The State of the Ski Industry

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SRG Skiing

2 ай бұрын

It’s time we sit down and have a talk.
English captions are available for those who prefer.
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Disclaimer: All statements made within the video are personal opinions emanating from personal experiences. None are factually backed-up and are not intended to be interpreted as such.
This video was proudly made without the assistance of AI technology.
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Пікірлер: 60
@SRGSkiing
@SRGSkiing 3 ай бұрын
Yes, I know I completely neglected climate/snowfall/warming/whatever you want to call it. I just didn’t really feel like starting that argument today. But you’re more than welcome to debate it here too. Think of this comments section as an open forum.
@tfranchi
@tfranchi 2 ай бұрын
Just toomanypeople doing everything everywhere
@maverick114e9
@maverick114e9 2 ай бұрын
On an unrelated note… Holy crap the grooming on those trails in the footage you have is awesome. Im drooling over the thought of carving down those runs
@andrelacouture624
@andrelacouture624 2 ай бұрын
200 dollars a day in us 72 in Europe corporations are taking over ski resorts in the states , they own everything even some of the bars and restaurants , renting skis is twice what it was 3 yrs ago they own that too. And now you have to make a reservation for parking your car . What you spend in a week in us you can ski in Europe for 15 or 20 days
@eddiemalvin
@eddiemalvin 2 ай бұрын
Shhh... keep it down... unless you want every European ski resort to look like Vail. I certainly don't prefer spending 45 minutes in lift lines while listening to 10 different songs simultaneously blasting from portable Bluetooth speakers. If the US Resorts cost $200+ a day and are still packed then they must be OK with it.
@SRGSkiing
@SRGSkiing 2 ай бұрын
😂
@juryacquittal
@juryacquittal 8 күн бұрын
European governments offer direct subsidies to ski resorts to improve access and the overall experience. This is primary reason why the daily lift ticket price is cheaper at most European resorts. I do not think comparing daily lift ticket prices is helpful since a skier in the US can plan ahead and save 50% or more per day. Buy a 4 day Epic pass right now for next season which costs $414 to ski any Vail resort you want (including Telluride). You can ski more than 100 days for $746. Just like with plane tickets, your wallet gets punished if wait until the last minute to purchase.
@Daz555Daz
@Daz555Daz 2 ай бұрын
As a European looking at the US situation with crowds (and prices!) I have one opinion - season ski passes should be local only. You pay for the season and with that you deal with the ups and downs of the weather through the season in your local area. These crazy nation-wide passes like Icon just mean that people follow the weather and completely destroy the good days for themselves and everyone else too. These passes will continue to ruin the sport. The one advantage in Europe we have is that the French will set the tone. Any sign of the US system creeping in and they will shut down the entire industry with strike action. Good on them.
@Croz89
@Croz89 Ай бұрын
I kind of understand why such mega passes exist though, I think Wendover explained it pretty well in his video about the ski industry. Simply put if all season passes were local only some resorts with generally more marginal snow conditions would struggle to sell any season passes at all, it would be far too much of a financial risk for prospective buyers. Since US resorts seem highly reliant on season passes for income for some reason it might mean a lot of these resorts can't afford to continue operating.
@Croz89
@Croz89 Ай бұрын
I think perhaps one of the major differences between European and US resorts is Europeans have a lot more multi-day visitors. Europeans tend to take a week or so off once or twice a year, and ski nearly every day for that week (they might take a rest day in the middle), rather than going on day trips on the weekends (except for some locals). European resorts don't really rely on season pass holders, the skiing vacation crowd is their bread and butter. This does help in two different ways, firstly traffic isn't so much of a problem since many visitors are staying in hotels or cabins/chalets nearby and only need to take a bus or taxi to the airport or train station twice a visit, they're either going to walk or take local public transport to the lifts. And secondly it spreads the visitor load out over the entire week, it's often the case that resorts aren't much busier on the weekend. This difference is partly down to geography, there aren't so many people living near ski resorts in Europe so we have to make more of a vacation out of it when we go, and cultural, more generous leave allowances make such trips more practical.
@Daniel-ey2gf
@Daniel-ey2gf 2 ай бұрын
No one holds a gun to anyone's head to give their hard earned money to ski conglomerates like Darth Vail. The back country is free and tops the resort experience in every category.
@Mr_Meow64
@Mr_Meow64 2 ай бұрын
I 100% agree with this video, I don't think things should be taken that seriously and everyone should at least try to have as much fun as possible on the slopes. For example, I am planning to go to copper for one of the last ski days in the season. I found out that a lot of what I wanted to ride was closed and I was pretty bummed. I realized that, it doesn't matter. There is still so much to do and I have always had the attitude of; no matter what I will try and be positive. I think more people should take that approach. Thank you for making this video, it was great. (:
@Guy_Incognito118
@Guy_Incognito118 2 ай бұрын
The problem is one of capacity being unable to meet demand. Not just uphill but downhill capacity. My home mountain, Mount Snow, is unable to expand due to a limit placed on them by the Forest Service (Vermont is far from running out of forest). Deregulate the land conservation and allow the mountains to expand to meet the increasing demand for the sport we all love.
@mrsassypants
@mrsassypants 2 ай бұрын
This guy guy gets it! Brighton and the rest of the cottonwoods in Utah has this same problem. There’s TONS of good terrain they could add but the climate activists would never allow the federal government to let us.
@random_stuff_channel
@random_stuff_channel 2 ай бұрын
I know that some people can't go on weekdays. But if you get the opportunity, GO. It's cheaper, it's much less crowded, and snow is usually better (if there has been a snowstorm). I once got blessed with a mid-week powder day, and it was amazing. No crowds either.
@TwinSkiingLiftsRides
@TwinSkiingLiftsRides 2 ай бұрын
As of this season, I can only ski on weekends because of my college schedule, unless I’m on school break. Yes, that means enduring crazy lift lines at times, and I have an IKON pass because it lets me choose when and where I’d like to ski, versus trying to plan a day at one particular resort. My school has a ski bus for college students that goes to five different IKON resorts in northern/central Colorado, so for me, having an IKON pass lets me decide: Do I want to take the bus to this ski resort, or do I want to get a ride from a friend and go to another ski resort? Logistics can get complicated, but I think that’s why they have season passes in the first place; to allow for flexibility. I used 6 days on my 23/24 IKON pass throughout the whole season, and they were all on weekends because of how my class schedule works.
@JohnHowell-xg9uk
@JohnHowell-xg9uk 2 ай бұрын
Eldora...Monarch...Powderhorn...Ski Cooper...Sunlight...just do it.
@paulmelde919
@paulmelde919 2 ай бұрын
I am old enough to remember when convention wisdom said “skiing is dying”. The skiing Demographic was too old and everything was too expensive, especially lift tickets. Mountains were too tame.. you could only ski on established trails and every trail had ropes. Snow conditions usually sucked etc. …. Then snowboarding came along and so much changed, not just for snowboarding but for skiing. Equipment, terrain, technique, demographics etc.
@rj521
@rj521 2 ай бұрын
Live in the Northwest and have a ski hill about 20-25 minutes from the house. It is not on Ikon or Epic, but on big powder days even during the week we can get a lot more skiers than normal. Saturdays and Holidays can be crowded from out-of-towners, but most of the time during the week it is like skiing at a private resort. My biggest complaint is too many skiers try to ski terrain that is over their ability. For an example. Two years ago I was skiing Vail’s Back Bowls on a Wednesday with about 6-8 inches of new snow. I start hearing all this noise from behind and uphill from me. It was a group of 4 or 5 college age men skiing completely out of control. I don’t think they had skill to ski the terrain especially with new snow. They were falling and sliding more than they were skiing. I pulled over. Let them go by and skied a little to the left of where they were skiing. If you think lines are bad now you should have skied Vail back in the seventies when all lifts were Fixed-Grip chairs. The lines were huge on a Saturday.
@martinfuller66
@martinfuller66 2 ай бұрын
I work at one of the busiest resorts in the north east. We have hundreds of immigrants to our country who are skiing. Skiing has a certain cachet, being expensive. People drive $100,000 cars to the resort, then worry about parking. There is not enough parking, that's how it is. The true soul of skiing, as in many pursuits nowadays, is dying rapidly. One has to pick the resort, the time, and the vibe to find your bliss. The country is growing fast, everyone has a car. We are recreating. First world problems.
@IfReborn
@IfReborn 2 ай бұрын
midweek skiing is magical. Wednesday powder days are a gift from GOD. wait till the next rescission. it will go back.
@reddottx
@reddottx 2 ай бұрын
Alta/Snowbird are my favorite mountains but I haven’t been in years since there’s a good chance you could suffer the traffic only to have to turn around because there’s no parking. I’ll let this reserved parking thing go a couple of years and see what it does for the situation. Unhelpful that they cut the bus rides in half last season.
@JasonTaylor-po5xc
@JasonTaylor-po5xc 2 ай бұрын
I-70 is a mess. I'm glad CDOT is trying to help but really we need a rail line from Denver to Summit County. Winter Park already has a train service from Denver and I think that is an excellent approach for a lot of day trippers. Granted, that train has some issues too. Probably by the time such a project is seriously considered, I'll be too old to ski. Thankfully, I live in Colorado Springs so I just go the back way most times - although that could use some passing lanes past Divide. I haven't been impressed with the Vail resorts food so far. But, no one is forcing you to eat there either. I've started bringing my own stacks and getting more laps while everyone else is waiting for a seat to open up just for overpriced mediocre food. Since the slopes close at 4pm, I prefer to spend that money in town afterwards on a nice meal before heading home. It's still expensive, but the food is better. Even with a remote job, I haven't figured a way to ski during the week without taking paid leave. I'm trying to reserve a few days each year for that, but it is still hard to balance that. BTW, I love the Hater's Guides. Once you understand that most of it is satire or exaggeration, it's a good time - except for Keystone, I think you nailed that one. LOL
@SRGSkiing
@SRGSkiing 2 ай бұрын
Man I would love to have a train. Idk, something about food for me.. I just can't do without a hot meal. I wish I could, and I've tried. Glad you like the Hater's Guides!
@JasonTaylor-po5xc
@JasonTaylor-po5xc 2 ай бұрын
@@SRGSkiing I like a good warm meal too but I just shift it to the end of the ski day - perhaps pack it in slightly early to get ahead of the lines. I'm normally dead tired by 3-3:30 anyway. Just depends on what's going on and who's with me. My wife would agree with you, so when she goes, we typically eat the subpar food at the resort.
@maxpower9499
@maxpower9499 2 ай бұрын
Too many rats in the cage that is the front range. But simply enforcing the chain and/or winter tire laws would go a long way to helping the disaster of I-70. Even different roads like 9 aren't immune from the I-70 mess. Some knucklehead will give it a try in a semi when 70 is closed, and it's puking snow over the whole state. And speaking of knuckleheads, sad but true, that Idiocracy is in full effect these days. Used to be 50 and Monarch were pretty much good to go even during heavy snow. Not any more, semi's with no chains, idiots in 2wd, etc etc.
@SRGSkiing
@SRGSkiing 2 ай бұрын
Well thankfully, we got at least a slight reprieve with the I-70 left lane semi bill
@dosaussiethai2127
@dosaussiethai2127 26 күн бұрын
I have always said this about solving problems with money: "Pay to win is a fact of life, be it in real life or gaming. People have different life situations. Some people have money but not time. Some people have time but not money. You buy first class seat you get first class service. You pay for cattle class you get minimal service. There is nothing wrong with those people who are willing to spend money to improve their situation and convenience. You don't have to pay more if you are not willing to, but you will pay with time and effort. Badmouthing them is just pure jealousy. And for a record, I seldom pay for those extras because I'm poor, but I never think that those who can afford them are in any way, shape or form, bad, albeit envy them sometimes.
@SRGSkiing
@SRGSkiing 26 күн бұрын
My man, I appreciate the true, genuine honesty. It's refreshing.
@SkiBum81657
@SkiBum81657 Ай бұрын
My biggest complaints are the weed smokers and the alcohol drinkers on the slope, putting others at risk. Outside of the pandemic year, the lines at Vail and Beaver Creek have been pretty decent, especially once you reach the top of the mountain to spread out, even during Christmas week and President's Day weekend. Finally, parking at Vail is managed and maintained by the town of Vail, not Vail Resorts.
@michaeltravers3095
@michaeltravers3095 2 ай бұрын
My home mountain Wachusett in MA, has no parking problems. It isn’t overcrowded. It is managed very good.
@random_stuff_channel
@random_stuff_channel 2 ай бұрын
Skiing is actually getting LESS popular. So why are resorts getting busier and busier, and more expensive? Well, it's because all the small ski resorts are closing. Forcing people to go to larger resorts.
@hollyburns8568
@hollyburns8568 2 ай бұрын
I love how you're the only one on every hill you're on in the entire video!
@SRGSkiing
@SRGSkiing 2 ай бұрын
I have 9 terabytes of footage lying around--some of it is better than others 😉
@user-ej3pf6dj6r
@user-ej3pf6dj6r 2 ай бұрын
I know it's a symptom of the industry overall. But I-70 is what kills me, not even the lines. Each year in CO we have to wake up what seems like 30 minutes earlier to get to the mountain without absolutely ungodly traffic. It's completely debilitating mentally and physically and takes most of the joy of even wanting to head up the hill for some turns. Lack of public transport, huge demand. I-70 is the embodiment of everything wrong with the industry.
@SRGSkiing
@SRGSkiing 2 ай бұрын
I feel that 😭
@archstanton_live
@archstanton_live 2 ай бұрын
You can't always get what you want, but if you try some time, you just might find, you get what you need.
@blarbkanopcious4243
@blarbkanopcious4243 2 ай бұрын
“Just one more lane will fix our traffic issues! Just one more lane guys, I promise it will work this time!”
@SRGSkiing
@SRGSkiing 2 ай бұрын
No no no, I have a better idea! Add another express lane! This one can be on right side!
@grenrudd6464
@grenrudd6464 Ай бұрын
Everybody wants to go to the biggest mountain (or hill) and yet comment about losing the smaller areas. A lot complain about prices yet wont try the maybe less expensive independent areas
@brian6284
@brian6284 2 ай бұрын
As a skier, I think snowboarding may have saved the ski industry by bringing in a new generation and group of people that otherwise might never have been interested in the sport. However, I feel like skiers (myself included) still get nervous about snowboarders nearby. I try to figure out what they are doing to be friendly, stay out of their way, and appreciate them but I don't see the average snowboarder caring nearly as much about harmony on the slopes. More mutual appreciation for each other would go a long way toward making the mountain experience better.
@JasonTaylor-po5xc
@JasonTaylor-po5xc 2 ай бұрын
Part of the issue is that the Forest Service manages less land in the east vs west. For example, about 30% of Colorado is federal land.
@killingaurapvp3178
@killingaurapvp3178 2 ай бұрын
The best way to not get blindsided into a collision is to be the fastest one on the run. :)
@SRGSkiing
@SRGSkiing 2 ай бұрын
I'm purposefully not debating a vast majority of comments on this video, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one 😂
@SteveThompson-li2fc
@SteveThompson-li2fc 2 ай бұрын
I’m a snowboarder since the mid-80s and agree, but we need a culture change in the industry as a whole and a return to “niceness”. Too much powder-panic out there today.
@Nic5k
@Nic5k 2 ай бұрын
True skiers only!!!!!!
@rainmaker3700
@rainmaker3700 2 ай бұрын
I tune it all out and just ski and enjoy the mountain. There are worse things to complain about.
@itwasfresh5261
@itwasfresh5261 2 ай бұрын
Where is that at 1:35 and 2:50
@SRGSkiing
@SRGSkiing 2 ай бұрын
Banff Sunshine
@thatchickenman8140
@thatchickenman8140 2 ай бұрын
I’m sure that tax money has been well sifted before it reaches the forest
@rogxxxr
@rogxxxr 2 ай бұрын
Not a single mention of snowboarders on your list of complaints… everything is their fault
@SRGSkiing
@SRGSkiing 2 ай бұрын
I ain't gonna be the one starting that war 😂😂
@jolynnehiggins
@jolynnehiggins 2 ай бұрын
Nobody wants to say it, but man the sport was better before snowboarding. I wonder if there is any statistical significance? 😂
@whosagoodgirl5846
@whosagoodgirl5846 2 ай бұрын
The us needs more ski resorts. Never gonna happened tho bcuz of the forest service
@rambultruesdell3412
@rambultruesdell3412 2 ай бұрын
Love the way you hate, SRG ... 😅 we all have to make fun of something ... 😊
@reddottx
@reddottx 2 ай бұрын
I don’t think of you as a complainer so much as a discerning auditor of human nature. 😎
@SRGSkiing
@SRGSkiing 2 ай бұрын
😂😂
@puregsr
@puregsr 2 ай бұрын
I think skiing should be less popular
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