Calling Indy Pass holders!

[marymack]

Good article about the Indy pass! An excellent way to support the smaller mountains and keep the sport alive. You know what I'm curious about? The big difference in the cost of skiing in Europe vs. the US. I met a woman who lives in Slovenia but has a lot of contact in the US (and apparently a boyfriend). She said she wouldn't consider skiing in the US, even when here (as she often is), due to the cost, which she thought was outlandish. How do the Europeans do it? Could our ski areas copy any of that?

I know in the US the big drivers are Snowmaking and Insurance. My guess is a combination of less snowmaking needs and maybe less insurance costs? (I've got to think that private health insurance in the US makes people more likely to pursue legal action against resorts when they get injured since even with insurance there are often so many out of pocket costs). I wonder if more resorts in Europe might be run by municipalities as well vs. a private company? Ski school is also not used as the cash cow that it is in the US since many private ski schools will operate at the same resort. It creates some necessary competition to keep prices more affordable.

 

[marzNC]

Good article! I wonder if there's a possibility that Indy will offer east/west and/or regional Indys, to keep costs down in the future.

Adding options by region would make managing Indy more complex. Currently only 15% of the money collected goes towards management and marketing. The rest goes back to the ski areas/resort based on "redemptions." Not sure how that would work with a regional option.

The aspirational aspect of a multi-resort pass that includes locations outside someone's home region has value for some people. Powder Mountain, Jay Peak, and a few other larger mountains definitely add value. Even if a family may only be able to save up and take the time once when the kids are still in school. Would be very hard to know where to break things out by region. People in the southeast drive a long way for skiing. As do people in the midwest.

 

[marzNC]

The difference in cost is indeed stark. You can get a weeklong pass in the Alps for the cost of a day ticket in the Rockies Skiing may not be quite a mass sport in Europe, but it’s certainly a lot more widespread than in the US. There must be historical factors due to its development in America that explain it. It might be a chicken-and-egg thing: skiing’s popularity helped it stay cheap, and it was cheap so it became popular.

I seem to remember that the percentage of the population in the European countries that have ski slopes is much higher than in N. America. Or maybe it was in Western Europe in general, meaning including the UK. The entire approach to lodging is different since most people stay a full week. Europeans get a lot more vacation time than Americans.

Very hard to compare prices across continents. The price of food, cars, gas, homes, and other common household purchases in Europe are not similar to the U.S.

 

[Tvan]

Great article. I still mourn the loss of the Max Pass which introduced us to several small, local mountains at a very affordable price.

@newboots - thread hijack- another local option for you is Mohawk Mountain. Not as far as Catamount, bigger than Thunder Ridge. I prefer it to Catamount which I have found to be icy and bottlenecked every time I’ve been there. Butternut is also an option, about the same distance as Catamount and a great family mountain. I think @ski diva ’s daughter skis there. End hijack.

 

[newboots]

Ski school is also not used as the cash cow that it is in the US since many private ski schools will operate at the same resort. It creates some necessary competition to keep prices more affordable.

I haven't seen alternate ski schools at a resort. Is that a Western thing, or have I just been living under a rock?

 

[marzNC]

I haven't seen alternate ski schools at a resort. Is that a Western thing, or have I just been living under a rock?

The rules about ski schools in the U.S. are very different than other countries. Essentially the owner of the slopes has a monopoly. There are a few situations when a well known individual or private company that do multi-day clinics are allowed. For example, Taos is partnering with Deb Armstrong.

The ski industry in Europe has a very different history than N. America. That impacts how lessons are provided. Also makes a difference during a pandemic in terms of how involved governments are when it comes to financial support due to public health closures.

 

[newboots]

Great article. I still mourn the loss of the Max Pass which introduced us to several small, local mountains at a very affordable price.

@newboots - thread hijack- another local option for you is Mohawk Mountain. Not as far as Catamount, bigger than Thunder Ridge. I prefer it to Catamount which I have found to be icy and bottlenecked every time I’ve been there. Butternut is also an option, about the same distance as Catamount and a great family mountain. I think @ski diva ’s daughter skis there. End hijack.

The only time I went to Catamount, the snow fell all morning (it took fohever to get there as I drive a bit slowly in the snow!). It was so beautiful! And six inches to play with - I had a great time! It left me in such awe of its beauty and powderness, I can't even imagine it icy! (also: it was a Wednesday)

Absent a snowstorm, it is around the same distance as Catamount. And I have friends I could meet up with in Great Barrington!

All of these mountains are about 90 minutes away, give or take. Thunder Ridge is a half hour - and that's its main draw for me. After being so spoiled in Vermont, I found it a big hurdle to get up early and drive an hour and a half to the Catskills. Sigh.

 

[teppaz]

The rules about ski schools in the U.S. are very different than other countries. Essentially the owner of the slopes has a monopoly. There are a few situations when a well known individual or private company that do multi-day clinics are allowed. For example, Taos is partnering with Deb Armstrong.

The ski industry in Europe has a very different history than N. America. That impacts how lessons are provided. Also makes a difference during a pandemic in terms of how involved governments are when it comes to financial support due to public health closures.

Growing up skiing in the French Alps, my parents put me and my sister in ski school and back then (1970s) the only choice was the École du Ski Français (ESF). I fondly remember their red outfits, the same at every resort — they’ve been wearing them since 1945. There are more options now but the ESF still has 80% of the ski-instruction market in France.

 

[marzNC]

Growing up skiing in the French Alps, my parents put me and my sister in ski school and back then (1970s) the only choice was the École du Ski Français (ESF). I fondly remember their red outfits, the same at every resort — they’ve been wearing them since 1945. There are more options now but the ESF still has 80% of the ski-instruction market in France.

Most of my impressions of taking lessons in Europe are based on reading posts written in English. That meant people who wanted lessons from someone who could teach in English. Means the situation is different depending on the country.

 

[teppaz]

The influx of non-French skiers meant the growth of ski schools with instructors that could speak English — for a long time the ESF was famous for being monolingual.

Because the ESF has the same curriculum at all the resorts, it has nation-wide tests indicating your level, starting with the Cub and the Snowflake for the youngest kids, then children and young teens make their way through a successive series of stars, each one requiring improved skills and technique: 1, 2, 3, followed by bronze, silver and gold. Very French!