Ski Inc. 2020

[ExcelsiorTheFathead]

A new book, “Ski Inc. 2020,” breaks down everything that’s happened in the world of ski resorts since the birth of Alterra Mountain Co.

 

This is next on my reading list.

 

Chris Diamond's first book, Ski Inc., had just hit bookshelves in December 2016 when shock waves reverberated through the ski resort landscape. In early 2017, the Alterra Mountain Company emerged to challenge Vail Resorts' supremacy, eventually buying 15 resorts, partnering with another 25-plus, and launching the Ikon Pass to compete with the Epic Pass. The story behind Alterra's rise is remarkable, as is Vail Resorts' counter-offensive in the form of its own buying spree, which most recently included the acquisition of the 17 ski areas of Peak Resorts.

Through countless interviews, hundreds of sources, and deep firsthand experience, Diamond dissects this unprecedented upheaval, in which the business has been radically, disruptively, and yet positively transformed. "Ski Inc. 2020 accomplished in a matter of hours what I'd failed to do on my own in a decade: make sense of present-day resort headlines in the context of how we got here in the first place," says Gregg Blanchard, the senior vice president of Strategy for Inntopia.

When Diamond started this Ski Inc. 2020 sequel, he thought it would be primarily the story of how these "Big Two" resort companies suddenly came to control more than half of the U.S. ski resort business through their mega-passes, and what it means for skiers and snowboarders. But as he dug deeper, he discovered dynamic trajectories among the next three largest ski conglomerates (Boyne Resorts, POWDR and Peak Resorts, now part of Vail), plus ingenuity and innovation at a host of small- and medium-sized resorts, dozens of which are chronicled in the book. Besides the widespread success of value season passes, which trade early commitment for dramatically reduced pricing, resorts large and small have polished their operations. The success starts with passionate leadership and extends to every line item. Resorts now avoid risky real-estate projects; vigorously market to and build relationships with digitally savvy customers; sharpen margins across all departments; and improve the product in every way. For an industry that historically suffered through peaks and valleys with the weather and economy, the result today is an impressive bottom-line consistency that has drawn investor interest worldwide.

There are daunting hurdles ahead, with climate change and sluggish participation trends at the top of the disrupter list, but the future is arguably brighter than ever. With season passes at circa-1970s prices, while providing access to dozens of resorts rather than just one, there's never been a better time to be a skier or snowboarder. This book is an eye-opener, a deep, colorful dive beneath the headlines, for any skier or rider who wants to understand today's landscape. And it's a must-read for anyone who works—or wants to work—in the ski industry.

"Chris Diamond takes the reader to a higher level of understanding on the state of the ski-resort industry than anyone has ever done," says Michael Berry, who served as the president of the National Ski Areas Association for 25 years. "Key executives opened up to Chris in a way that is unique to this book; their candor and Chris's astute observations combine to make a compelling read. If you love winter, love mountains, and love to slide on snow, this book is a must-read."

Chris Diamond is the award-winning author of the first Ski Inc., a resort consultant, and a veteran resort operator. He started his career as an assistant to the president of Killington in 1972, and was the president of Mount Snow, Vermont, from 1977 to 1994. From 1994 to 1996 he served as the vice president for Business

[lonbordin]

I'm certain it will detail the rise of a 60 acre pig farm into the latest Vail rising star.

 

 

Edited January 20, 2020 by lonbordin
They've been open 3 days as an Epic resort this season. 3

[bumpyride]

I'm wondering if local resorts are losing money on their private seasons passes when they join the unlimited Ikon, Epic or Mountain Collective passes.  The local resort Crystal is the busiest they've ever been, turning people away because of no parking, and evidently it comes at the loss of the daily passes on weekends and holidays, where there is a quota and those tickets are sold online.

Big Sky is now slammed, which is good for them, but selfishly, I'm not so enthused.

Anyone know what the resort share is of visitors using the 3 passes?

[rjnakata]

Related article from Outside