yup, that is exactly what it is, jumping the line by elites, and making everyone else wait longer. The goal of course is that most people will be pressured to upgrade to the more expensive pass. Shameless!
Where is the petition?
What a complete ass!
There is a universe of difference between this apartheid scheme and ski school. For one 90% of ski school lessons use the beginner lifts, not the highest demand lifts and second, the average ski school lesson is 2 hours not a full day of line cutting. This corporate mealy mouth either has never skied a day in his life or thinks we are all brain dead.
“…will not compromise the experience of other guests” !?! By definition disingenuous and patronizing. A divisive, tone-deaf, anti-local decision.
POWDR loves to spin bad decisions they have made, and they have made a ton of them, to make themselves look altruistic when they are just a poorly run greedy corporation.
Bill Healy is spinning in his grave.