IKON Pass announces partnership with Thredbo

[Tricia]

This is great news for our friends in Australia.


IKON PASS, THE NEW STANDARD IN SEASON PASSES, ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH AUSTRALIA’S PREMIER SKI DESTINATION, THREDBO

Ikon Pass Valid for 2018 Winter Season at Thredbo


DENVER, CO, June 25, 2018 – Ikon Pass, the new standard in season passes, announces Thredbo in New South Wales, Australia as its newest partner, now offering access to nearly 26,000 hectares (more than 64,000 acres) at 27 premier mountain destinations across the globe. The Ikon Pass is available for purchase at www.ikonpass.com and through selected travel partners.


In addition to access to 26 destinations in North America, all Ikon Pass holders can enjoy skiing and riding in the Southern Hemisphere throughout Thredbo’s 2018 winter season. Ikon Pass holders will have seven-day access to Thredbo on the Ikon Pass with no black-out dates, and five-day access on the Ikon Base Pass, with selected black-out dates.


Thredbo, located in the iconic Kosciuszko National Park just 500 km from Sydney, is Australia’s leading ski and snowboard destination, offering 1,168 acres (480 hectares) of terrain, 2,205 vertical feet (672 vertical meters), and is home to the continent’s longest run at 3.6 miles (5.9 km).


“As we continue to curate partners for the Ikon Pass, we look for destinations that share our passion for the mountains and are dedicated to creating enduring memories for their guests. Thredbo fits right in and we are thrilled to welcome the leading destination in the Southern Hemisphere to the Ikon Pass community,” said Erik Forsell, Chief Marketing Officer of Alterra Mountain Company. “Australia is full of passionate skiers and riders who can now take advantage of an endless winter with the Ikon Pass as they hit the slopes of Thredbo throughout their winter, before experiencing more iconic destinations in the Northern Hemisphere.”


Thredbo joins a group of North American industry leaders that make up the Ikon Pass – Alterra Mountain Company, Aspen Skiing Company, Boyne Resorts, POWDR, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Alta Ski Area, Snowbird, SkiBig3, Revelstoke Mountain Resort and Sugarbush Resort. Each demonstrates integrity, character and independence that is reflected in their mountains and guests.


“Thredbo is thrilled to join the Ikon Pass as its Australian partner and we feel privileged to be the first Southern Hemisphere destination offered to pass holders,” said Jordan Rodgers, General Manager, Thredbo. “The Ikon Pass is a sensational option for skiers and snowboarders who love to travel to incredible mountain experiences and we look forward to providing Ikon Pass holders access to Australia's premier snow destination.”


To learn more about the Ikon Pass, please visit www.ikonpass.com.

 

[fatbob]

Thought they were going to need to do reciprocal intl deals as Vail is well ahead of them on that. Japan and Europe next?

I'll take Chamonix Mt Blanc, Zermatt Cervinia, Wengen Murren and Kitzbuhel as suitably iconic for starters.

 

[Jellybeans1000]

This is great news for our friends in Australia.

Perhaps.

 

[Jim McDonald]

Will be interesting to see what, if anything, Ikon does in Japan. Epic gets you five days in Hakuba, worth more than a quarter of the price; MCP gets you two days in Niseko, worth about a quarter of the price.

 

[fatbob]

It depends.

You guys here have a thread every few weeks about IKON and Epic, in our Aussie forums we have a thread every few weeks about the main town in the Thredbo and Perisher(Owned by Vail) region, getting trashed by season pass holders, freely camping on the foreshore and in the parks, leaving trash, becoming rowdy and drunk, etc. It has made Perisher much more busier, and all points to the Epic pass. This may be good for Vail, but not particularly the Perisher regulars. And now the same will happen to Thredbo. Good for week or two a season type of skiers who then go to the NH, bad for locals and regulars. It's also created housing issues, land issues, etc.

As with all things, there are negatives and positives about this. Cheap NH lift passes is good. The Vail thing in Japan was primarily for the Australian market iirc.

Find this a bit confusing - the people trashing everything presumably aren't US skiers lured over by the pass , they are Australian citizens presumably and sufficiently invested in skiing to buy a season pass for another continent in their summer? So as a benefit they get some skiing at home and the long term frequenters of that resort, rather than welcoming the extra trade it brings get all NIMBY about it? Or do Aussie skiers just have a behaviour problem?

 

[Jim McDonald]

To quote the Master: Sniffs bait; swims away.

 

[dbostedo]

Since Thredbo was part of the MCP, as were several IKON resorts, I presume other non-North America destinations are likely based on which ones currently have MCP deals. That would be :

Thredbo, Australia
Coronet Peak and The Remarkables, New Zealand.
Valle Nevado, Chile
Niseko, Japan
Chamonix, France

 

[Jully]

Looks like you have to use the Thredbo days in the 2018 season. It is not good for 2019. I feel like that is short notice and really not much benefit for any northern hemisphere passholders this year.

Maybe it'll prompt some spontaneous August or July trips, though not sure.

 

[dbostedo]

Looks like you have to use the Thredbo days in the 2018 season. It is not good for 2019. I feel like that is short notice and really not much benefit for any northern hemisphere passholders this year.

Maybe it'll prompt some spontaneous August or July trips, though not sure.

Yep - probably much more geared at Aussie skiers who may be in the process of trip planning for a North America trip in the 18/19 season.

 

[Jellybeans1000]

Find this a bit confusing - the people trashing everything presumably aren't US skiers lured over by the pass , they are Australian citizens presumably and sufficiently invested in skiing to buy a season pass for another continent in their summer? So as a benefit they get some skiing at home and the long term frequenters of that resort, rather than welcoming the extra trade it brings get all NIMBY about it? Or do Aussie skiers just have a behaviour problem?

sorry about that, not americans, australians. The majority of new visitors are good and new business is always good. Just a little more planning about where these people are going to stay, and to crack down on boozed up campsites that dump heaps of trash. That would be more helpful from Vail and now Kosiciuszko Thredbo (for example, housing more of their staff). But other economic factors don't help.

Yep - probably much more geared at Aussie skiers who may be in the process of trip planning for a North America trip in the 18/19 season.

Yes - big reason behind the Epic pass deal in Japan as well. They recognised many Aussie skiers don't want to trek across the Pacific, so Japan was a better idea. Plus traffic from the US, and other places.