Member of the Month

abjectwoe
May, 2025

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

Why I love gaper tourists

profile picture
Triple_Strum
Posts: 6384 - Karma: 953
Do you know why? Because they make it possible for skiing to be where it is. I feel like I am inundated with threads on NS recently about the things we can do to get better sponsor money and for exposure for freeskiing, etc. Well, I just want to remind you that the only reason our amazing mountains exist is because of rich tourists. They pay full retail for lodging, gear, and passes. This enables mountains to be able to pay their bills and create terrain and support their staff. They sure don't make money on the kids who cut lines, buy discounted tickets and eat packets of ketchup for free at lunch time. So while you wish freeskiing dominated the mountain and its culture and everyone was a dedicated rider and was super "core", you are lucky they aren't. Your mountain would suck and would likely shut down. So next time you are annoyed at the lift line and the people in front of you in denim and goggles that are 15 years old, be thankful for their contribution and willingness to have a vacation that pays for what you love to do everyday.

Just sayin'.
11 years ago
335 79
profile picture
eheath
Posts: 61954 - Karma: 126,693
I hate tourists, but I also live in a tourist town, so I just deal with it.
11 years ago
24 5
profile picture
Bensun
Posts: 480 - Karma: 1,654
true but I also think they contribute to the rise in unreasonable skiing prices. They ski only a couple times a year and are able to drop wads raising overall prices in my opinion.
11 years ago
23 3
profile picture
alexg1687
Posts: 1505 - Karma: 1,582
Case in point: Snowpark NZ.

OP is absolutely right. The best situation would be some way to confine those people to some small part of the mountain so they don't interfere with the best terrain but also feel like they're getting value for money. This is easiest with Asians (at least at my home mountain) but it's not impossible for the rest with some careful planning.

Sparknotes: Welcome the gapers - they subsidise you.
11 years ago
18 0
profile picture
slav_slayer
Posts: 476 - Karma: 1,821
I don't really care about them that much, i have to deal with shoebies in the summer so i'm kinda used to it
11 years ago
3 0
profile picture
RubberSoul
Posts: 11249 - Karma: 14,642
it's totally true, i think about this every time someone bitches and moans about gapers. not only do they make it possible for me to buy a ~$500 pass that lets me ski an enormous mountain all year with avy bombing, chairlifts, and ski patrol, they usually have a better attitude than half the kids in the park. anyone who hates on gapers has never fulfilled a "do a backflip!" request and made a crowd lose their shit

THANK A GAPER 2014
11 years ago
63 1
profile picture
CKpolicy
Posts: 2587 - Karma: 2,463
you think you can slide that rocket power quote in there and nobody will notice? im on to you, kid.
11 years ago
11 0
profile picture
Spiri7o
Posts: 2163 - Karma: 1,100
Nice thread!
11 years ago
2 2
profile picture
fratskier69
Posts: 1868 - Karma: 1,271
agree with what you said just lolling hard at the fact that this actually describes some park skiers
11 years ago
9 0
profile picture
blazeonyia
Posts: 365 - Karma: 1,451

I love gapers!  They are like moving trees on the mountain...

At keystone the cat tracks are real narrow and everyone is bunched together in one giant cluster fuck.  I love to haul ass in there in a tuck and weave in and out of them.  So much fun!  Also do that switch and watch an ocassional gaper yard sale just from looking at you and having their mind blown!  Good times..

11 years ago
4 2
profile picture
LOLZfajitas
Posts: 393 - Karma: 1,054
i think the corporations have more influence on this
11 years ago
1 4
profile picture
LastChairMedia
Posts: 860 - Karma: 1,855
11 years ago
3 22
profile picture
snakerton
Posts: 2434 - Karma: 1,977
I'm pretty sure the resort makes money off they 600 dollar pass I buy
11 years ago
5 7
profile picture
Sparta
Posts: 228 - Karma: 336
No- it's because they only ski a few times a year that gear & prices are rising. If they skied more and bought more frequently, then prices would probably drop because turn over increases. If you have less turn over, you have higher prices.
11 years ago
1 2
profile picture
HuckNorris44
Posts: 1025 - Karma: 2,394
Are we talking about implementing work camps for all gapers at ski areas? Is that how it is done in NZ. that is brilliant.
11 years ago
1 0
profile picture
Triple_Strum
Posts: 6384 - Karma: 953
And I am pretty sure you have no clue how much money they make on the clientele they attract. You buy a $600 pass and go 20 times. They offer special unrestricted lines for $140/day to lawyers from Texas. You do the math. Oh, and you aren't staying there. The passes are only a small part of what makes a mountain its revenue

And don't rub it in their face that they pay a lot, just be thankful they are willing to.
11 years ago
4 2
profile picture
caderobinson
Posts: 1193 - Karma: 4,770
.
11 years ago
1 0
profile picture
RubberSoul
Posts: 11249 - Karma: 14,642
there is absolutely no way a resort could run on just people like you and me who buy passes. families come on vacation and drop that in a day, easily. i get a 500 dollar pass and go a million times, buy maybe one lunch all year, and beer every now and then. it just wouldn't be sustainable for them
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
papermache
Posts: 1097 - Karma: 616
Rasta Stevie would not approve. Its all about the funky culture not rich dweebs and babylon bald heads
11 years ago
11 0
profile picture
elm.
Posts: 1510 - Karma: 13,605
Great thread OP. At my mountain in Washington, there are a shit ton of indian people who work at microsoft and have never seen snow before, so they drop a bunch of money on lessons and rentals and support the mountain.
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
TheClap.
Posts: 21685 - Karma: 4,249
So you've been on this site for as long as I can remember, we have had numerous interactions, and your actually on my "friends list", with that said I just realized your name is Triple_Strum and not Triple_Storm

Back to thread, Idk I love me some gapers the looks on their face and pure excitement /fear/joy bring me back to when I started skiing. Yeah your going to have some assholes but then again I find they their are more assholes of "core/soul" skiers at my mtn
11 years ago
3 3
profile picture
jordangaebel
Posts: 365 - Karma: 92
I also love it when gapers fucking blow at everything they do in the park. Its kind of funny not annoying to me. I mean they get excited and shit when you can 2 off and act like you actually did something cool. I mean 2's are cool but not something to scream about. haha
11 years ago
1 10
profile picture
TheClap.
Posts: 21685 - Karma: 4,249
You sound like a young ass gaper
11 years ago
3 5
profile picture
jordangaebel
Posts: 365 - Karma: 92
thanks, now eat a gingers dick.
11 years ago
6 4
profile picture
steezeninja
Posts: 1271 - Karma: 731
Gapers are entertaining to watch. I am thankful for there contribution to the unintelligence of humanity.
11 years ago
4 1
profile picture
Laughterbang
Posts: 215 - Karma: 728
Good englishing
11 years ago
3 0
profile picture
Ribss.
Posts: 3442 - Karma: 3,344
Vail resorts is currently charging $2350.00 US for a epic pass. At least thats the word on the street, I havent actually looked it up.
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Triple_Strum
Posts: 6384 - Karma: 953
Wow, that is incredible. The crazy part is, why wouldn't they? You continually raise the price until there is a 10% or more drop in sales. In sports, they say that a stadium that is 90% full is pricing perfection. If the price is less and the arena is full, they charged too little. It it is only half full, the price is too high. So the same thing is true with skiing. If I owned a resort and there was demand, I would continually raise the price until there were no lift lines on busy days.

And to people here who are hating on gapers, just remember you started out the exact same way. To give anyone a hard time who is excited about even making it down the mountain in one piece is to be completely ignorant
11 years ago
2 0
profile picture
T-Holt
Posts: 5020 - Karma: 638
My problem is with gapers that come to mountains, get hurt, and sue. Now every Vail resort is a clusterfuck of yellow jackets and slow signs, pulling real skiers' passes because they want to tailor the experience to richy rich gapers. It takes out the essence of skiing for me. Huge resorts that those rich gapers feed destroy local ski towns and the environment. It's kind of sickening.

That's why I hate gaper tourists.
11 years ago
9 0
profile picture
2_fadez
Posts: 7780 - Karma: 4,183
Idk about you man, but I came out the womb in a G-Suit
11 years ago
2 0
profile picture
a_lurker
Posts: 255 - Karma: 121
im fine with gapers as long as they stay out of the park, which they dont.
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Mr.LemonPie
Posts: 4100 - Karma: 1,625
Right, now it is. If you bought it before November 24th it was 700 bucks. Originally they had the Keystone-Abasin pass for $279, which is a pretty amazing price for unlimited skiing.
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Mr.LemonPie
Posts: 4100 - Karma: 1,625
Oh, and they can only do this (charge so little, because really they do their best to keep prices down for season passes) is because right now a day ticket is $110 online. 816 bucks for 8 days...
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
HuckNorris44
Posts: 1025 - Karma: 2,394
Actually, you cant buy any season pass for Vail anymore. They are finished selling them for the season. They actually have one of the cheaper passes around, especially when you get the amount of mountains you do. But none the less, fuck Vail resorts, worst company on the planet.
11 years ago
1 0
profile picture
TotalNan
Posts: 147 - Karma: 339
Without making fun of gapers, how would I boost my ski esteem??
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Brule.
Posts: 3988 - Karma: 6,714
Hence why some mountains like Okemo and Jiminy Peak (for example) have park passes. You only have to watch a video and/or take a quiz about park safety.
11 years ago
1 0
profile picture
stickski
Posts: 1938 - Karma: 1,529
Lift tickets are expensive because of the inelastic nature of their demand. They keep raising the price and the quantity purchased doesn't fall. We all equally contribute as we all continue to buy our pass every year.
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
iceyboyz
Posts: 116 - Karma: 150
So we lock the Asians in one part of the mountain? Got it.
11 years ago
2 0
profile picture
Ribss.
Posts: 3442 - Karma: 3,344
Yep, completely accurate. I got my epic pass for $400 but that was almost a year ago now, since then the price has risen exponentially to meet increased demand due to the Olympics and increased exposure for our sport.
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Crispy.
Posts: 6126 - Karma: 7,758
Though gapers are very annoying, if we didn't have them who would provide us with the humor we get from the good ol' gaper crashes?
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
DGski
Posts: 3491 - Karma: 2,328
This was a really neat anecdote
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
GayWolf420
Posts: 38105 - Karma: 129,820
true. PC/Breck/Key/Mammoth wouldn't have the greatest parks ever without rich as hell tourists.
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Rachy
Posts: 4355 - Karma: 2,761
This amazes me. I just dropped $600 USD on 7 days of lift tickets and 7 nights lodging for LAAX....

$680 for 8 days if I had wanted.... So crazy how expensive it is here.
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
TheBigApple
Posts: 1169 - Karma: 488
Prepare to get educated:

If you buy a seasons pass and ski 30+ days and pack your lunches the resort loses money.

$680 for 7 nights and 7 days of retail priced skiing is dirt cheap.
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Errl
Posts: 2082 - Karma: 451
On the topic of pricing...

I thought it was pretty incredible that I skied 2 days at stowe, a day at sugarbush. Had three night of lodging, and transportation all for $275.
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
RubberSoul
Posts: 11249 - Karma: 14,642
that would be well within your rights i suppose, but if you did that you realize that you would alienate probably every single local real skier you had right?

even if for some reason that didn't bother you, it would probably come back to bite you in the ass because you can't only get your revenue by gouging rich out of towners.. i don't think that the math is as simple as youre implying in your post. not to mention the fact that even a lot of the rich tourists would go somewhere else instead of your mountain..just because youre rich doesnt mean youre oblivious to something like that
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Triple_Strum
Posts: 6384 - Karma: 953
I understand what you are driving at, but in a very high-end business, that is the way to go. I am not saying I would make lift tickets $200/day, but supply and demand works to a T in resort business. If you have the most desired resort, you can do that. Vail is the best example. Personally Vail is my favorite mountain/resort in Colorado. On a pow day I think it is incredible. So, I am willing to pay more a couple of times a year. Whenever people perceive something as the best, studies show that they are actually happier paying a high premium to be satisfied with the product. I am not just taking guesses at things like this, I am a small business owner who reads and researches how these things work. To use an alternate example, since I ski Colorado mostly, Copper Mountain will never be as expensive or packed as Breckenridge. It is not perceived to be as nice. As second-tier resort will definitely kill their business if they go after the same pricing that Vail employs.

And I do totally agree that all money cannot be made on the 30-40% of non-regulars. That is why season passes are so affordable - resorts build a revenue base they can count on. They also offer deals for buddy passes etc, because again they can build a solid base from the local market by making it more affordable. I would never be able to go skiing if I paid the prices that standard vacationers do. I have friends that live in Breck, ski where I can find deals, also use skis and boots that are a few years old, etc.

To get back to the original point - while sometimes we are annoyed with young snowboarders that scrap off soft snow and old grouchy men from Texas who seem entitled, they help us to have the amazing resorts we have today.
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Mr.LemonPie
Posts: 4100 - Karma: 1,625
I think he was only talking about raising the price of day tickets. I'm all about expensive day tickets, they help keep the season pass price down.
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
bigbromskier
Posts: 1175 - Karma: 330
Squaw's strategy is to charge super high for day passes, while season passes are relatively cheaper. if people buy day tickets, cool, it pays well that one time; but if they buy season passes they're more likely to come back, meaning they spend their money more times at all the other revenue generating places i.e. restaurants, retail shops, lodging, etc. Also, the more people on the mountain at any time automatically generates income/free marketing. social media marketing is huge in the industry right now.

I'm glad that all the gapers come up--they literally pay my bills, get me free/discounted passes to 6+ mountains in the tahoe area alone, free and discounted meals and gear, free bus passes, etc etc and because of them I already have 23 days skiing.
I probably won't be skiing at all now through after new years but I'm happy to take a break while they enjoy their clusterfuck and give me their moneys!
11 years ago
1 0
profile picture
Pancake_Fucker
Posts: 1852 - Karma: 1,989
Revelstoke has just as many core skiers as tourists most days.
11 years ago
1 0
profile picture
zahava
Posts: 7791 - Karma: 12,039
I dont know where or who your skiing with but I would say a very considerable chunk of 'gapers', heck more like 'tourists' on i've met in Whistler & Tremblant are rich, entitled ass holes.
11 years ago
2 0
All times are Eastern (-4); Currently it's 10:39AM