We talk a lot about price in skiing these days, for good reason. Inflated window rates are often used as yet another tool to direct skiers attention toward season passes. And season passes, while cheap on a per/day average for many skiers, are pretty hefty up front and don’t make sense for a segment of casual skiers.

When these two options – inflated day tickets and expensive season passes – dominate the headlines, it also dominates the perception around the cost of skiing.

Which means that, for some skiers, they may not even realize that cheap skiing is possible.

Granite Peak Email

The other day I got this email from Granite Peak promoting their $17 lift tickets for St Patrick’s day.

It wasn’t the first email I received about it and it was the first post I’d come across touting a pretty amazing deal.

DEALS. & SNOW = PARTY TIME! #WisconsinWednesdays 5-9p 2Nite. Lift Tix $20 | Rental $20 | Wisc. Drafts $5
❄️❄️ Friday 2-4" forecasted!❄️❄️
☘️☘️☘️St. Pats 3/17 – $17Lift Tix ALL DAY ☘️☘️☘️ (Advanced Purchase Only) pic.twitter.com/tSDxZsnOB7

— Granite Peak (@SkiGranitePeak) March 15, 2023

In the context of the cost of skiing, sometimes we dismiss these tickets are sort of gimmicky, one-off things that don’t really solve the pricing problem.

And while that’s true, they do one thing really well: they remind skiers that cheap skiing is possible. And that, to me, is an important part of the overall skiing message.

Options

If the only menu items I knew about were the $65/person specials at the new restaurant in town, I probably wouldn’t eat out that often. It’s the fact that I know other options exist that get me out door. People are still buying the $65 dishes, but everyone else that could be dining out isn’t sitting at home only because they have the misconception that they don’t have a choice.

The perception of price in our sport is a complex thing, but if we’re going to keep a certain segment of casual, lower-income skier during this pendulum swing toward season passes, we’ve gotta remind skiers there are options.

This promo for Granite Peak does that. The Indy Pass does that. The $19/day tickets on the calendars of many MCP mountain do that. Night skiing special do that. Midweek deals do that. Yeah, these deals may not move the needle much in terms of your overall financial performance, but I think they play a very important, underrated role in the overall perception and health of our sport.

So kudos, Granite Peak, for reminding skiers that affordable is possible.

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