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Get an EPIC PASS for life................

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GreenStezz
Posts: 3570 - Karma: 717
You got this??....................

http://www.snow.com/epic-pass/info/epic-race.aspx

The Epic Race. 26 Mountains. 4 Countries. 10 Winners....................

We’re calling all globetrotting, Epic Pass-holding, die-hard skiers and snowboarders for The Epic Race – a season-long competition to visit all 26 resorts spread across four countries that make up the Epic Pass. The first 10 Epic Pass holders to complete the race will win an Epic Pass for life!....................

Registration for the Epic Race opens November 1, 2013..................

Each racer will need to ski or ride all 26 resorts on the 2013/14 Epic Pass (Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin and Eldora in Colorado; Canyons in Park City, Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood at Lake Tahoe; Afton Alps, Minnesota; Mt. Brighton, Michigan; Verbier, Switzerland; Arlberg, Austria – St. Anton, Lech, Zürs, St. Christoph and Stuben; and Les 3 Vallées, France – Courchevel, La Tania, Méribel, Brides-les-Bains, Les Menuires, Saint Martin de Belleville, Val Thorens and Orelle). Epic Racers will be asked to document and share their experience at each resort as they ski to be eligible to win..............................
Oct 4 2013 1:25PM
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Byron_tha_gr8
Posts: 4573 - Karma: 14,299
Must travel to the US, Switzerland, France, and Austria. Total cost of trip = 35 years of epic passes. lol makes sense.
Oct 4 2013 1:31PM
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YewTard
Posts: 619 - Karma: 196

Such a joke. The only people who could afford the travel are the very people with enough money that a lifetime epic pass means nothing financially.

For all that money just go charter planes and set up your own TGR-style fantasy camp in Alaska or BC.

Oct 4 2013 2:26PM
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SkiBum.
Posts: 3600 - Karma: 3,909
Epic pass...joke

Vail Corp. Garbage

THis contest, fucking horrible.
Oct 4 2013 2:31PM
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Huck_Norris
Posts: 11487 - Karma: 18,627
What rich douchebag thought this up?


Oct 4 2013 2:34PM
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throwin_steeze
Posts: 364 - Karma: 885
you have to "document"...... hell with writing
Oct 4 2013 2:57PM
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Huck_Norris
Posts: 11487 - Karma: 18,627
A much better contest would be to win a trip to all those places. If you can already afford to go on your own well fuck you, and you've clearly already won.
Oct 4 2013 3:01PM
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tskilz
Posts: 179 - Karma: 2
Sounds fun to me an Epic ski bumming adventure ... More resorts more girls more fun
Oct 4 2013 3:02PM
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RubberSoul
Posts: 11249 - Karma: 14,642
haha ive seriously never heard of a dumber contest
Oct 4 2013 3:04PM
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Top_Gun
Posts: 258 - Karma: 469
If you can afford to go to all of those resorts you might as well ditch the race and get a gold pass for 10 grand from the US ski team


If you donate 10K or more you can get a pass that works at more than 250 resorts, but you have to donate every year
Oct 4 2013 3:04PM
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CaptainObvious.
Posts: 5712 - Karma: 20,638
I think the passes should go to the ten people who, at the end of the year, completed it using the least amount of money.

Bring the true bums out of the woodwork and give them the opportunity to showcase their hobo skills.
Oct 4 2013 3:07PM
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GreenStezz
Posts: 3570 - Karma: 717
Ok, so the prize would be winning a trip to all Vail resorts but what would you have to do to win that??....................
Oct 4 2013 3:31PM
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Byron_tha_gr8
Posts: 4573 - Karma: 14,299
or maybe a US and a Europe trip with 2 separate winners. I could pull off skiing every US epic pass resort. Id be broke as fuck, but it would be fun.
Oct 4 2013 3:33PM
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Huck_Norris
Posts: 11487 - Karma: 18,627
Lol... Be me? ;)



Maybe considering something with actual marketing value that normal people can take part in would make it a more inclusive and proper "contest". I'd say hosting a video uploading contest in which viewers could upload a video of them skiing cool places etc. that would be voted upon would satisfy several requirements.

1). It would get lots more people involved in solid media form and also exposure wise if you included FB shares etc. into contest rules, etc.
2). Voting would increase e-traffic and make far better use of your marketing dollars.
3) The person who won could be required to make an extended edit of the trip for marketing purposes afterwards.

All you'd need is online hosting and some web work realistically to do that ^ and massively increase your exposure in a contest like this. Making it something only the rich and unencumbered could even take part in is not only narrowing your target market by a HUGE margin but pretty much alienating anybody who can't do that kind of globetrotting- and if you can, like I said- You've already fkn won dude, sit down haha



But seriously- you guys didn't realize this? I AM available for consultation for a small fee in case you were wondering. ;)
Oct 4 2013 3:42PM
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TimRiley
Posts: 1873 - Karma: 1,327
My perspective on how this should have played out.
Memo - Marketing meeting at 9 am in the board room, everybody bring an idea to the table.
At meeting - Johnson , "Let's give a life time Epic pass to the first ten people who can ski all Vail resorts this year."
Rest of Board Members - "Johnson, your an idiot"
Memo - "Did you guys hear about the dumb ass idea Johnson had..."
Oct 4 2013 4:09PM
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GreenStezz
Posts: 3570 - Karma: 717
I think this is a wonderful idea..........

On the other hand could someone come up with a number it would really cost to do something like this??..............

Oct 4 2013 4:12PM
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Huck_Norris
Posts: 11487 - Karma: 18,627
Well yeah, pay me as a marketing consultant and I'd be happy to take care of everything.
Oct 4 2013 4:30PM
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Byron_tha_gr8
Posts: 4573 - Karma: 14,299
Lets assume you live in Colorado and you already have an epic pass so you wont need to buy lift tickets.Gas is an average of $3.45 right now, so lets say you have to go 300 miles in CO at 25 Mpg. Thats $40 in gas to get the CO resorts, as well as no lodging costs since you live there. Then its off to Tahoe. Its a 1,100 mile drive from Denver to South Lake Tahoe, and id say its reasonable to assume you'd be going another 75 miles around tahoe. That's another $165 in gas. Then you have lodging, and even cheap lodging for 4 nights in tahoe during ski season is going to be $175 a night. Thats $865 for the Tahoe leg, and $905 total. Now we drive to the midwest from tahoe. From South Tahoe to both midwest areas, its 2,550 miles, and at least 3 nights at a cheaper $90 a night in motels, so add another $627.

Now we're at $1600, and we haven't left the US yet. Lets say since we're in Michigan we fly out of Detroit to get to France. Airfare with skis is $1,100 one way. Lets just say $150 a day for travel costs (car rental, gas). Iv'e figured between all the resorts its about 13 days skiing and 11 travel days, so about 24 nights. Some places are cheap to stay and some expensive, but it could average to about $150 a night if you stay in some hostels. So thats $300 a day/night for travel and lodging for a conservative 25 days., then another $1000 for the flight back to Denver. We now sit at 11,200. Lets say food averages 75 a week over a total trip time of 5.5 weeks, and thats another $430 if you eat cheap.

Grand total $11,600 to pull this off if nothing went wrong, no extra days are spent anywhere, and with the cheapest options i found.

With the current unlimited epic pass (which no one needs, get the local pass) at $709, this trip could pay for 16 years of epic passes. Or 21 years of the Colorado local pass. Send this to Vail and see what they say.

Oct 4 2013 4:43PM
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Gr0mo
Posts: 707 - Karma: 3,663
math FTW
Oct 4 2013 5:02PM
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GreenStezz
Posts: 3570 - Karma: 717
Well said......................
Oct 4 2013 5:09PM
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drumbumocdp
Posts: 3229 - Karma: 1,098
im gunna send my pass to friends I have at all of those locations. $10 spend on mail, all resorts visited in a month. Win.
Oct 4 2013 5:55PM
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Jwenz
Posts: 8893 - Karma: 7,633
most epic
Oct 4 2013 6:46PM
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Karma_Police
Posts: 2655 - Karma: 1,628
You're wrong. I ski 3 days a week and for 10-20 days over christmas break. So YES I need the epic. especially since vail thinks Tahoe resorts shouldn't be unlimited.

People saying fuck vail are idiots. They saved kirkwood from going under. Also if you're in Tahoe you can attest KSL is A LOT worse...
Oct 4 2013 6:55PM
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SFB
Posts: 8895 - Karma: 26,352
yeah fuck vail, and in reality the cost would probably end up being much higher then the esitmated 11k.
Oct 4 2013 7:11PM
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PeppermillReno
Posts: 4798 - Karma: -676
I think it actually won't be that strenuous or difficult to win. One of the European resorts won't be open until December (some of those spots have to be low elevation) you have to basically ski first run on the first day the lowest elevation European ski area opens after hitting everywhere else prior. (So be smart and guess well.)

You can ski all 3 Tahoe resorts in 1 day. So you'd be shredding opening day K wood after already hitting Nstar and Heavenly and will hopefully have hit all the Colorado ones prior to this assuming they opened first. And basically CO and CA resorts are relatively easy, after that you have to go to Europe, hope you can ski the midwest resorts prior to going to Europe so you don't have to fly back for their opening day, and then ski everything in the alps as it opens. Flights are cheap this time of year, sleep in a car etc etc it could be done. 5k total easy if you cut corners.

Epic is pretty cheap right now winning the contest is going to only be worth it if Vail takes over places like Mammoth and Park City and puts them on it and makes the pass over a grand.
Oct 4 2013 10:31PM
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homestar
Posts: 2124 - Karma: 4,197
Sucks for the 11th person...
Oct 4 2013 10:48PM
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mooseman077
Posts: 300 - Karma: 359
Fuck yeah...my dad's a pilot so I fly for free. This should be fun.
Oct 5 2013 12:02AM
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-WZ-
Posts: 3600 - Karma: 6,582
so basically anyone with an extra 10+ grand lying around has good chances
Oct 5 2013 2:09AM
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
I like the sounds of that whoever can do it cheapest idea, I'd actually have a pretty good shot at that.

Seriously though who actually gets this epic pass other than rich guys? how many people need a pass for 4 mountains let alone countries.
Oct 5 2013 12:34PM
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SFBv420.0
Posts: 2539 - Karma: 3,124
obviously you haven't tried to nonrev much during winter peak travel season
shouldn't have much trouble gettin into detroit though
Oct 5 2013 12:46PM
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Mr.Huck
Posts: 6096 - Karma: 14,896
Hahahahaha.

or you could just work for VR for 25 years and then you get a free lifetime ski pass which is good at any of those resorts.
Oct 5 2013 1:15PM
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mooseman077
Posts: 300 - Karma: 359
Oh I have. It can be a bitch but if you keep an eye on the loads and are able to stay a day in an airport you can get wherever fairly easily. Denver is the main hub for United so I can get to pretty much anywhere from there. I've definately been stuck in DIA and ORD overnight once or twice. Its the price you pay to fly free...I can deal with it.
Oct 5 2013 2:05PM
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SFBv420.0
Posts: 2539 - Karma: 3,124
grew up in the golden days of air travel pre frequent flyer and no one even ever bothered inventorien the mini bottles
and the price you paid include wearing a coat n tie and almost always ending up front.
Have a feeling the 10 that win won't be taking chances of nonrevin or will be having the financial means to not stuck anywhere.
interesting paradox as a skier going someplace else to ski most of us are hopin for copious amounts of fresh snow
which = a nonrevin nightmare
but don't let me dissuade you from coming to ut to ski the pc meh instead of the cottonwoods
or wasting ski days slayin MI sick gnars

Oct 5 2013 2:44PM
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VT_scratch
Posts: 8781 - Karma: 6,213
clearly the contest is for wealthy go getters in their 50s who are retired, have money to spend, and would complete this for the sake of completing such a feat and having this 'accomplishment'. not for your average NSer.

or maybe I'm wrong and some ski bum hitchhiking pro will make this happen for very cheap
Oct 5 2013 5:05PM
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*steeze_is_good
Posts: 2886 - Karma: 721
wut
Oct 5 2013 5:29PM
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GreenStezz
Posts: 3570 - Karma: 717
I would like to see some under class ski bum get after this.....................
Oct 6 2013 11:51AM
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TWoods
Posts: 10014 - Karma: 8,386
This is not "conservative"... I spent 21 days traveling around italy for less than 3 grand, and I'm certain that I could have done it cheaper had I not been staying in some of the places I did / rented a car... And I know people that live in UT and find themselves in CO, CA and the midwest over the course of a season on a shoestring budget.

I don't see why everyone thinks this is so unreasonable. I'm pretty sure this wouldn't be as hard to do as everyone here is imagining.

Oct 6 2013 9:11PM
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
It's easy to travel cheaply, travelling around Italy for a grand a week is not cheap, I could do it at 1/200. Granted it wouldn't be the best, but I could easily do it and enjoy it, the problem is that this needs to be done FAST. If you spend a couple grand doing it at an average speed only to find somebody's beaten you then you'd be rather pissed.
Oct 6 2013 9:13PM
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TWoods
Posts: 10014 - Karma: 8,386
^ That included a plane ticket too, found one on travelocity for $820 flying from to Rome and out of Milan... it was "off season" but winter tickets aren't that much more expensive whenever I've looked into it. You just have to shop around.
Oct 6 2013 9:13PM
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Karma_Police
Posts: 2655 - Karma: 1,628
Agreed, it's not nearly that out of the question.

Also your 90 dollars a nigth for staying in tahoe LOL, you kids need to get out and travel.


Oct 7 2013 12:36AM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51600 - Karma: 161,813
Came in here to say exactly that.
Oct 7 2013 1:58AM
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razors-chaz
Posts: 2255 - Karma: 1,250
I would be willing to wager that they don't even get 10 people that complete it let alone any sort of race attitude toward it.
Oct 7 2013 4:06AM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51600 - Karma: 161,813
This would be right up my ally. Great idea!
Oct 7 2013 4:08AM
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ESB
Posts: 9274 - Karma: 10,648
Some of the cost estimates for European travel in this thread are absolutely ridiculous. You can live and travel cheap in Europe just the same as in good old North America, and you can also find cheap plane tickets to get there.

The Euro resorts, although there are a lot of names listed there, are actually only three spots: Verbier, the Arlberg, and Les 3 Vallees. A day at Verbier, 2-3 at the Arlberg and 2-3 at Les 3 Vallees and you've got it in the bag. You could do it in a week.

If buying ski passes aren't a factor, I could pull off that trip for under 2 grand, no problem.

Sure, having a bunch of money can help, but it's not an essential factor in getting a good ski trip done.

Those whining about how much they think something like this would cost would be better spending their time by thinking up creative ways of making it possible on a limited budget.
Oct 7 2013 4:24AM
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ESB
Posts: 9274 - Karma: 10,648
Round-trip flight, Denver, Colorado to Munich, Germany, January 13-20 2014: $1054*
Rent a car for that time period: $212*
Gas estimate for 1,600 km travel: $300-400
Est. total travel cost: $1666
*source: kayak.com

Gypsy food budget: 12 euros ($16USD) per meal, 3 meals a day is about $50/day for food. If you're an experienced penny pincher you can manage that, no problem.
$50/day for a week = $350

Sleep in the motherfucking car. Or meet some ladies at apres ski and sleep in their beds.

Speaking of which, you also need an apres ski budget. $30/day for 5 days should do it. $150 total.

Total cost for my excellent European adventure, drinks included: $2,166.

Just sayin'.




Oct 7 2013 4:51AM
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B.Aussie
Posts: 5852 - Karma: 4,531
I'm really tempted to try.
Oct 7 2013 6:31AM
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BLADEE
Posts: 1017 - Karma: 778
People selling bricks got that kinda cash. Although I'm not sure how many of them ski.
Oct 7 2013 6:52AM
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Huck_Norris
Posts: 11487 - Karma: 18,627
Wow look at all the stupid this one found.

Oct 7 2013 7:56AM
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Forcillo
Posts: 3801 - Karma: 3,580
What the heck is up with adding 30 periods after every post?
Oct 7 2013 9:07AM
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RubberSoul
Posts: 11249 - Karma: 14,642
i'll take your word for it on all that, along with "if buying ski passes isn't a factor" whatever that means, and yeah, some of the estimates in here are sky high, but the point remains it's a really silly and expensive contest

people are more than able to try to go about this in a ski bum way like you said, which is cool, but theyre obviously gonna get creamed by people with tons of money so they'd be better off spending all that money and time doing something other than this absurd consumerist wet dream
Oct 7 2013 9:10AM
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TheMeccaMovement
Posts: 139 - Karma: 453
It's a trap
Don't do it
nooooo
nooo
noo
no

Oct 7 2013 9:16AM
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