Epic Pass

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts: Kelly Ladyga, (303) 404-1862, kladyga@vailresorts.com


Telluride Ski Resort Joins the Epic Pass

The iconic Telluride Ski Resort joins the Epic Pass beginning with the 2018-19 winter season in a long-term alliance.
Epic Pass holders will receive seven days of skiing or snowboarding with no blackout dates at Telluride and 50 percent off lift tickets after the seven days have been redeemed.

Epic Pass holders can go direct to the lift with their pass at Telluride and avoid the ticket window.
Telluride Season Pass holders and Telluride Ski & Golf Club members with full winter benefits will receive 50 percent off lift tickets at all Vail Resorts owned mountain resorts.

BROOMFIELD, Colo.—Jan. 29, 2018—Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN) and Telluride Ski & Golf jointly announced today that the Telluride Ski Resort will join the industry-leading Epic Pass in a long-term alliance beginning with 2018-19 winter season, bringing the total to 46 mountain resorts for skiers and snowboarders. Telluride has been rated the “#1 Ski Resort in North America” five of the last six years by readers of Condé Nast Traveler.

Following are the benefits for Epic Pass, Epic 7-Day and Epic 4-Day pass holders, Telluride Season Pass holders and Telluride Ski & Golf Club members with full winter benefits.

Epic Pass™: Epic Pass holders will receive seven days of skiing or snowboarding with no blackout dates. Once the seven days have been used, pass holders can get 50 percent off lift tickets at Telluride. Pass holders get the added benefit of going direct to the lift with their pass and avoid the ticket window. The Epic Pass offers full access to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood at Lake Tahoe; Stowe Mountain Resort in Vermont; Afton Alps in Minnesota; Mt. Brighton in Michigan; Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin; Whistler Blackcomb in Canada; and Perisher in Australia, with no blackout dates. The Epic Pass also provides limited access to Les 3 Vallées, Paradiski and Tignes-Val D’Isere in France; 4 Vallées in Switzerland; Arlberg in Austria and Skirama Dolomiti in Italy.

Epic 7-Day Pass: Epic 7-Day Pass holders will receive up to seven days of skiing or  snowboarding at Telluride with no blackout dates as part of their seven total days on the pass. After the seven days, regardless of the resort at which they were redeemed, pass holders can get 20 percent off additional lift tickets at Telluride. Pass holders get the added benefit of going direct to the lift with their pass and avoid the ticket window. The Epic 7-Day Pass features a total of seven days with no blackout dates at Whistler Blackcomb, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Park City, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood, Stowe and Arapahoe Basin, plus seven additional free days at Afton Alps, Mt. Brighton or Wilmot Mountain.

Epic 4-Day Pass: Epic 4-Day Pass holders will receive up to four days of skiing or snowboarding at Telluride with no blackout dates as part of their four total days on the pass. After the four days, regardless of the resort at which they were redeemed, pass holders can get 20 percent off additional lift tickets at Telluride. Pass holders get the added benefit of going direct to the lift with their pass and avoid the ticket window. The Epic 4-Day pass features a total of four days with no blackout dates at Whistler Blackcomb, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Park City, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood, Stowe and Arapahoe Basin, plus four additional free days at Afton Alps, Mt. Brighton or Wilmot Mountain.

The idea is obviously to pull in people who want to go to Telluride in 2018-19 for 4-7 days, and can also make good use of an Epic Pass at a Vail resort for at least 4 days. Wonder whether the Epic Pass prices are going to change next season.

Epic Pass™: Epic Pass holders will receive seven days of skiing or snowboarding with no blackout dates. Once the seven days have been used, pass holders can get 50 percent off lift tickets at Telluride.

Epic 7-Day Pass holders will receive up to seven days of skiing or  snowboarding at Telluride with no blackout dates as part of their seven total days on the pass. After the seven days, regardless of the resort at which they were redeemed, pass holders can get 20 percent off additional lift tickets at Telluride.

Epic 4-Day Pass: Epic 4-Day Pass holders will receive up to four days of skiing or snowboarding at Telluride with no blackout dates as part of their four total days on the pass. After the four days, regardless of the resort at which they were redeemed, pass holders can get 20 percent off additional lift tickets at Telluride.

The plot thickens.

At least Vail Corp. comes up with something to chew on. This Ikon thing is looking so vacuous at the moment.

The Epic Pass FAQ explicitly states that Telluride will NOT be part of the MCP for 2018-19.

Looking at the T-ride website, it looks like they are going for the international market pretty hard.  There is an obvious tab for translating into Spanish, Portuguese, and German.  I know there are Australians who ski Perisher who buy the Epic Pass for North American skiing during their summer vacation (Jan-Feb).  Aussies seem to go to Canada a lot more than Colorado.  Another reason that Vail buying W-B was good for that market.

Hey guess what guys, I never did get the epic pass! I got the Max Pass and so far haven't done much with it. I did get out to Mountain Creek with the township's Ski and Snowboard club for some night riding, though. Man that is some fun - 3000 high school kids and misc. Friday night crazy people. We rode util 10 pm and snoozed on the bus home. I am looking forward to some max pass days in Vermont or gore or whiteface in Feb/March. We'll see how the 97 Tahoe holds out, and my court date....

Supposedly, Vail tried to get Jackson Hole to consider a deal similar to what Telluride will have for 2018-19.  Mentioned in the article in ZRankings comparing Epic and Ikon based on what’s known as of late January 2018.

https://zrankings.com/articles/ikon-pass-vs-epic-pass

Benny Profane wrote

The plot thickens.

At least Vail Corp. comes up with something to chew on. This Ikon thing is looking so vacuous at the moment.

Seems like you NY guys are getting hosed. But for someone like me, this could be a potential option for the right price. I never get season passes and play the field and I normally would never consider a season pass at the eastern areas. But for the right price, mix in a massive trip out west PLUS early season at Sunday River PLUS late season at Killington and I could be in for it. All depends on price. I don't think it would be cheap enough for me to bite but it looks very interesting given the western options along with early/late season in the east.

http://unofficialnetworks.com/2018/02/16/who-will-buy-jay-peak-and-burke-mountain-when-they-go-on-sale/

Jay becomes the Eastern game changer for either Epic or Alterra.  I expect the bidding to be hot and heavy.  Alterra has more to lose in the Quebec market if Epic wins this so I expect they will bid higher.

I wonder if Burke is part of the sale also.  Jay would be a valuable asset to Epic or Alterra as it has the most snow in the east.  But Burke has not once been profitable and I don't think either company would really want it.

The other thing I think Epic might be looking for is getting a stronghold in the NYC market since Alterra hosed them by not including Mountain Creek, Windham, or Belleayre in the Ikon pass.  Mountain Creek is under a 20 year lease to Snow Operating so they'd have to buy out the lease to acquire it, but I could see them maybe picking up Windham or someplace in PA like Blue or Camelback.

Z wrote

http://unofficialnetworks.com/2018/02/16/who-will-buy-jay-peak-and-burke-mountain-when-they-go-on-sale/

Jay becomes the Eastern game changer for either Epic or Alterra.  I expect the bidding to be hot and heavy.  Alterra has more to lose in the Quebec market if Epic wins this so I expect they will bid higher.

I might go back to being a Jay Peak season pass holder if it joins a multi-mountain operation AND the pass price is reasonable. $800 early, $1200 full boat are the current prices. Haven't been a pass holder for almost 10 years, but I'd like to get back on that band wagon for the right price and options. We'll see what happens but I agree that Jay should command a strong price. I can't imagine Burke not being part of the deal... while Burke still struggles with name recognition, it has two high speed lifts and the newest swanky slopeside hotel in the region. Plus, hey, it's Burke and it has been a few years since the last change in ownership so it is definitely due to change hands again, lol.

Okemo, Sunapee, and Crested Butte joined as partner resorts.  7 days each at all three on both the Epic and Epic Local with no blackouts.

snoloco wrote

Okemo, Sunapee, and Crested Butte joined as partner resorts.  7 days each at all three on both the Epic and Epic Local with no blackouts.

Also means that premium season pass holders for Okemo and Sunapee can get 50% off on lift tickets at any Vail resort.  Telluride locals didn't think that was much of a perk.  Might be different for northeasterners.

Full press release on 3/14/2018
http://news.vailresorts.com/corporate/cbmr.htm

For any other veterans they have a good deal for active, retired and honorably discharged vets.  Really wish a catskills resort was on there.  That way I could get a pass for NY, VT and a trip out west

Anyone think that Vail has been trying to figure out how to add these northeast ski resorts ever since KSL/Crown bought Intrawest?  The MAX Pass evolved from the Intrawest "passport" that came to include Boyne and Powdr resorts, plus strays like Okemo/Stratton/Crested Butte and eventually the ORDA mountains.  But the competition to Epic was more the MCP, more than MAX, for people from the east who plan trips out west.

Vail bought three ski areas in the midwest, plus Stowe.  Only region not really covered directly is the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast.  Ikon include Snowshoe in WV.

https://unofficialnetworks.com/2018/12/20/shark-tanks-kevin-oleary-and-telluride-ceo-discuss-ikon-vs-epic/

This is worth watching.  Talks about how resorts that are partners to Epic get paid per users day at a rate equal to a 5 day lift tix rate

Thanks for posting that Z. It actually answered some questions I had