Nippolas.CageMy problem is not really with the change of vibe, I mean fuck, I've never even skied Park City. But fuck Vail, fuck them so much. They are a huge corporation that is ruining skiing and ski towns across America. Man, every time I see a slow sign or a no jumping sign on runs that are "black diamonds" it makes me sick. I'm tired of Vail resorts and other corporate entities sucking the soul out of skiing.
Yea there's the whole "if you don't like it get out" mentality, but what about the people who've been in these towns for 40 plus years watching their beloved mountains and towns turn into unsustainable, money making, environmental disasters? Fuck that shit man, fuck Vail and everything about it. Fuck the liability that comes with huge resorts (yes I know small ones have it too) and fuck that when I dislocate my shoulder the ski patrol, albeit capable, cannot relocate it and instead I have to sit in the ski patrol hut for 45 minutes with my shoulder out of its socket while they do an accident report only to then have my friend drive me to the ER 45 minutes away where I get charged out the ass even though it's in network.
Nothing can describe my hatred for the cash machine that is taking everything I love about this sport away so it can be more marketable to some rich fucks who can't take enough responsibility for their own actions to not sue the mountains or people on it.
There's a reason I've been making the shift to the backcountry and that as soon as I graduate I'm out of Colorado and off to some small mountain town; however, I feel that I should be able to ski without fear of having my pass pulled at a resort.
So again, fuck Vail. Fuck 'em left, right, up, down, and all around.
I'm not trying to contradict anything that has been said here, but I do want to question the specifics? I see all this "they are ruining skiing", but how so? Again, I'm just curious and more just trying to learn more on that feeling.
What I've seen is a mass of investment in the properties they have bought or own - take Vail - that place has been turned upside down, lifts upgraded, on mountain amenities upgraded. Sure, a cheeseburger is $13, but nobody is holding a gun to your head and last time I checked Park City had expensive cheeseburgers too.
But Breckenridge is a good example to hold up to Park City. People groaned about that when the dog food makers sold Breck/Keystone, but has the culture of Breck changed all that much? Peak 8 redo, the parking lot gondola, Peak 6 and 7 seem to be the major changes. I don't think the town has changed too much, has it?
We've all seen about 700 park edits from Breckenridge this past year (groan: not another Breck edit) - why? Because it has one of the best, if not the best park. The NS boners start and end in Breck. Certainly Keystone can be mentioned in the same sentence. Both owned by Vail? Both ruined?
The other thing is the cost. A schmo can picked up an Epic Local pass in Minnesota of all places for like $569 and ski the crap out of their local hill and now go to a place like Colorado or Utah for a week or two as well. Before Vail bought whatever those little hills are named I'm sure a season to a 600 ft hill costs that much anyhow...and they put buildings up, upgraded lifts, etc.
Again, I don't think it is all pros, but I'd definitely like to hear all the cons. Expensive cheeseburgers? Crowded mountains? Or is it just a vibe thing? I don't think Park City was Alta before all this...and I don't think Vail can do much in town. They'll have control of the base area, but honest that place looks a bit tired and could use a little TLC.
