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What is the history of the Epic Pass?

Karen_skier2.0

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Even though I was in Colorado, I went a long time without skiing or buying any passes (except for A-Basin) so I was looking into the history of the Epic Pass.

This is compiled from Wikipedia and the Vail Resorts site:

1999 - Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Northstar, Kirkwood, Heavenly
2012 - Afton Alps, Mount Brighton
Vail Resorts announces the addition of Verbier, Switzerland to the Epic Pass
2013 - Canyons Resort
Vail Resorts announces the addition of Arlberg, Austria to the Epic Pass.
Vail Resorts announces the addition of Les 3 Vallees to the Epic Pass
2014 - Park City acquisition and merger with Canyons
2015 - Perisher (Australia)
2016 - Whistler Blackcomb (will not be added to Epic Pass until 2017-2018)
Vail announces the additions to the Epic Pass in the following countries
France: Les 3 Vallees, Paradiski and Tignes-Val D’Isere
Italy: Skirama Dolomiti Adamello Brenta
Switzerland: 4 Vallees
Austria: Arlberg


I'm curious, what were the season pass prices at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breck, and Keystone prior to the Epic Pass? What was the cost of the first Epic Pass? When did Arapahoe Basin join the Epic Pass?
 

SBrown

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Winter Park was the first one to drop its season pass price drastically, in 1998, and the other resorts had to follow suit. It was about $200.

What Vail had at first was the Colorado Pass, which is now basically the Epic Local. The full Epic pass (ie, full Vail days) was introduced in the 08/09 season. It dropped a Vail pass from $1,849 to $579. In 1997, a season pass for Keystone, Breckenridge and A-Basin cost $750. Winter Park’s season pass cost $600, and Copper’s cost $595. http://www.denverpost.com/2007/09/07/ski-pass-cost-comparison-softens-lift-whines/

Then there was the ABasin Bonus Pass, which was unlimited at ABasin and then 5 days at Keystone or Breck (one of which could be Vail or Beaver Creek). I wish they still offered that, it was perfect. As far as I can remember, ABasin was always on one of these combo Vail passes.

The Rocky Mountain Super Pass was Intrawest's response, and it was $399 at first.
 
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Karen_skier2.0

Karen_skier2.0

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The Epic Pass has not been in existence since 1999 as it came into being since I moved here. I want to say 2008 maybe?
The 1999 reference was to Vail Resorts coming together (I think that was when it got bought out from Ralstan), not the Epic Pass.
 
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Karen_skier2.0

Karen_skier2.0

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What Vail had at first was the Colorado Pass, which is now basically the Epic Local. The full Epic pass (ie, full Vail days) was introduced in the 08/09 season. It dropped a Vail pass from $1,849 to $579. In 1997, a season pass for Keystone, Breckenridge and A-Basin cost $750. Winter Park’s season pass cost $600, and Copper’s cost $595. http://www.denverpost.com/2007/09/07/ski-pass-cost-comparison-softens-lift-whines/

That link is excellent. Thank you. Very interesting to see the price change over time. Makes me wonder how high the Epic Pass, and all its variations, is heading.
 

SBrown

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The 1999 reference was to Vail Resorts coming together (I think that was when it got bought out from Ralstan), not the Epic Pass.

Ralston-Purina bought Breck in 93, and Vail bought Breck and Keystone in 96. (Tried to buy ABasin too but that was the antitrust thing.) When I was growing up, ABasin and Keystone were sorta like the same place, like Winter Park/Mary Jane but farther apart. You could use the same ticket and take a shuttle back and forth.
 

Tricia

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I remember members on Epic Ski getting excited about the Epic pass and the 5 resorts you could ski on it.
Then it was cool because you could ski Tahoe and Colorado on one pass because they picked up Heavenly, then Northstar and Kirkwood were added.
Now I'm not sure how much people get excited about a new location added.

I think the messiness of Park City started to change how some skiers think about it
 

Blue Streak

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We tend to forget that a lot of Vail resorts customers come into town once a year, pay >$1,000 a night for a place to stay, window ticket prices, and hundreds of dollars a day for food.
As frequent skiers, wannabe ski bums, and locals, that is hard for many of us to imagine.
But it's not just Vail!!!!
My brother takes his wife and two little girls skiing every year, usually Aspen, Jackson, or Deer Valley, and it's the same story.
He told me that he stopped in a ski shop in Jackson Hole to buy the wife and girls some new gloves, socks, sunblock, etc, and walked out with a $700 bill.
But then again, a room service pot of coffee and a couple of cups of cocoa for the girls was $90 at a hotel in New York!
The real money at these resorts is not made on people like us. Their target market is families like my brother's.
In reality, these people subsidize our skiing.
That's why we can buy an Epic local pass for $579.
Next time you see a rich person at Vail, give them a hug.:hug:
 

Jed Peters

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I buy an epic local pass. It's fantastic, and I have since the "merger" (2012, I guess). Before that I had a Kirkwood pass. I used to get it for 449-499 (depending how many were in the group buy, you got a discount if over 20 signed up together).

FYI, @Blue Streak the Epic pass doesn't keep those people from spending money--at all.

I have family members that REGULARLY spend $1000/night for lodging at Northstar, but only like paying 50 bucks a day to ski.

I like the Epic pass and the competition that goes along with it at neighboring SquawAlpine in terms of passes here in the Tahoe area.
 

Blue Streak

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I didn't didn't suggest that it did!
Rich people aren't stupid!!!
For instance, a friend of mine on ski school has one customer who books 30-50 days of privates with him every year. She owns in a multi million dollar residence in the village, blah, blah, blah.
She buys an epic pass.
But my brother does the math, and if he knows he will not ski enough days to pay for a pass, he doesn't spring for it. (I provide buddy passes, so he would have to ski more than a week to make it worthwhile).
My point is that there are plenty of guests there that pay full boat retail on some, if not all, of their ski vacation.
Good for them, and I thank them.
 
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Karen_skier2.0

Karen_skier2.0

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Sorry, I didn't want to turn this into a monopoly or bash Vail thread. Just wasn't sure what pass prices were like prior to the Epic Pass and the history of the prices.

I moved here in 1996 after attending Oregon State University. I was so consumed with traveling for work, I only bought a ticket here and there, then a bunch of injuries brought skiing to a halt.
 

Blue Streak

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The Epic Pass represents an extraordinary value, any way you slice it.
 

Ski_Bum

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This thread comes up top of Google every time I search on Epic Pass history. At one time I recall they renamed the Summit Pass as the Colorado Local pass. I seem to also recall a Summit Value Pass at one time similar to the current Keystone A-Basin pass with blackouts or limited days at Breck. Old time CO skiers like to remind people that prior to the Colorado/Summit passes, they had to pay around $2000 for a single mountain pass such as Steamboat.

Wow, Karen, I didn't realize you'd been here that long. I moved here in September 1996 and bought discount $40-46 single day tickets from King Soopers the first few years before the Colorado Pass. I remember in the early to mid 90s flying out to Utah to visit my brother and using a coupon from some ski discount leaflet mailer to ski Park West (before it became the Canyons) for only $15. He said, "why do you pay $50+ to ski crappy ice, mud, and rocks at those 600-900 ft mid-Atlantic resorts when you can ski here for $15"!
 

chris_the_wrench

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What about the ‘Buddy Pass’ I remember buying that in the late 90’s. 4 people for something like $800?? I was really only skiing Breckenridge those days maybe it worked at keystone or copper??
 

mdf

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What Vail had at first was the Colorado Pass, which is now basically the Epic Local.
An interesting twist is that originally the Colorado Pass could only be purchased in-person, though it could be renewed by mail in subsequent years.

One summer a long time ago I was on a business trip somewhere around Denver and for some reason had a free day. So I drove out I70 and into the mountains just to look around. I stumbled on a ski store that had a table set up selling the pass (I think they were a roving sales team and were only there one week).

I very nearly bought the pass on speculation, even though I had no plans to ski out West that year. After a long pace in the parking lot, I passed on the pass and it was another 5 years before I made it out West to ski.
 

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