The Utah ski industry is about to be shaken up once again. For the 2015/16 season, Brighton Resort will join 21 other ski areas in the U.S. and Canada in a new pass network that will give the Vail Resorts Epic Pass a run for its money. It’s called the M.A.X. Pass – a collaboration of three major Vail competitors: Intrawest, Boyne Resorts, and Powdr. Industry leaders are calling the M.A.X. or “Multi-Alpine Experience” season pass a “direct challenge to Vail Resorts Epic Pass.”
According to Unofficial Networks, the Epic Pass has been incredibly successful, having sold roughly 400,000 ski passes this season. That adds up to an impressive $200 million in revenue. In addition to unlimited skiing at 11 ski resorts you also get Six (6) Buddy Tickets (tickets at a flat discounted rate) for pass holders who purchased their 2015-2016 passes before 4/12/15. The price is $769 for adults, $399 for a child.
The Epic Pass provides unlimited access to 11 resorts, including:
Vail, Colorado
Beaver Creek, Colorado
Breckenridge, Colorado
Keystone, Colorado
Arapahoe Basin, Colorado
Park City, Utah
Heavenly, California
Northstar, California
Kirkwood, California
Afton Alps, Minnesota
Mt. Brighton, Michigan
In contrast, the M.A.X. Pass will give skiers and snowboarders 5 days of blackout free skiing or riding at 22 ski areas in Canada and the United States, and is priced at $699 – less than Vail’s $769 Epic Pass. Teenagers aged 13-17 pay $499, and the pass is $249 for kids 6-12.
The major difference is that the Epic Pass provides unlimited skiing at 11 Vail Resorts’ ski areas, while the M.A.X. Pass only comes with 5 days at each resort. While the 5 days at each resort if a bummer, the plus is there are no blackout days which is perfect for those weekend getaways.
22 Resort M.A.X. Pass includes:
Big Sky, Montana
Boreal Mountain Resort, California
Brighton Resort, Utah
Copper Mountain, Colorado
Steamboat, Colorado
Winter Park, Colorado
Cypress, West Vancouver, BC
Crystal Mountain, Washington
The Summit at Snoqualmie, Washington
Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort, Nevada
Mt Bachelor, Oregon
Blue Mountain, Ontario, Canada
Tremblant, Quebec, Canada
Boyne Highlands, Michigan
Boyne Mountain, Michigan
Killington, Vermont
Stratton, Vermont
Loon Mountain, New Hampshire
Pico Mountain, Vermont
Sugarloaf, Maine
Sunday River, Maine
Snowshoe, West Virginia
For Utah skiers who like to travel, there are three resorts within driving distance in Colorado, including Steamboat Springs which isn’t far from the Utah/Wyoming/Colorado borders.
So what do you think? Does the M.A.X. Pass really compete with Vail’s Epic Pass? With only one Utah resort on the list, is it worth the cost for Utah skiers and snowboarders? Whatever the case, the ski resort landscape is always changing and the M.A.X. Pass will definitely alter the season pass game.
For more information, visit www.themaxpass.com