Ikon Pass

[2FUNKY]

You should have seen the look on the face of the fully kitted out TGR photog up in the Waffle Hut when I told him:
"I love TGR, but I thought it was just a forum?"!

Hah!

[pfluffenmeister]

Hah!

Yeah, Djongo was up there at the time, too.
Didn't realize he is JHAF.
Pretty fucking funny.

[North]

If someone goes to Jackson, and buys a full priced lift ticket, I wonder if they still receive as much animosity in the tram line.

I doubt it. I rode lifts all over the US on a Collective Pass this season, and the difference between the local attitude towards IKONers vs CollectiveErs was stark. I listened to incessant local bitching about IKONers, but received zero flak when I volunteered that I was skiing on a Collective Pass.

I had a massive jaded local rant typed up, but deleted because it boils down to this:

In the locals vs IKON jerrys dispute I side with the IKONers. As others have mentioned, if you, the "core local" have a problem with the model, your hostility should be directed at your resort overlords that created it, not the people that take advantage of the system in place. Don't hate the player, hate the game, and all that.

[east or bust]

The answer is no. Many people think Jackson would be better off with high priced lift passes and fewer crowds rather than the high-volume, low-price model of alterra. JHMR is worth a premium.

lots of rumors about what Alterra pays JHMR per ikon skier day, but it might be $30 or lower once they hit a certain number of ikon visits. apparently JHMR management didn't expect it to be used so heavily when they signed the contract. so, no matter what the real numbers are, there is a perception that IKON flooded the mountain with too many people for very little reward. no one really minds a rich guy spending $150/person/day on lift tickets, $150 on lunch for his family at Piste Mountain Bistro, renting skis, and spreading wealth around town, but ikoners have a reputation (deserved or not) as trying to pack 10 denver bros into a 2-bdr condo, brown-bagging lunch and not spending any real money, but then complaining about "everyone is mad at ikon people, but we tourists keep your economy alive!"...no you don't. the tourism economy was doing great before Ikon.

very few people are actually mad at the individual ikon holders, and I have friends who visited on Ikon and stayed in dirt cheap lodging. it's too good of a deal to pass up if you don't live at the base of a mountain, but Ikon itself made a massive difference in the resort experience and that upsets people.

While I completely understand your point of view, it’s kind of bullshit to be pointing the finger at the people buying the Ikon pass. And then shaming them for not spending $150 on lunch, rental gear, etc. Wasn’t this place born on the principle of being a dirtbag? Now that’s somehow frowned upon because a corporation made it too easy to successfully be, essentially, a bum... Dafuq?

FTR, I wholly anticipate on getting the pass again this year. However, would not shed a tear if many of the mountains on the pass dropped off at the end of their contract term. Fuck, it probably makes sense for most of them to not resign, and many already see the writing on the wall. If I were a local at JH, Solitude, etc I‘d probably hate the pass too.

[LesterSmoove]

While I completely understand your point of view, it’s kind of bullshit to be pointing the finger at the people buying the Ikon pass. And then shaming them for not spending $150 on lunch, rental gear, etc. Wasn’t this place born on the principle of being a dirtbag? Now that’s somehow frowned upon because a corporation made it too easy to successfully be, essentially, a bum... Dafuq?

FTR, I wholly anticipate on getting the pass again this year. However, would not shed a tear if many of the mountains on the pass dropped off at the end of their contract term. Fuck, it probably makes sense for most of them to not resign, and many already see the writing on the wall. If I were a local at JH, Solitude, etc I‘d probably hate the pass too.

most locals don't blame individual ikon people. I get it. it's impossible to pass that up. I live in JH, and I am not made of money, so if I lived in denver, I'd own a pass and use the hell out of it and try not to give the resorts any more of my money.

I've never actually made an ikon passholder feel unwelcome in the tram line. I keep that shit to myself and bitch with others. anger is definitely directed at JHMR management, who made a bad decision. the hostile attitude does boil over and ikon visitors pick up on it, but I doubt many people are being directly criticized for their ikon pass.

I think that JHMR will pull out for 2021/2022 season. they've gotten a lot of new people introduced to their product, and they'll make just as much money charging more for lift passes to people who care to ski at a better mountain.

I probably would rather ski with a dirtbag than the rich dude, and the dirtbag would be me if I didn't live here, but that's just an example of how the economics of Ikon pass don't seem to be working in JHMR's favor, so I resent that they damaged the skiing quality when it likely isn't worth it in terms of financial gain to the kemmerer family. even if they make more money with Ikon, connie blew over 3 million to buy a crystal from brazil to place in the base village to enhance the vibez, which is just infuriating. motel 6 is doing better than ever, but JHMR doesn't own any lodging and their retail/dining was down last year.

my point being, this isn't directed at ikon passholders.

[Djongo Unchained]

Well, this is def some funny shit.

JH locals really don't give 2 fucks how you got here. Just whether or not you can ski. Or really even care about it. You don't need to be an expert but we'd prefer that you aspire to become one.
The massive influx was marred by low caliber skiing, lack of manners or ski etiquette and zero Big mtn. mountain sensibility. There are DOZENS of better places for that guy.

MC passholders tend to be advanced or better; Ikoners seem to be intermediates and under, generally. Certainly not all, don't be stupid...Obviously some gnarikonics up in the trgz. Skied w/some o'ya's last season!

It took me a while to wrap my head around the good in the Ikon. Finding the bad was easy as it kicked me in the nads daily last season.

I know a handful of JH locals already making plans to play with the IKON theme all winter. A gazillion ikon stickers on JH will be good for the locs. Please hammer the vill. Maybe a competition for the best sticker placement. The Crystal is a helluva start.

Less and less people like me are learning/enjoying skiing because it's so pricy. My Dad taking me skiing as he did for the first time woulda been more of a concern today, family budgeting and all.

I think the Ikon has brought the viability of skiing back to the masses somewhat.
And I'll trade that for my own desires in the future.

I got many miles of blower, thousands of trams, hundreds of sundrenched days and months of greybird solitude.

I'm learning to share.

[North]

I doubt many people are being directly criticized for their ikon pass.

While I agree that direct confrontation doesn't seem to be happening, my anecdotal observation is that the passive aggressive bullshit is all over the place.

In almost every lift ride interaction with IKON tourists last winter, most seemed reluctant to volunteer that they weren't local, until I did so first. The hostility spillover is real, and while it's not a direct confrontation, it's hard to feel anything but unwelcome when nearly every ride up with a local involves listening to a rant about how awful the IKON crowd is.

I think most of your points are valid, but I'm not sure direct vs passive confrontation matters in this case. From my perspective, many of the IKON crowd was feeling the ire of the local crowd regardless.

[galibier_numero_un]

I blame fat skis.

[Benny Profane]

Don't JH people fuck up Utah hills with their bro brah aggro attitude in increasing numbers?

[Talisman]

Don't JH people fuck up Utah hills with their bro brah aggro attitude in increasing numbers?

I don't know about UT, but the JH folks that visit Big Sky are fun to ski with.

[new yabyum]

Not really, We use to see Jackson folks come in after their resort closed, they're skiers and enjoyed the many joys of Alta and a much younger Snowbird. If you were heading to the desert or river for mud season , it was a must stop.

[The SnowShow]

Got my horrendous sticker pak today. Oh this will be fun. I may be slapping these on people backs while standing in the gondola line.

[jhyatt]

Got my horrendous sticker pak today. Oh this will be fun. I may be slapping these on people backs while standing in the gondola line.

Got mine today. Wtf is that keychain? I thought it was luggage tag? Good for a gas station bathroom...

The mega passes intrude on the regular single mountain passholders sense of ownership and community. There is etiquette because you will see these other skiers again year after year. Cameraderie. But the mountains need skiers.

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[El Chupacabra]

That keychain is a good size if you drop your keys in the snow a lot.

First one to spy someone trying to scrape an icy windshield with that keychain - and captures photographic evidence - gets a sticker!

[Benny Profane]

Ironic if they scraped the Ikon sticker off with the key chain fob accidentally.

[byates1]

Well, this is def some funny shit.

JH locals really don't give 2 fucks how you got here. Just whether or not you can ski. Or really even care about it. You don't need to be an expert but we'd prefer that you aspire to become one.
The massive influx was marred by low caliber skiing, lack of manners or ski etiquette and zero Big mtn. mountain sensibility. There are DOZENS of better places for that guy.

MC passholders tend to be advanced or better; Ikoners seem to be intermediates and under, generally. Certainly not all, don't be stupid...Obviously some gnarikonics up in the trgz. Skied w/some o'ya's last season!

It took me a while to wrap my head around the good in the Ikon. Finding the bad was easy as it kicked me in the nads daily last season.

I know a handful of JH locals already making plans to play with the IKON theme all winter. A gazillion ikon stickers on JH will be good for the locs. Please hammer the vill. Maybe a competition for the best sticker placement. The Crystal is a helluva start.

Less and less people like me are learning/enjoying skiing because it's so pricy. My Dad taking me skiing as he did for the first time woulda been more of a concern today, family budgeting and all.

I think the Ikon has brought the viability of skiing back to the masses somewhat.
And I'll trade that for my own desires in the future.

I got many miles of blower, thousands of trams, hundreds of sundrenched days and months of greybird solitude.

I'm learning to share.

well said

[Djongo Unchained]

Don't JH people fuck up Utah hills with their bro brah aggro attitude in increasing numbers?

I guess the answer to this should come from a Utahn. About them Wasnatch hills.

The vast majority of JH locals don't travel far to ski. When they do at all.

We are hours away from good skiing and only occasionally is it better. I only started traveling again to other places recently, for the BBI/tgrz fun; less the skiing. Traveled and skied all over the rockies in the 90's and just couldn't find a better place for me.

That's why the value of our new free ikon base pass is largely lost on many of us.
And FWIW, the flaky brobrahs ain't from here. Fucking rad gnarly dudes from elsewhere who act like that, are easy targets and usually get it with both barrels in the tram line.
Once the game is on at the summit though, most folks get left behind by the locals who are racing for firsties in Rbowl, Cheyenne or the hobacks. Then there's the first OB guys.
There's a lot of good skiers out there but if you're gonna act like a dink, well, we're gonna play ya.

Otoh, if yer cool, act normal and seem game, we may just hook you up with fat secret lines that most people only dream of. I seek this one out with some regularity.


We are polite, if not terribly patient. He who hesitates is last, I always say.

Respeks to my friends in the PNW, SLC and SWMT crews.

Come home Flowing.

[jhyatt]

I guess the answer to this should come from a Utahn. About them Wasnatch hills.

The vast majority of JH locals don't travel far to ski. When they do at all.

We are hours away from good skiing and only occasionally is it better. I only started traveling again to other places recently, for the BBI/tgrz fun; less the skiing. Traveled and skied all over the rockies in the 90's and just couldn't find a better place for me.

That's why the value of our new free ikon base pass is largely lost on many of us.
And FWIW, the flaky brobrahs ain't from here. Fucking rad gnarly dudes from elsewhere who act like that, are easy targets and usually get it with both barrels.
There's a lot of good skiers out there but if you're gonna act like a dink, well, we're gonna play ya.

Otoh, if yer cool, act normal and seem game, we may just hook you up with fat secret lines that most people only dream of.


We are polite, if not terribly patient. He who hesitates is last, I always say.

Respeks to my friends in the PNW, SLC and SWMT crews.

Come home Flowing.

I guess I act normal and seem game. So many cool people out there have let me tag along, but usually after what I call 'the interview'
Thanks to everyone past present and future.
Sharing (with the right folks) makes those lines that much more enjoyable. It's infectious.
But I'm not putting an Ikon pass sticker on my skis.

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[The SnowShow]

I’m going to try and slap a sticker on the back of Tim Durtschi at the Mangy Moose.

[telefreewasatch]

Like I said a coupla pages ago, Alta won't be renewing with IKON.
For all the reasons stated above. They care about quality, not the almighty dollar.
And Benny, we welcome our Jackson Hole brothers and sisters here.
Wasatch and Teton snow sliders are kindred spirits.
Long history.

[Kinnikinnick]

Time will tell on the Ikon membership from JH and Alta et al.

I doubt that they’ll pass once they’ve had a taste of the $s




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[bigdude2468]

Like I said a coupla pages ago, Alta won't be renewing with IKON.
For all the reasons stated above. They care about quality, not the almighty dollar.
And Benny, we welcome our Jackson Hole brothers and sisters here.
Wasatch and Teton snow sliders are kindred spirits.
Long history.

If this is the case I would speculate that Soli skiers might make the jump to LCC. Are we approaching the point where not being a part of IKON or Epic could turn out to be a brilliant marketing move?

[telefreewasatch]

If this is the case I would speculate that Soli skiers might make the jump to LCC. Are we approaching the point where not being a part of IKON or Epic could turn out to be a brilliant marketing move?

That's a good point that I hadn't thought about!

Maybe a cap on day ticket sales?
The rest'll go back down to Disneybird.
They'll sell a ticket to anyone...even 'boarders from Denver!

[Telemarketeer]

It'll be interesting to see the effect that switching to IKON 7/5 days from Epic will have on Arapahoe Basin. The results could convince others to do the same. I think that it could be the best of both worlds. People still ski there enough to get a taste of what it is, and maybe buy a full pass in the future, with all funds going straight to the ski area, instead of being split with EPIKON. Worst case scenario, people use their 7/5 days on the best powder days of the season. Best case, they blow them all on the WROD.

No predictions for Alta though. Similar possibilities though.

[Djongo Unchained]

Time will tell on the Ikon membership from JH and Alta et al.

I doubt that they’ll pass once they’ve had a taste of the $s




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Yeah, this is our concern, dude.

In her letter last spring, the new Pres. of JHMR already alluded to the notion of not wanting to give up the easy money that the Ikon brings in.

They keep pointing to the fact that she's skied here for years and has a 100 day season. Like she knows all the facts and nuances of the Vill.
The Kemmerererererer's are on the slow roll out from ownership methinks. Re-upping on the contract will speak volumes for the future of skiing quality at JHMR.
And the next owner will sink it into oblivion. I see no other future as I live in a valley slowly being obliterated by greed and apathy.
I stay for the Mother nature influences. Not the Human nature ones.