New - Triple Play Pass

[ChrisC]

This is a Pass tailored for the NYC city metro area.

Even James could buy this product with Plattekill, Belleayre, and Mountain Creek on it.

Patrick too with the Quebec offerings and his favorite New Jersey resort - Big Snow American Dream.

LINK

Pass will offer three total ski days; on sale Sept. 1 for $199.99; first 1,000 passes to sell for $169.99; resort-specific holiday blackouts TBD.

 

[MarzNC]

Also reasonable for some people in Boston to consider. I know people who make the drive to Big SNOW during the summer/fall to meet up with friends. Some people who live in CT, MA, RI are curious about the ORDA mountains. That was clear when they were on the Max Pass for a season.

Note that the 3 days must be used at two different locations because there is a max of 2 visits per location.

 

[Tony Crocker]

I guess ChrisC subscribes to the Storm Ski Journal too. That news was today's post, including that useful map. Stuart Winchester lives in NYC so no wonder he views this as an important development, wonders if it will morph into something more expansive along the lines of Indy. Stuart is a big fan of the Indy pass. He also has an interest in way under the radar molehills, even beyond the level of James or Lonnie. Probably that comes from growing up in the Midwest.

 

[ChrisC]

Some people who live in CT, MA, RI are curious about the ORDA mountains.

It's the PERFECT Pass for a long weekend at Gore and Whiteface.

 

[ChrisC]

I guess ChrisC subscribes to the Storm Ski Journal too.

I do, but just the free version. And I will listen to his podcasts when flying/traveling - they are quite good.

Stuart Winchester lives in NYC so no wonder he views this as an important development, wonders if it will morph into something more expansive along the lines of Indy.

I think this is a GREAT development, especially for new skiers and casual skiers.

Alterra and Vail are destroying the development of new skiers by recklessly charging $150-350/day to push skiers into a $1k Pass Product that they stop selling before ski season.

Most new and/or casual skiers do not fit in this model.

 

[jasoncapecod]

This is a Pass tailored for the NYC city metro area.

Even James could buy this product with Plattekill, Belleayre, and Mountain Creek on it.

Patrick too with the Quebec offerings and his favorite New Jersey resort - Big Snow American Dream.

LINK

Pass will offer three total ski days; on sale Sept. 1 for $199.99; first 1,000 passes to sell for $169.99; resort-specific holiday blackouts TBD.

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View attachment 47308

I signed up to buy.
this and the ny state areas frequent skier card will keep the daily cost around 60$ per ticket...without a major cash layout

 

[jamesdeluxe]

I signed up to buy.

Likewise

Alterra and Vail are destroying the development of new skiers by recklessly charging $150-350/day to push skiers into a $1k Pass Product that they stop selling before ski season. Most new and/or casual skiers do not fit in this model.

Fascinating how neither of them want to do anything about the killing-the-golden-goose problem.

Morin Heights! My wife and I had a fun morning there in February 2012.

 

[MarzNC]

I read Storm Skiing Journal and SAM. Both were quick to pass on info about the Snow Triple Play announcement since it's been talked since May 2025.

Big SNOW has been successful in introducing people to skiing. A low cost 3-day pass at Mountain Creek showed that there was a market for people just starting to see if they really liked skiing. Snow Operating/Snow Partners was co-founded by guys who got their start at Mountain Creek, and have since become owner/operators. They didn't build Big SNOW but were in the position to make it work once American Dream had a developer who could finish the project.

May 2025

Snow Triple Play Card to Target Casual Participants, Independent Resor

SAM Magazine—Vernon, N.J., May 9, 2025—Starting in 2025-26, Snow Partners will offer the Snow Triple Play Card (S3P), a new multi-property product designed

www.saminfo.com

" . . .
The S3P Card is not completely new. It’s modeled after Snow Partners-owned Mountain Creek’s (N.J.) Triple Play Card, which provides three unrestricted winter visits to the resort. It cost $160 in 2024-25. Mountain Creek sells between 55,000 to 60,000 Triple Play Cards a year. The S3P will be restricted to non-holiday dates to manage peak-day visitation at partner resorts, and cardholders will only be able to use the card a maximum of two days at one resort to encourage trial of at least two partner ski areas.

Snow Partners chief marketing officer Hugh Reynolds says, “The S3P Card creates a critical rung in the product ladder of getting a skier and rider from one or two visits to three or more and potentially move them up the ladder to be a viable candidate for a resort season pass or other multi-pass product.”

Snow Partners operates North America’s only indoor ski slope, Big Snow American Dream in New Jersey. According to Hession, Big Snow introduces 100,000 people to skiing and snowboarding a year. The three-visit card has been a good offer for people who learned at Big Snow and want to move up to the next level and try Mountain Creek, said Hession. The S3P Card will expand the range of areas these beginners can sample.
. . .

The arrangement for partner resorts on the S3P Card includes no up-front fee. They will be compensated 60 percent of their weekend window ticket price per redemption. If partners promote and sell the S3P Card through their website, they also get 10 percent of those sales in addition to the per-visit redemptions. Snow Partners plans to commit more than $200,000 in direct marketing, focused on the New York, Philadelphia, Hartford, Albany, and Boston markets. The product will launch Labor Day weekend and be available to purchase through Christmas Eve.

The product will be administered through Snow Partners’ SnowCloud resort management software. Each partner resort will get access to a resort-specific instance to validate visits and administer the program through an iPhone app.

“Current pass products all really start to break even at five days or more,” said Hession. “This is a product that's designed for the more casual skier. It's that first step in the ladder that hopefully, eventually, gets them into other products.”
. . ."

 

[Tony Crocker]

No question Triple Play is a great idea for new skiers. Let's hope some Indy Pass type areas in other regions copy it. But it is being driven by Big Snow New Jersey, which knows it's handing off its new converts to skiing. I wonder if Big Snow New Jersey has been successful enough that we will see more indoor ski areas built in large US metro areas.

Likewise [bought a Triple Play]

The Triple Play looks perfect for James, who rates to put in about 3 days/season at the ORDA areas.

The ORDA areas were on the last year of Max Pass in 2017-18. That list had grown to 44 areas, and I saved a press release about it then:

March 14, 2017 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The M.A.X. Pass keeps getting bigger and better. New for the 2017-2018 season, The M.A.X. Pass now includes access to an unprecedented 44 resorts in North America on a single multi-mountain pass. Six new resorts are joining the M.A.X. Pass including Windham, Belleayre, Gore and Whiteface Mountains in New York, Lutsen in Minnesota and Granite Peak in Wisconsin. Now available for just $629, this lowest rate of the season is only offered through May 1, 2017.

The “Multi-Alpine Experience” Pass is the largest multi-mountain pass available for skiers and riders in North America and includes five days at each of the 44 participating resorts with no blackout dates, providing the flexibility to ski where they want and when they want. From day trips and ski weekends close to home, to vacations at premier destination resorts like Steamboat, Big Sky, Copper Mountain, Winter Park and many more, the M.A.X. Pass gives winter sports enthusiasts the ability to travel and plan vacations to mountains they’ve never experienced before.

Participating resorts by region include:

Northeast/East
Belleayre, New York
Blue Mountain, Ontario
Gore, New York
Killington, Vermont
Loon Mountain, New Hampshire
Mont Tremblant, Québec
Mont-Sainte-Anne, Québec
Mount Sunapee, New Hampshire
Mountain Creek, New Jersey
Okemo, Vermont
Pico Mountain, Vermont
Snowshoe, West Virginia
Stoneham, Québec
Stratton, Vermont
Sugarloaf, Maine
Sunday River, Maine
Wachusett, Massachusetts
Whiteface, New York
Windham, New York

Rockies
Big Sky, Montana
Brighton, Utah
Copper Mountain, Colorado
Crested Butte, Colorado
Eldora, Colorado
Fernie, British Columbia
Kicking Horse, British Columbia
Kimberley, British Columbia
Nakiska, Alberta
Solitude, Utah
Steamboat, Colorado
Winter Park, Colorado

Midwest
Boyne Highlands, Michigan
Boyne Mountain, Michigan
Buck Hill, Minnesota
Granite Peak, Wisconsin
Lutsen, Minnesota

West
Alyeska, Alaska
Boreal Mountain, California
Cypress Mountain, British Columbia
Crystal Mountain, Washington
Lee Canyon, Nevada
Mountain High, California
Mt. Bachelor, Oregon
The Summit at Snoqualmie, Washington

Buy Now for Lowest Introductory Price & $49 Down

The M.A.X. Pass is on sale now at theMAXpass.com. Skiers and snowboarders can put down $49 now to lock in the lowest prices of the season of $629 for an adult pass, $429 for teens (ages 13–17), $329 for kids (ages 6-12), and $29 for children (5 and under) and pay off the balance in mid-September 2017. Prices are good through May 1, 2017.

“Now with 44 mountains on its roster, the M.A.X. Pass has added 20 resorts since its inception two years ago and we’re continuing to raise the bar and provide M.A.X. Passholders with unparalleled value, access and flexibility to ski throughout the season both close to home and at destination resorts across North America,” said Tom Marano, CEO of Intrawest. “The addition of the six new mountain resorts in upstate New York, Minnesota and Wisconsin offers our passholders more benefits and versatility to premier ski and snowboard experiences across North America and at the current rate of $629 it’s a tremendous value.”

No Blackout Dates

The M.A.X. Pass is valid for the entire 2017-2018 ski season at all 44 mountains with no blackout dates, meaning all holidays are included. Days do not need to be used consecutively and days are not transferrable from one mountain to another.

Already Have A Pass? Try the M.A.X. Pass 2017-18 Season Pass Holder Add-on Benefit for only $329

Skiers that have purchased a qualifying season pass at their favorite participating resort are eligible to purchase the M.A.X. Pass Add-on for only $329 for adults, $279 for teens (ages 13–17), $229 for kids (ages 6-12), and $29 for children (5 and under). The M.A.X. Pass Add-on provides five days of skiing/riding at each participating resort on the M.A.X. Pass, except those accessible with the qualifying season pass. For more information and to see qualifying passes visit www.theMAXpass.com. Prices are good through May 1, 2017.

Purchase your M.A.X. Pass ONLINE ONLY at theMAXpass.com. For additional info, please email info@theMAXpass.com. Follow on social media at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. #themaxpass

The above list includes all resorts then owned by Intrawest, Boyne, POWDR Corp and RCR.

Alterra bought the Intrawest resorts and copied the 5-day format for the new Ikon Pass. Most Boyne and POWDR resorts affiliated with Ikon over the next 3 seasons, while the RCR resorts affiliated with the Epic Pass.

 

[tseeb]

I read Storm Skiing Journal and SAM. Both were quick to pass on info about the Snow Triple Play announcement since it's been talked

Snow Triple Play Card to Target Casual Participants, Independent Resor

SAM Magazine—Vernon, N.J., May 9, 2025—Starting in 2025-26, Snow Partners will offer the Snow Triple Play Card (S3P), a new multi-property product designed

www.saminfo.com

" . . .
“Current pass products all really start to break even at five days or more,” said Hession. “This is a product that's designed for the more casual skier. It's that first step in the ladder that hopefully, eventually, gets them into other products.”
. . ."

My Epic/Vail Senior Tahoe Value pass breaks even in one day at KIrkwood plus one day at Heavenly or Northstar. Even the non-Senior version breaks even in two days total between Heavenly and Northstar. Of course the break even numbers go up if you know someone who can share their (limited) half-price days. See https://www.epicpass.com/passes/tahoe-value-pass.aspx for pricing in August.

 

[MarzNC]

My Epic/Vail Senior Tahoe Value pass breaks even in one day at KIrkwood plus one day at Heavenly or Northstar. Even the non-Senior version breaks even in two days total between Heavenly and Northstar. Of course the break even numbers go up if you know someone who can share their (limited) half-price days. See https://www.epicpass.com/passes/tahoe-value-pass.aspx for pricing in August.

That pass is $500 and that price is only for seniors. It's not relevant for people who live in the region covered by Snow Triple Play.

I doubt many of the beginners who start skiing at Big SNOW in NJ are seniors. The point of the Snow Triple Play is to have something that a newbie might consider for the next step beyond sliding on snow indoors.

Snow Triple Play Card to Target Casual Participants, Independent Resor

SAM Magazine—Vernon, N.J., May 9, 2025—Starting in 2025-26, Snow Partners will offer the Snow Triple Play Card (S3P), a new multi-property product designed

www.saminfo.com

" . . .
The S3P Card is not completely new. It’s modeled after Snow Partners-owned Mountain Creek’s (N.J.) Triple Play Card, which provides three unrestricted winter visits to the resort. It cost $160 in 2024-25. Mountain Creek sells between 55,000 to 60,000 Triple Play Cards a year. The S3P will be restricted to non-holiday dates to manage peak-day visitation at partner resorts, and cardholders will only be able to use the card a maximum of two days at one resort to encourage trial of at least two partner ski areas.

Snow Partners chief marketing officer Hugh Reynolds says, “The S3P Card creates a critical rung in the product ladder of getting a skier and rider from one or two visits to three or more and potentially move them up the ladder to be a viable candidate for a resort season pass or other multi-pass product.”
. . ."

 

[Tony Crocker]

My Epic/Vail Senior Tahoe Value pass breaks even in one day at KIrkwood plus one day at Heavenly or Northstar.

There is no senior rate for day tickets? I looked up the numerous permutations of Epic Passes. Tahoe Value, Northeast Value and a handful of single area passes are the only ones that offer senior rates. So the big picture is that it's apples and oranges to compare a rare senior pass to day rates that don't have a senior option.

But it is a valid point to see how low the breakeven days can get in this pricing era. I have tracked this for Mammoth since the MVP was inaugurated in 2000-01. Mammoth's breakeven days were consistently between 6 and 7 through 2013-14, drifted down to 4.7 by 2016-17. Ikon Base renewal vs. Mammoth window breakeven days started at 3.3 in 2018-19 and bottomed out at 2.8 in 2021-22 and were back to 3.4 in 2024-25 as the climb in window prices has finally slowed at Mammoth and maybe Alterra.

It's not relevant for people who live in the region covered by Snow Triple Play.

It's not unreasonable to compare regions in concept. Triple Play seems to be the first product of this type but could catch on in other regions among Indy-type areas. But maybe it's more unique being offered by the company with the indoor area. It's also unique in disclosing the reimbursement rate to partner areas of 60% of window. This is the most closely guarded secret in the Epic/Ikon world, surely varies radically based upon the marketing clout/public image of each partner resort.

 

[tseeb]

That pass is $500 and that price is only for seniors. It's not relevant for people who live in the region covered by Snow Triple Play.

Previous post was limited as it was made from small iPhone while I was responsible for a couple of hours for my 15-month younger sister who had hip replacement earlier in week. (She used to hike and ski, but now just seems to hurt even after a knee replacement last year.) My main point is disagreeing with the part of quote @MarzNC posted “Current pass products all really start to break even at five days or more,” said (Snow Partners CEO Joe) Hession."

Senior version of (Vail/Epic) Tahoe Local Pass is $492. Regular adult version is $579, not that much more (17.7%). Day tickets at Kirkwood for upcoming season are $203 for Adults/Seniors and $283 at Heavenly and $294 at Northstar (Advance purchase or multi-day lower, may be higher on holidays). So, one Heavenly and one Northstar=$577, $2 less than pass that gives any adult all non-holidays at Heavenly and all Sun-Fri non-holidays at Kirkwood and Northstar. This is mostly due to the very high walk-up day ticket prices at Vail-owned Tahoe ski areas.

While it may not work well for most Big SNOW customers (even though at Heavenly I often share lifts with people from all over the US and world) it works for people paying full/walkup-price and skiing 2 or more days at Tahoe Vail-owned ski area. It works even better for me although I only had 14 days on my Vail pass this year due to more than usual for me Ikon days on roadtrip to CO. Usually, I'm over 20 and in 2023-24 I had 31 days on my Senior Tahoe Local.

 

[Harvey]

Likewise

WOAH! A cosmic shift.

 

[Tony Crocker]

As the person responsible for this thread's drift, I've moved the content focused on Vail and Alterra to the already existing Vail management thread.