Even though I have been in the mid-atlantic for 15 years, I still occasionally like to keep up with what is going on in my old Midwest stomping grounds. I ran accross an interesting promotion at Wilmot, a 220 foot hill about 75 minutes from Chicago. if anyone here has heard of Wilmot, it is probably because Vail bought it with the idea of using it as an entry point to get folks from Chicago and Milwaukee out to their western resorts. Anyway, they are apparently offering a package where for $389 you get 4 lessons (lift tickets included), and a free pair of Elan skis or a Burton snowboard. I don't think I have ever run accross anything like this before.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/travel/ct-trav-midwest-ski-resorts-1111-story.html
Whitetail has had almost an identical program the last season or 2
wgo wrote:
Even though I have been in the mid-atlantic for 15 years, I still occasionally like to keep up with what is going on in my old Midwest stomping grounds. I ran accross an interesting promotion at Wilmot, a 220 foot hill about 75 minutes from Chicago. if anyone here has heard of Wilmot, it is probably because Vail bought it with the idea of using it as an entry point to get folks from Chicago and Milwaukee out to their western resorts. Anyway, they are apparently offering a package where for $389 you get 4 lessons (lift tickets included), and a free pair of Elan skis or a Burton snowboard. I don't think I have ever run accross anything like this before.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/travel/ct-trav-midwest-ski-resorts-1111-story.html
Actually Elan has worked with several ski areas on similar package deals for beginners, mostly trying to get never-evers good enough to really have some fun. At Cataloochee I think 5 lessons were required. For a while Killington had an Elan beginner package, perhaps 3 lessons? The students use rental gear for the lessons. Don't get the free skis until after completely them, or perhaps for the last lesson. Been a while since I read about the details.
An article from 2014 mentions Snow Operating, which is a consulting company that helped Cat and Snowshoe set up Terrain Based Learning (TM). The places mentioned doing the free skis deal included Killington, Bromley, and Cranmore. Bromley and Cranmore are operated by the folks who made Jiminy Peak into a destination resort for NYC and CT families. Jiminy has mini-terrain features on a tennis court for never-ever little kids, as well as on their beginner slope for adults and older beginner kids.
https://www.courant.com/travel/hc-travel-learning-to-ski-20141116-story.html
". . .
Last year, Killington launched its "Discovery" program: $249 for four lessons after which novices received a free pair of Elan skis and bindings. They sold 200 such packages in 2013. "Ninety-seven percent of the folks who signed up for the four lessons completed them and received their free skis," says Joseph, the marketing manager. This year Killington has upped the price to $299, still offering free Elan skis and bindings to adults 18 years and older, but now the program also includes free Burton snowboards and bindings. Joseph says that the barriers to entry in the ski world are fear of failure and lack of equipment, but that the Discovery program is designed to remedy that, and to offer novices the skills and the proper equipment.
At Bromley Mountain Ski Resort, there's a new "Super Duper Ski Package" for kids ages 5-14 that offers just about everything but the kitchen sink.
When parents spend $599 on a package of six ski lessons for their kids, right afterwards, the newbies receive a free pair of Elan skis and bindings that they can use right away on the slopes, in the "Kidsrule" mountain camps program. When all is said and done, afterwards, kids also receive a season's pass to the mountain for the rest of the season. It's a huge financial incentive to attract new skiers ”” and may eventually make these kids (and their parents and siblings) season-pass-buyers for life.
"Equipment for kids tends to be expensive, and so we take it out as a financial barrier," says Michael van Eyck, assistant general manager and marketing director at Bromley. "We're trying to cultivate lifelong skiers”¦It's a great way for us to cultivate business and loyalty."
This year, Cranmore in North Conway, N.H., is also offering a similar package to attract newbies. Beginners can pay $299 to receive three lessons, and after that, get a free pair of Rossignol Experience 74 skis and bindings, along with discounts on ski boots at the ski shop. "We'll see how it goes," says Rebecca Deschenes, marketing manager. "We only have 100 packages available."
. . ."
What about boots? This should come before free skis that require a release check each use if rental boats are being usedâ›·
MorganBk
The Colonel wrote:
What about boots? This should come before free skis that require a release check each use if rental boats are being usedâ›·
MorganBk
Presumably the idea is to encourage newbies to invest in buying boots that fit way better than rental boots since they own skis. ;-)
I guess these programs are more common than I thought. Seems like a cool idea.
Whitetail changed it a bit for this year. Instead of 4 beginner area sessions, they dropped it to 3 all mountain sessions for this year. In both cases, the skis were given after the 3rd session. Price remained the same.
Nice thing about WT's version is that even though it says 18 years old and over, they'll take an older teen with approval of the ski school director. I was going to put one of my 16-going-on-17 year old boys in it this winter before he decided he wasn't sure if he could commit to the time with his other activities.
I would have just bought him used boots to last him a year or two as his foot is still growing. He'd likely have progressed fairly quickly, so I'm sure he would have grown out of the skis and boots sooner rather than later.
In a similar vein, the ST resorts have the Mountain Passport program which is still a great deal - plus it's cheaper and more flexible (you just don't get the skis). You take a learn to ski package, and then you have the opportunity to buy a Mountain Passport for $55 which gives you another all-mountain package (lifts, rentals and lessons), an advantage card for discounted lifts/rentals, and free group lessons for the rest of the season.
What's even better about that is the free learn to ski package that comes with season passes qualifies for this promo, and RT and Liberty are also giving the first time package for $55 until Dec 23rd (no mention on WT's site). So if you know someone who wants to learn, you can get someone going for as little as $55 or $110 bucks.
You can get the same promo for snowboarding as well with the Mountain Passport program. Own the Mountain is skiing only.
http://www.skiroundtop.com/adult-lessons
