Colorado Arapahoe Basin Impending Free Agency

[oswaldr2]

As many of you know, Arapahoe Basin is set to become a free agent after this 2018/2019 ski season ends. What are your predictions for what they will do? Any suggestions that might help them make their decision easier?

 

[Doug Briggs]

If they don't renew with VR, I hope they join up with Loveland. I need to have A-Basin access and tying it with Loveland would be a win-win for me.

 

[mikel]

I think they will renew. My crazy hope is that Luv would partner with Copper. Probably never gonna happen.

 

[pchewn]

As many of you know, Arapahoe Basin is set to become a free agent after this 2018/2019 ski season ends. What are your predictions for what they will do? Any suggestions that might help them make their decision easier?

So the poll is to guess what you THINK THEY WILL DO.

And the written comments like this are suggestions to help them make the decision (i.e. What you WANT them to do.)

I voted that I think they will stay with Vail.
What I would like them to do is Powder Alliance, or team up with Loveland (Loveland is on Powder Alliance).

 

[skix]

As much as I love the idea of an ABasin-Loveland pass the idea of everyone with that pass shuttling back and forth over the pass is pretty frightening.

 

[dbostedo]

^^^
Why would having both on the same pass cause extra traffic? Aren't most people commuting to one or the other for the day anyway?

 

[Green08]

Is this not simply going to come down to a question of money? And, I would think A-Basin is in a commanding position with a second suitor in Ikon. For a Front Range skier A-Basin, Copper, and WP/MJ has a very different look vs just Keystone & Breck. A-Basin ought to negotiate better financial terms vs pre-Ikon world.

What I do not see happening is Vail allowing a current Epic location to switch. They would loose a huge window of early and late season skiing for pass holders, it would be a PR loss, and investments to open early and close later at another resort (where really?) would be costly.

A-Basin wins financially and Vail will have to pay up.

 

[oswaldr2]

So the poll is to guess what you THINK THEY WILL DO.

And the written comments like this are suggestions to help them make the decision (i.e. What you WANT them to do.)

I voted that I think they will stay with Vail.
What I would like them to do is Powder Alliance, or team up with Loveland (Loveland is on Powder Alliance).

I probably should have done what you want them to do as a poll

 

[oswaldr2]

I wonder how Epic (all types that include Abasin) Pass holders feel about it. Would you rather have Abasin included as a bonus to your multi-resort pass and be able to ski summit and eagle county Vail resorts. Or would you rather just get an Abasin season pass and have less people there? I wonder if Abasin went independent if people would still get Epic Passes and then also get Abasin 4 packs or season passes.

 

[Philpug]

This is going to be interesting. Over the past vew seasons, they have been doing a lot of market research with the skiers at the mountain. I think the Vail relationshop has been very beneficial for them. Keep in mind too, if they jump ship, I doubt they will be able to use Keystone as their auxiliary parking lot during the busy times.

 

[skix]

Why would having both on the same pass cause extra traffic? Aren't most people commuting to one or the other for the day anyway?

Edited:

Misread your comment and see your point that many are already doing a round-trip over the pass if they are coming up from the Front Range. Still would expect extra traffic if ABasin and Loveland are on the same pass but perhaps not a huge issue.

 

[Bad Bob]

INDEPENDANT!
People are going there anyway, keep it all and be A Bay.

 

[Philpug]

INDEPENDANT!
People are going there anyway, keep it all and be A Bay.

I don't think that is going to happen, traffic will drop. While that might be good for the skiers that have an pass there, it won't be good for the resorts pocket book. I think it will be very difficult to ween A Basin from a guaranteed revenue stream of being on a multi pass be it Vail or another. I heard one similar mountain to A-Basin (NOT A Bay ) has noticed a 30% drop in passes this year and that is because of Ikon and the Vail pass getting stronger.

 

[oswaldr2]

Keep in mind too, if they jump ship, I doubt they will be able to use Keystone as their auxiliary parking lot during the busy times.

Does the Epic Pass cause this overflow? Would they need the extra parking if they didn't have Epic Passers and Vail/Breck/Keystone online lift tickets giving access to Abasin?

 

[coskigirl]

Edited:

Misread your comment and see your point that many are already doing a round-trip over the pass if they are coming up from the Front Range. Still would expect extra traffic if ABasin and Loveland are on the same pass but perhaps not a huge issue.

I think there would actually be less traffic as the hoards that go to Abasin because they have an Epic Local pass won't be going. I don't think there would be a long term significant uptick in people trying to ski both in one day. Initially? Maybe but the novelty would wear off and the PITA factor of taking gear on/off repeatedly (boots) and parking will play in. I don't know anybody who regularly goes back and forth between Keystone and Abasin the same day and that would be an easier drive.

 

[Don in Morrison]

What? After lunch, get out of your boots, load up the car, skip over the pass to the other place, drive all over looking for a place to park, back into the boots, unload the gear and hike a mile to the lift so you can enjoy the pass that works at both places.

Nope. Not me.

I don't see a problem with the combined pass. Ski Loveland this time, A-Bay next. Shuttling over the pass on the same day, no.

 

[Philpug]

Does the Epic Pass cause this overflow? Would they need the extra parking if they didn't have Epic Passers and Vail/Breck/Keystone online lift tickets giving access to Abasin?

Yes it does, I know they use it late in the year when Keystone and the other Vail resorts are already closed, where are these skiers skiing? A-Basin. The question is as a skier, are you willing to pay for an A-Basin pass that covers what they will loose from being part of the Vail pass? Because, I will tell you that A-basis will need to recover that lost revenue somehow...and it will be higher ticket and pass prices. We will be looking at a pass that will run easlily as much, if not more than in Ikon or Epic pass.

 

[oswaldr2]

I believe AB season pass opens around $330, looks like it's up to $360 now. Open it at $400 like Loveland does, then go as high as $450 before Thxgiving? Seems to work for Loveland. They stay open selling passes and 4 packs aggressively in the fall all over the front range.

 

[David Chaus]

One question is does A-Basin fit the resort profile that Alterra is trying to position to? Other than a handful of ski areas that came along with package deals, which may or may not be sold off later, they have marketed themselves as curators of fine resort experiences. If A-Basin doesn’t fit that vision, what reasons would they have for including it, even if many want them to for our own early/late season skiing desires?

 

[oswaldr2]

One question is does A-Basin fit the resort profile that Alterra is trying to position to? Other than a handful of ski areas that came along with package deals, which may or may not be sold off later, they have marketed themselves as curators of fine resort experiences. If A-Basin doesn’t fit that vision, what reasons would they have for including it, even if many want them to for our own early/late season skiing desires?

In my opinion, the main reason Ikon would want Abasin is for Colorado passholders to flip from Epic to Ikon.