COVID 19 impact on skiing

Jamesdeluxe wrote

If you think the COVID-19 thread here is long and dramatic (currently at 275 posts), the Coronavirus thread on the German-language Alpinforum is well more than 2,100 posts!

The thread I've been involved with on the Aussie ski forum has the title "Coronavirus - Anyone Concerned when traveling?" and started on Jan. 21, 2020.  Has over 100 PAGES and almost 6000 posts as of March 14.  Granted there is plenty of fun stuff mixed in, but there is a lot of good debate and links from sources all over the world.

I don't think this thread is long or dramatic.

My mistake -- I could've sworn that a few pages back one of the mods was ready to shut this thread down.

I can see how you would equate politics with drama.  I was thinking you were referring to panic.

I keep hearing about panic, but I'm not seeing it.

Harvey wrote

I can see how you would equate politics with drama.  I was thinking you were referring to panic.

I keep hearing about panic, but I'm not seeing it.

Give it a few weeks. Not in this forum, on the street. I have a personal theory that Cuomo is just practicing in New Rochelle  with the army (and, after being used in two recent wars, the national guard is now a seasoned army), and getting ready for more serious incidents of civil unrest south in a very large city.

Well, a bright side to all this is a whole lot of unsold inventory is soon to be available on the internet. New skis, half off!

Airline tickets and hotel rooms cheap.

PeeTex wrote

Airline tickets and hotel rooms cheap.

Yeah, my sons can’t get past how cheap baseball tickets are on seat geek right now. I’m taking a wait and see attitude

Let the fleecing of the pass holders proceed.

How are passholders being fleeced?

onscott wrote

Let the fleecing of the pass holders proceed.

Resort employees are getting screwed. That’s who’s getting hurt. I have no sympathy for anyone who can afford a season pass to ski.

Fleeced might be a bit much.  Even though pass holders paid in advance for services they can no longer make use of...these are extraordinary times and it’s no big deal. The ORDA announcement made reference to exchange/refund procedures being posted on ski area websites.  Who knows if that will include anything for pass holders, but it doesn’t really matter.

Every ski purchase is a gamble, dependent on weather and other variables, especially season passes. I’d say the resorts would be smart to offer a discount to current pass holders for next year, honor unused days on prepaid tickets etc... It would at least buy them some goodwill and be less expensive then cash refunds. They’re gonna need that cash to get through the shutdown period, especially the smaller independent hills.

My trip to Alta is not happening.  Alta Lodge posted on their website that they are closing for the season.  Their expectation is that Alta won't re-open.

Booking on Southwest makes cancelling the flights easy.

PeeTex wrote

onscott wrote

Let the fleecing of the pass holders proceed.

Resort employees are getting screwed. That’s who’s getting hurt. I have no sympathy for anyone who can afford a season pass to ski.

I agree.  I feel for the lifties and ops hourly staff that are getting laid off a month before they planned for.  

Given that both Ikon and Epic are just starting the the renewal push they will probably get pushed to increase the renewal discount.  

I got 11 days on my ikon pass but had planned 8 more days for this spring that won’t happen now.  The economics of 11 is roughly the psia rate I would have gotten anyway so I’m at least whole on the pass. But I’m not sure I am go8ng to renew this spring at this point.  

MTN stock is going to go down well over 10% tomorrow morning.

Brownski wrote

Every ski purchase is a gamble, dependent on weather and other variables, especially season passes. I’d say the resorts would be smart to offer a discount to current pass holders for next year, honor unused days on prepaid tickets etc... It would at least buy them some goodwill and be less expensive then cash refunds. They’re gonna need that cash to get through the shutdown period, especially the smaller independent hills.

From Win Smith's statement to Sugarbush folks:
"With respect to those who have unused Quad Pack and Four Pack tickets, they will be valid through 12/24/20 so there is no need to call about them. We do not have plans to refund or credit season passes, though."

Scottyskis thanks again for the heads up this morning - we had a great day at Magic.  Have wanted to go there for some time so great to share it with my brother from NH. We all want to go back!

Sad to see views of Bromley and Stratton which were both closed today.  Really a bummer to see the season end this way, but we all have a bigger problem on our hands.  Let’s all be confident that we will get our world back before the snow falls in November, and take care of ourselves, our loved ones, and our neighbors until then.

Quebec has shut down all ski resorts, and bars.  Ontario is shutting down casinos.

got this from Ikon
sounds like they might do something for this years pass holders on renewal is how i read it

These are uncertain and unprecedented times throughout the world. Most Ikon Pass destinations have made the difficult, yet necessary, decision to suspend operations as early as March 15, 2020 in the best interest of their employees, local communities, and guests. (For a complete list of closures, check https://www.ikonpass.com/en/covid-19.)

This is uncharted territory, and announcements are happening quickly, so we have no doubt you may be feeling some frustration. We are moving hour by hour and doing our best to minimize confusion. Please know we are all working diligently to serve you, our valued guests. We are experiencing heavy call, email and social media volume and appreciate your patience and understanding as we work hard to respond to all inquiries. At this time, we are evaluating our policies and next steps, and will communicate more information with you soon.

Ikon Pass sincerely apologizes for the inconvenience and disappointment these changes may have caused you and your family. We very much appreciate your patience, understanding, and continued love of the mountains.

Thank you for your support.


Your Friends at Ikon Pass

With all the resorts closed or closing, many of us will be thinking about heading into the backcountry and/or skinning closed ski areas, chasing what remains of winter.

Consider this and be careful out there:

another ski touring forum wrote

Hello Touring Friends. I know many of us are seeing ski touring as a fantastic activity that enables social distancing. Indeed it is, however I would urge you all to consider keeping things more mellow than usual in the coming weeks and months. Our medical system will likely face unprecedented challenges in next few weeks and likely months. Consider that if you get injured in backcountry and require medical care at a hospital you will be diverting precious resources away from those that truly need them. In Italy and Spain outdoor pursuits have effectively been banned as their restrictions mean you can only go outside for pharmacy or groceries. Please consider this and stay safe when making decisions in the backcountry.