Industry News
A Spanish skier has been sentenced to one year and nine months in prison for repeatedly using his elderly father’s ski pass to access the lifts at Sierra Nevada, Spain. The father’s ski pass was a free ski pass for skiers over the age of 70 and the defendant was accused of repeatedly using his father’s ski pass over two ski seasons. The Criminal Court No. 6 of Granada also ordered him to compensate Cetursa Sierra Nevada, the public company managing the resort, with €1,682 ($1,744) for economic damages.
The court found that during the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 ski seasons, the man “indiscriminately and continuously” used his father’s senior-plus category ski pass, despite knowing that such passes are strictly personal and non-transferable. On multiple occasions, resort staff intercepted him at the lifts and noted that the photograph on the pass belonged to an elderly man. The man was arrested last year in January and stood trial this year and was sentenced on Tuesday, February 4. During his trial, the accused denied all allegations.
Authorities also discovered that, on other occasions, the skier used a Benjamin-category pass—intended for children under five and fully subsidized—to gain access to the ski lifts. When confronted by controllers, he would present his own expired Sierra Nevada club pass, which contained his name and photo but was inactive.
While the judge ruled that he had committed fraud, the exact number of days he used the pass could not be determined. As a result, the financial penalty was based on the full cost of a 2021/2022 season pass. The court did not find sufficient evidence to convict him of document falsification, as he had authorization to manage his father’s user account.
Sierra Nevada, Spain’s highest ski resort, is renowned for its long season and high-altitude slopes. Located in the Andalusian province of Granada, the resort attracts skiers from across Europe with its modern lift system and a vertical drop of over 3,280 feet. While it offers a mix of beginner and advanced terrain, the resort is particularly known for its challenging off-piste areas.
