Industry News
More money may equal less time spent waiting in lift lines at select mountains this winter.
Starting this winter, ski industry operator Powdr 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. With the exception of Copper Mountain, the Fast Tracks program is a first in terms of a fast-access pass at these ski areas.
The new pay-to-cut-the-line program is similar to the line-skipping passes used at Disney theme parks. Powdr’s Fast Tracks pass won’t exist on every lift at these ski areas—only the most popular ones, like Snowbird’s Peruvian chair or the K-1 Gondola at Killington. Fast Track passes will start at $49 a day, “but have dynamic pricing based on the mountain, peak periods, holidays, day of the week, and go on sale Nov. 1,” as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Powdr’s “Fast Tracks” upcharge lanes will be at these lifts:
Snowbird: Peruvian, Gadzoom, Gad 2, Little Cloud, Mineral Basin, Baldy (NOT at the tram)
Killington: both gondolas, Superstar, Ramshead, Snowshed, Bear, Skye express, Snowdon, Needles Eye
More as I get them.
— The Storm Skiing Journal & Podcast (@StormSkiJournal) October 11, 2021
How is the different from buying a front row seat at a concert?
People have been doing this for years by taking a “lesson”. Schwarzenegger does this at Sun Valley. Charge them more!
The economic model of skiing has been trashed by the Vail Resorts/Alterra type groups. They make their money catering to rich people, most of their profits come from their real estate developments. The developable land they acquire during the purchase of the ski resorts is what they focus on. The whole intent is to drive as many rich people to the resort as possible to drive the price of their developable land as high as possible.
Environmentalists, despite all their well intentioned good efforts play right into the large Ski Corporation’s business/financial model. Environmentalists make new ski resort development impossible if not reserved for billionaire’s that can afford the 10 years it takes to cut all the red tape and build a private ski resort. The lack of supply increases the prices, this is econ 101.
Long story short, over the next 10-30 years this trend of ruing the skiing experience in pursuit of more foot traffic is going to continue. If the enviro’s weren’t so aggressive with their no development pursuits maybe we could come up with a new community based model that didn’t get sold out to greedy corporations. Ski resorts are built and expanded all over Europe and very few of them have the same manacle corporate goal of overpacking the slopes.
The bay area, coming to a resort near you.
It’s going to keep getting worse people.
Time to start opening new, non-corporate, non-village community owned ski resorts. Hopefully the enviroMENTALISTS will allow it to happen.
Pay to Play easy & simple. Sometimes in life MONEY can get you a little further than the next guy. Skiing has always been a hobby for the wealthy so why not let the rich pay to pass by the peasants?
Skiing in America sucking more and more every year
Well put, Matthew
Get your snowballs ready!
Not a fan of this practice. Got to look at how the rest of the guests feel about letting others cut in front of them. Devalues what they are paying for their pass big time. Interesting to follow this trend.