Ikon 2020-21

[MC2]

Where would you stay for Winter Park?

Probably with friends in Fraser.

 

[MarzNC]

Obviously there were a lot of questions after the reminder email about the two options related to credit due to COVID-19 closures in 2020-21. There is now a table of clear examples for difference between Option 1 and Option 2. The related FAQ makes it clearer that Option 2 is meant for people who have an Alterra resort as their home mountain. Those are the resorts for which Ikon Base is an unlimited season pass.

Someone who lives in Montreal and only intends to ski at Tremblant would probably choose Option 2. Same for someone who is a local for Mammoth who has no plans to drive to Tahoe or fly anywhere any time soon. Perhaps less clear for someone who lives in Vermont who is willing to do some driving and is still thinking about the idea of flying out west but thinks it's unlikely.

 

[DomB]

Here's a list of Ikon locations sorted by region as I think about geography. Alterra resorts allow unlimited access even with Ikon Base. What's new for 2020-21 is that JH and Aspen require a $150 add-on cost for Ikon Base, plus Mt. Bachelor and Windham were added. The partners include MCP resorts owned by Boyne Resorts (Big Sky, Sugarloaf, Sunday River, Loon) or Powdr (Killington, Mt. Bachelor). Boyne also has Boyne Mountain and Boyne Highlands on Ikon.

There is a lot of overlap between Ikon and the MCP for destination resorts. For Alta/Snowbird the Ikon functions as a combined pass (5/7 days but can ski both every day), while the MCP keeps them separate (2 days at Alta, 2 days at Snowbird).

IKON Pass in N. America, as of August 2020 - Alterra in bold

California: Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain, Big Bear Mountain Resort
Washington: Crystal, The Summit at Snowqualmie
Montana: Big Sky
Wyoming: Jackson Hole
Utah: Deer Valley Resort, Alta/Snowbird, Solitude, Brighton
Colorado: Aspen/Snowmass, Arapahoe Basin, Steamboat, Winter Park, Copper Mountain, Eldora

Maine: Sugarloaf, Sunday River
New Hampshire: Loon
Vermont: Stratton, Killington, Sugarbush

New York: Windham
West Virginia: Snowshoe

Michigan: Boyne Mountain, Boyne Highlands

Quebec, Canada: Tremblant
Ontario, Canada: Blue Mountain
Alberta, Canada: Lake Louise, Sunshine, Mt. Norquay (SkiBig3)
British Columbia, Canada: Revelstoke, Cypress

Marz - thanks, this is really helpful. I am focused on Catskill destinations on Ikon or Epic because in a normal season, we ski the Cats 60-80 percent of the time.

A few questions, if you know:

1-you listed Windham as an Ikon destination (meaning no blackout dates and unlimited days), but there is a press release saying Windham will be 7 days of access (https://www.windhammountain.com/pre...ted to,Mountain President and General Manager.). I am assuming you just made a small mistake. (I would prefer if you were right!). Is that how you read the access?

2-Do you have any sense of whether Ikon is planning some kind of reservation system like Epic?

Best,
D

 

[MarzNC]

1-you listed Windham as an Ikon destination (meaning no blackout dates and unlimited days), but there is a press release saying Windham will be 7 days of access (https://www.windhammountain.com/pre...ted to,Mountain President and General Manager.). I am assuming you just made a small mistake. (I would prefer if you were right!). Is that how you read the access?

Oops, you're correct. I got confused when I added it to my personal list that this was copied from and bolded it. Windham wasn't bought by Alterra. So it's a partner with the usual 7/5 days for Full/Base Ikon passes. Although there was certainly speculation that sooner or later it might get bought out. The Sugarbush sale was a bit of a surprise. Timing was good for Win Smith.

For the east, Alterra owns Stratton, Sugarbush, and Snowshoe. Boyne owns Loon, Sugarloaf, Sunday River. Powdr owns Killington/Pico. For 2020-21, Powdr added Mt. Bachelor to Ikon. Ikon is what the MAX Pass evolved into after Alterra bought Intrawest.

Quebec, Canada: Tremblant
Ontario, Canada: Blue Mountain

Maine: Sugarloaf, Sunday River
New Hampshire: Loon
Vermont: Stratton, Killington/Pico, Sugarbush

New York: Windham
West Virginia: Snowshoe

 

[MarzNC]

2-Do you have any sense of whether Ikon is planning some kind of reservation system like Epic?

Ikon and Epic are fundamentally different. VR owns all the Epic locations. Most have been converted to the RFID system that feeds EpicMix. Ikon is a mix of Alterra resorts and independent partners like Windham or Alta. Even the Alterra resorts use separate systems for operational functions like selling lift tickets or season passes. Some are homegrown, some are provided by third-party vendors.

Limiting capacity will be necessary for traditionally busy days, such as weekends and holiday periods. Large destination resorts like Killington will have different issues than small resorts like Blue Mountain.

All I can say is that in Australia there were completely different approaches used in June-July. VR is building on what they did for Perisher. Had the same process in place for Falls Creek and Hotham but opted to close those two smaller resorts after only 4 days when there was a spike in the state that is the primary market for them. Mt. Buller is a small independent mountain in the same area as FC and Hotham. Buller didn't limit season passholders at all. They were forced to close when Victoria closed its borders due to a major spike. But still hoping to re-open for a few late season weeks. Thredbo in an independent resort almost as big as Perisher and took a completely different approach. Thredbo refunded all season passes. Then only sold day tickets online in advance, with significant discounts for pass holders that increased after someone passed cut-off points for the number of tickets bought.

The resorts that re-opened during the summer for golf and/or mountain biking have a clear advantage over ski areas that don't have that sort of revenue-generating summer activities. Boyne Resorts could learn from their resorts in New England, the midwest, and at Big Sky. Powdr has resorts in multiple regions.

Completely independent destination resorts like Jackson Hole or Telluride or Taos may take a while to announced their plans. They have to deal with locals, regular season passholders, plus MCP/Ikon or Epic pass holders.

 

[MarzNC]

Red Mountain in Canada is joining as an Ikon partner for 2020-21. That's been on my bucket list for a while.

Red raised over $2 million in 2017-18 from over 700 people doing an OPO in Canada and the U.S. Made for some unusual headlines that winter. That's when I learned that the CEO is from California. Howard Katkov is quite a character.