28 September 2011
South Lake Tahoe, Calif./Nev. and Truckee, Calif. – Sept. 28, 2011 – This winter season, when Lake Tahoe skiers and snowboarders look for superior value, the Epic Pass, Epic Local Pass and Tahoe Value Pass are still the clear choice whether they focus on the mountain experience, new amenities and improvements, guest service, sustainability or price.
“Recognizing that Tahoe skiers and snowboarders have even more choice this season, we’re pleased that we continue to offer unmatched value to our guests,”said Kirsten Lynch, chief marketing officer of Vail Resorts. “Starting at just $379 you can ski and ride 7,800 acres between Heavenly and Northstar all season long and for only $499, you can enjoy over 20,000 acres at seven resorts. Our passes offer the most terrain at a lower price than some of the passes recently introduced by other resorts.”
As outlined in the table below the Epic Pass, the Epic Local Pass and the Tahoe Value Pass are priced below the comparable newly introduced Tahoe Super Pass and in most cases offer considerably more amenities and options for guests. The Epic Pass, which offers unlimited, unrestricted skiing and riding at Heavenly, Northstar, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin, is $649 versus $799 for the Gold Tahoe Super Pass, which offers unlimited skiing and riding at Squaw and Alpine Meadows. The Epic Local Pass offers limited restricted days at Heavenly and Northstar, unlimited and unrestricted skiing or riding at Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin, and 10 restricted days at Vail or Beaver Creek, and is $499 versus $599 for the Silver Tahoe Super Pass, which provides limited restricted days at Squaw and Alpine Meadows. The Tahoe Value Pass offers limited restricted days at Heavenly and Northstar with Saturdays excluded at Northstar only, and is $379, versus $439 for the Bronze Tahoe Super Pass, which provides limited restricted days at Squaw and Alpine Meadows with Saturdays excluded at both resorts for the months of January and February.
In terms of capital investment, Vail Resorts’ Tahoe mountain resorts continue to distance themselves from the rest of the competition around the Lake.
“At Northstar we are adding a new on-mountain restaurant, a new high-speed chairlift, new terrain and trails and a 22-foot halfpipe designed by Shaun White, and at Heavenly last season we added a new mountain-top restaurant and this year are adding a new ski school facility and new trails. We have put close to $40 million into our Tahoe resorts this summer alone,” Lynch said. “And this season Northstar will launch EpicMix, our award winning mountain application, which will now include groundbreaking photo capabilities that have already been heralded as leading the way not just for ski resorts, but for the entire vacation industry.”
Finally, this season, Heavenly and Northstar have made giving back a key part of their season pass program. As part of its new partnership with two-time Olympic gold medal-winning snowboarder Shaun White, Vail Resorts has donated $5 for each Epic Season Pass and $1 for every Epic Local Pass and Epic 7-Day Pass sold since Aug. 15, 2011 to White’s chosen charity, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. In addition, White will be designing a limited edition Epic Season Pass, which will be available to Epic Season Pass holders this fall through a Facebook promotion.
Epic Season Passes VS. Tahoe Super Passes*
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Epic Pass:
$649
Access to 21,310 skiable acres (7,800 in Tahoe)
Unlimited and unrestricted access to 7 resorts: Heavenly, Northstar, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin.
NO BLACK OUTS
Epic Local Pass:
$499
Access to 21,310 skiable acres (7,800 in Tahoe)
Limited restrictions at Heavenly and Northstar. Unlimited skiing at Breckenridge, Keystone & Arapahoe Basin. 10 restricted days at Vail and Beaver Creek.
11 BLACK OUTS
Tahoe Value Pass:
$379
Access to 7,800 skiable acres
Ski or ride 7 days a week at Heavenly and 6 days a week at Northstar.
11 BLACKOUTS HEAVENLY
29 BLACKOUTS NORTHSTAR
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Gold Pass:
$799
Access to 6000 skiable acres
Unlimited access to 2 resorts: Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows.
NO BLACK OUTS
Silver Pass: $599
Access to 6000 skiable acres
Access to Alpine Meadows and Squaw Valley 10 BLACK OUTS
Bronze Pass:
$439
Access to 6000 skiable acres
Access to Alpine Meadows and Squaw Valley.
No Saturdays at either resort in January or February
16 BLACKOUTS SQUAW
16 BLACKOUTS ALPINE
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*Comparing adult passes based on a season that ends in late April.
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About Heavenly
Heavenly Mountain Resort is a world-class destination offering guests a one-of-a-kind combination of scenic beauty and exhilarating on-snow experience. Heavenly is a subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc., the leading mountain resort operator in the United States. One of the largest resorts in North America, Heavenly spans 4800 acres, climbs to Lake Tahoe’s highest elevation at 10,067 feet and features than 97 trails for every level of skier or snowboarder. For more information on Heavenly Mountain Resort, please visit www.skiheavenly.com or call 800-HEAVENLY.
About Northstar Resort
One of the finest year-round mountain resorts in North America, Northstar Resort is host to a base area village featuring unique shops and restaurants, a conference center, 9,000 square foot outdoor skating rink, on-site lodging, special events and more. A winter sport enthusiast’s paradise, Northstar Resort offers 95 ski trails spread across 3,000 acres, award-winning terrain parks and snow sports including alpine and Telemark skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and tubing. Summer activities include mountain biking, golfing, scenic lift rides for sightseeing and hiking, horseback riding, fly-fishing and more.
Northstar Resort is located on Highway 267, just six miles north of Lake Tahoe and six miles south of downtown Truckee. For more information, call 1.800.GO.NORTH (1.800.466.6784) or visit www.northstarattahoe.com.
About Vail Resorts
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading mountain resort operator in the United States. The Company's subsidiaries operate the mountain resort properties of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone mountain resorts in Colorado, and the Heavenly Mountain Resort and Northstar Resort in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada, and the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Company's subsidiary, RockResorts, a luxury resort hotel company, manages casually elegant properties across the United States and in the Caribbean. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning, development and construction subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is www.snow.com.