Millennials are connected constantly in a way no previous generation has been (often times to a fault).
Technology has fueled our desire to travel farther from home than any generation before us.
When Vail introduced the EPIC pass in 2008, they changed the game.
Their pass holders not only had access to five mountains in Colorado, but Heavenly in California as well.
Fast forward ten years and they have amplified this strategy with incredible effect.
Vails approach to the ski industry is ruthlessly effective and it hasnt gone unnoticed.
Aspen Ski Company along with KSL Capital Partners and Intrawest recently joined forces to purchase Mammoth Resorts.
As the ski industry continues to consolidate, the players in the game are becoming fewer and more powerful.
This impacts traffic patterns and places additional strain on state owned infrastructure such as roads and parking garages.
There is no denying that Vail Resorts has created an impressivebusinessmodel.
They figured out a way to turn people who live thousands of miles away into annual pass holders.
Going forward they will continue to acquire new mountains (New York?
and in turn become richer and more powerful.
But again, this is something that goes beyond the scope of this article.
The bottom line is this.
The EPIC pass has changed skiing forever.
Only time will tell, but for now we can enjoy some incredibly affordable skiing.
That is, of course, if you bring a bagged lunch and can avoid the $25 parking.
