Storm Skiing Podcast with Vail Inc. Eastern Head Honcho

[Low Angle Life]

I totally get that. With a day ticket you really have to think... is today going to be decent? too. Did is rain or snow on the mountain?

My issue with Pass Math Bro is that all that seems to matter is the cost per day. "On my Epic Pass I skied for $12 a day!" But yea, I was packed like a sardine in long lines all day, I paid $for 30 to park, and bought a burger for $18.

The way I look at it... I put so much effort into skiing... did I have any fun?

This is the picture I always think of when Pass Math comes up...

This was my THIRD run at open day at Plattekill in 2019. I took this picture and several others because THERE WAS NO ONE BEHIND ME. Many consider a Plattekill pass expensive. To me it's priceless.

On a powder day, the price of a Plattekill day ticket is always worth the value in my book. Thats what guided my pass purchase this year. Belleayre for weekday convenience, consistent snow making, and length of season in my case $200 less than a Plattekill season pass. Plattekill will get my day ticket business regardless because I can still justify the price of a day ticket when the snow warrants despite having a pass for a mountain 20 minutes down the road.

 

[Ripitz]

On a powder day, the price of a Plattekill day ticket is always worth the value in my book. Thats what guided my pass purchase this year. Belleayre for weekday convenience, consistent snow making, and length of season in my case $200 less than a Plattekill season pass. Plattekill will get my day ticket business regardless because I can still justify the price of a day ticket when the snow warrants despite having a pass for a mountain 20 minutes down the road.

Same here + Indy

Greylock and Hickory still waiting in the wings.

 

[x10003q]

I totally get that. With a day ticket you really have to think... is today going to be decent? too. Did is rain or snow on the mountain?

My issue with Pass Math Bro is that all that seems to matter is the cost per day. "On my Epic Pass I skied for $12 a day!" But yea, I was packed like a sardine in long lines all day, I paid $for 30 to park, and bought a burger for $18.

The way I look at it... I put so much effort into skiing... did I have any fun?

This is the picture I always think of when Pass Math comes up...

This was my THIRD run at open day at Plattekill in 2019. I took this picture and several others because THERE WAS NO ONE BEHIND ME. Many consider a Plattekill pass expensive. To me it's priceless.

Now you are just conflating people who struggle trying to decide which way to turn due to budget with other nonsense that has mostly always been expensive like hamburgers and close in parking.

When I started paying for my own passes there was always math involved because the money just did not exist. Season passes were very expensive vs 'empire 'cards or joining a ski club or finding some other discount card/ticket special. I always counted because I wanted to try and make the best decision in the following seasons within my money limits. There were plenty of Sundays when I decided to head home and save the money/discount ticket for another day if the skiing was crap and limited. When I could finally afford a season pass, I mostly skied on Sundays.

 

[tirolski]

My issue with pass math is more with my own behavior ... if I buy a day pass somewhere I have a difficult time not forcing myself to ski until the lifts close.

Skiing is fun.
When it ain’t, don’t.

Is it a difficult time forcing or not forcing?
Not forcing means it comes easier.
Sh--It’s confusing.

 

[Brownski]

There’s nothing wrong with doing the math. Even if you have an unlimited supply of money, there’s no virtue in wasting it. A lot of people end up doing it without really knowing what they’re buying or what the alternatives are though. Everybody gets to decide what they want and what they’re willing to pay for it, right?

 

[tirolski]

There’s nothing wrong with doing the math. Even if you have an unlimited supply of money, there’s no virtue in wasting it. A lot of people end up doing it without really knowing what they’re buying or what the alternatives are though. Everybody gets to decide what they want and what they’re willing to pay for it, right?

It’s health insurance shoppin season now too.
Go figure.

 

[Ripitz]

Even if you have an unlimited supply of money, there’s no virtue in wasting it. A lot of people end up doing it without really knowing what they’re buying or what the alternatives are though.

This brings it back to the origin of the thread. When Stuart asks why does Vail sell day tickets for hundreds of dollars (as high as $1,566 a day) and you can buy the same ticket for as low as $70 in advance, Tim could not answer or explain it. Only a bunch of corporate jibberish and, “It’s something we’re looking at”. Their algorithms know more about Pass Math Bro’s ski day than he does.

It is always great to know that a ski area has the balls to label customers who pay with hard earned dollars Vinny Vouchers.

In the hospitality business nicknames for guests is an industry standard. Vinny, Jerry, Joey, Touron, Gaper, whatever. It’s called having fun.

 

[Harvey]

conflating

You lost me. And dude you're alway accusing me of conflating. I may have to break down an look it up.

All I'm saying if some people are so focused on the price of a lift ticket and have a line they won't cross. They don't apply it to anything else. Have you every heard someone say "if the cost of gas is more than $3.10 I'm not skiing"? If you want a pair of ski boots and they are $50 more than you expected would you walk away?

 

[Harvey]

On a powder day, the price of a Plattekill day ticket is always worth the value in my book.

There is often untracked snow for days or even weeks after the last snowfall. Powder week?

Pretty sure this was more than a week after the last snow:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgcAEz_FV3V/

More seriously this is what powder hounds don't get. We are not the industry's prize customers. We are incidental revenue.

 

[Harvey]

(as high as $1,566 a day)

That was an April Fools thing I think.