Ikon Pass

[IceCoastGuy]

I know nothing about how the mechanics of these mega passes actually work, but I'm gonna assume the people on the boards/investors don't ski and don't actually live anywhere near these mountains.

Too good.

[Bunion 2020]

They have not posted next year's prices on the Big Sky website yet.

One more time.

I am pretty sure you are looking at the top end price for the 2018/19 Gold pass.
Gold Adult Pass 2018/19
Ages 26-64 Gold Pass Details
Direct to Lift Access to all of Big Sky Resorts Lifts and 5,800 acres from November 22nd 2018 through April 21st 2019
No Blackout Dates
Includes access to the Lone Peak Tram
Five $79 Bring a Buddy Tickets
50% off Window Tickets at 16 Participating Mountain Collective Resorts

I don't see where the 2019/20 prices have been listed.

[3PinGrin]

This is how the Ikon is working out for our family this season:

Several days at Copper
Several days at Winter Park
5 days in Utah just after New Years (Deer Valley, Alta, Bird, Soli, Brighton)
3 days in Utah early Feb (Alta, Bird, Solitude)
4 days at Steamboat for 1st half of Spring Break
4 days at Aspen for 2nd half of Spring Break

Already scheming for next year to hit Alberta/BC probably for Spring Break... and if snow conditions warrant, we may do a 3-day Big Sky/3-day JH trip after New Years.

I, for one, welcome our Ikonic overlords.



At the same time, I can understand the angst among those locals that don't get any "perks" with their single-mountain season passes...

Yeah, well, you know that's just like your opinion, man.

[yeahman]

One more time.
I don't see where the 2019/20 prices have been listed.

Yeah, I just wanted to make sure Talisman didn't have any inside info. Because you're right, if $1,600 was the best price they offered for early purchase, that would be a big "fuck you" to the locals. IMO if they raise the price one penny it's a big FU. I paid $1,299 plus resort tax last year, and that was the best price they offered. Raising that would be a slap in the face.

[Tye 1on]

Seems the problem is at the independently owned premium resorts - JH, Aspen Snowmass, Alta etc. where the resort season pass cost is the highest, comes with no IKON benefits and yet they're the places many ikoners are heading to.

The PR story of increased usage being locals not ikoners is not telling the whole picture. Working locals with season passes always skied the weekend. Increased local usage due to conditions is on weekdays when the mountain is still basically empty. Until i see solid statistics proving otherwise i'm maintaining it's the addition of the front range ikoner that is causing the crush on weekends, i base that on numerous chairlift conversations, the store stickers on skis and the obvious pass flapping around people's necks.

What's the solution:
Don't know but I'd be a lot less annoyed at the ikon influx if for my $1800 season pass I got some ikon benefits elsewhere. Charge me a modest but optional surcharge to add it if needed but don't make me pay ticket window rates at affiliated resorts and don't make me buy a full ikon as well as a full local pass.

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IMHO your first sentence is absolutely the cruz of the criticism, not to say there aren't significant impacts else, just the most evident at those.

Regarding locals that makes sense in Summit more than JH. So many local work weekends that weekdays can have as many local skiers or even more than a weekend.

Ya it's an interesting crystal ball to try and read. I'm still stunned that their business model works, paying ~80% out to the resorts based on visits. My mind can't make that work out to revenue acceptable to the resorts. But what do i know...

[TahoeJ]

Good article here in response to the BS one about "saving skiing" from several weeks back.

https://www.outsideonline.com/238996...pass-epic-ikon

[simple]

Thanks for that. Fuck Vail, KSL, and the rest of the corporate ski giants. My money is spent internationally where the trip blows away the fake ass "experience" these developer clowns keep pushing. Fucking roller coasters....

[buttahflake]

Good article here in response to the BS one about "saving skiing" from several weeks back.

https://www.outsideonline.com/238996...pass-epic-ikon

It’s an article, not sure about the good part. It’s a typical reactionary response to a well thought out story on mega-passes. Looks she took all her talking points from this thread. I think we need to see how this plays out over the course of two or more years, before we decide to shit on IKON.

[Skidog]

It’s an article, not sure about the good part. It’s a typical reactionary response to a well thought out story on mega-passes. Looks she took all her talking points from this thread. I think we need to see how this plays out over the course of two or more years, before we can rush to shit on IKON.

i tend to agree with the wait n see approach. I imagine the "thrill" of having access to so many resort days at a variety of resorts will wear off.

[PNWbrit]

i tend to agree with the wait n see approach..

[MontuckyFried]

Good article here in response to the BS one about "saving skiing" from several weeks back.

https://www.outsideonline.com/238996...pass-epic-ikon

Great quote in there from a Big Sky person: “All the affordable long-term rentals we had before this year are now off the market and seem to be on VRBO,” said a longtime local and resort employee, who requested anonymity for fear of losing their job. “It’s priced out all the people that support this town."
It's that part I bolded and underlined that is true and one of the most screwed up things I started to witness increasingly around that town. Dare to speak up against the machine or attempt to compete, and you are OUT. It's either play ball or GTFO (but quietly). It was like working with the mob around, but perhaps without the violence. We've seen a lot of good people disappear up there over the last couple years.

Almost like they're trying to act like Vail Resorts, which I believe is not exactly a coincidence.

[MontuckyFried]

Thanks for that. Fuck Vail, KSL, and the rest of the corporate ski giants. My money is spent internationally where the trip blows away the fake ass "experience" these developer clowns keep pushing. Fucking roller coasters....

That's an excelllent point. For the $209/day that Vail wants for ticket prices, multiply that by a family of 4 or 5 for the course of a week, and you could easily fund a trip to the Alps with the difference you'll save. Not that I have any plans to go to Vail, though. Support your local mom & pop operations, folks! Thankfully some people still keeping it real out there.

[Chugachjed]

Great quote in there from a Big Sky person: “All the affordable long-term rentals we had before this year are now off the market and seem to be on VRBO,” said a longtime local and resort employee, who requested anonymity for fear of losing their job. “It’s priced out all the people that support this town."
It's that part I bolded and underlined that is true and one of the most screwed up things I started to witness increasingly around that town. Dare to speak up against the machine or attempt to compete, and you are OUT. It's either play ball or GTFO (but quietly). It was like working with the mob around, but perhaps without the violence. We've seen a lot of good people disappear up there over the last couple years.

Almost like they're trying to act like Vail Resorts, which I believe is not exactly a coincidence.

VRBO and Airbnb are cancers. They’re ruining any popular destination. You literally cannot but a reasonably priced house in Seward AK because the vultures snap everything up sight unseen and turn it into a short term rental.

[Kinnikinnick]

Ikon
One pass to rule them all, and in the darkness bind them


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[McMicG]

In a few years I see the premium destinations stepping back from the superpasses. Too much local push back, and quality of product is front of mind. Jackson landed on the big red design in part because they realized a standard gondola would bring to many people to rendezvous and degrade the quality and ruin the experience skiing it. They realize ikon is doing the same thing

[EWG]

In a few years I see the premium destinations stepping back from the superpasses. Too much local push back, and quality of product is front of mind. Jackson landed on the big red design in part because they realized a standard gondola would bring to many people to rendezvous and degrade the quality and ruin the experience skiing it. They realize ikon is doing the same thing

Incorrect

[Shredhead]

Jackson landed on the big red design in part because they realized a standard gondola would bring to many people to rendezvous and degrade the quality and ruin the experience skiing it. They realize ikon is doing the same thing

I met Jay Kemmerer in 93 when he came down to Aspen to look at our gondola. He told me he would like to replace the tram with a Gondi, but it’s too windy.

[Core Shot]

I met Jay Kemmerer in 93 when he came down to Aspen to look at our gondola. He told me he would like to replace the tram with a Gondi, but it’s too windy.

Interesting

As much as I love and worship the big red box, the lines are so crazy these days. A Gondi would bump the bowl, but ob laps would be so much easier

But then his legacy would be “the dude that ripped the soul from Jackson hole”

[telefreewasatch]

In a few years I see the premium destinations stepping back from the superpasses. Too much local push back, and quality of product is front of mind. Jackson landed on the big red design in part because they realized a standard gondola would bring to many people to rendezvous and degrade the quality and ruin the experience skiing it. They realize ikon is doing the same thing

^^^This.

[Toadman]

That's an excelllent point. For the $209/day that Vail wants for ticket prices, multiply that by a family of 4 or 5 for the course of a week, and you could easily fund a trip to the Alps with the difference you'll save. Not that I have any plans to go to Vail, though. Support your local mom & pop operations, folks! Thankfully some people still keeping it real out there.

I priced out a trip to Europe this winter to either the Arlberg or Switzerland. With airfare, hotel, train to resort, and estimated food and bev with 7 day lift tickets, it came out to be almost the same price as a trip to an Epic or Ikon pass resort in CO or UT. Only reason I didn't pull the trigger on Europe this year was mainly due to some serious work projects and dealing with the jet lag issues of a short week long trip. But how long before the local hill isn't so local?

[Core Shot]

$209 day tickets for vail

I called bs, but it’s on their website.
In March!

It was only a few years ago that resorts dared to cross the 100 mark at Christmas

Fuck vail
Fuck epic
Fuck ikon
Fuck the mega passes

[hoarhey]

holy scheise...

50% of the day rate is, over a $100, whaaaa???

I always suspected that was part of their plan.

[Cladragon04]

I just got a pamphlet in the mail about it but it just gave prices and not the resorts


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[MontuckyFried]

$209 day tickets for vail

I called bs, but it’s on their website.
In March!

Haha. Yup. I had to check it out for myself first before saying anything and sure enough.

Not gonna lie. These resorts going so sky high in their pricing that they're starting to make places like Chamonix sound a LOT more appealing.
https://www.chamonix.com/ski-passes-...nc,225,en.html
Mont Blanc unlimited pass: 6 days for 315€ with a bunch of benefits, and the skiing sure as hell should smoke Vail. Haha.

[Telemarketeer]

I love how people get so pissed about how much a Vail day pass costs, but in the same breath say how much the mountain sucks. Who cares how much they charge? I have 10 days to ski there on my epic and never use more than 1-2 of them. I own a place at the base of Beaver Creek and I don’t ski there, I rent it out to folks who pay $209 for a day pass and love to ski flat groomers all day.