Fast Tracks at Killington

[Killington Resort]

I know there has been a lot of discussion here about the release of the fast tracks program.

I continue to be blown away by the passion you all share for Killington. I must remind you though, you aren’t alone. I along with the rest of the Killington team and Powdr share the same passion for making The Beast the best it can be, and I want to assure you that many of your fears about what Fast Tracks means for Killington aren’t reality. But I can understand the concerns without all of the details.

This reminds me of when we announced parking reservations. There was a lot of concern from season pass holders about how they might not get access to use their pass. I asked you then to trust that we had a solid plan for managing access in a way that didn’t have a significant impact on your ability to use your pass and we delivered. Last year we were able to manage our volume and never ended up having to restrict anyone from skiing (not all resorts can say that), so I ask that you give us the benefit of the doubt and judge us by our past actions.

I’m asking again today that you trust that we will manage and operate Fast Tracks in a manner that has very little impact on our guests who don’t choose the upgrade. We will achieve this by having very limited quantities of Fast Tracks available daily, generally less than 2% of total skiers. This also ensures those who do choose to add Fast Tracks get maximum value from their upgrade.

I’m confident that throughout the season you will see little impact to lift wait times as we implement Fast Tracks. Nevertheless, if you would like a season pass refund before the season starts as a result of our Fast Tracks product, we will honor that request.

We’re closely eyeing a cold snap forecasted for Sunday night into Monday and will be prepared to green light snowmaking operations for the coming winter season should the temperatures materialize. I’m looking forward to joining you all in making the first turns of the season on Rime soon.

Powdr co-presidents Wade and Justin have written a letter to the communities in which Fast Tracks is planned and I encourage you to read it.

https://www.powdr.com/news/powdr-news/a ... ast-tracks

[Southside_Bobby]

Dear Mike,

Thanks for addressing the issue here. (I see you have posted identical statements on the FB groups). I doubt that I only speak for myself, when I say that I have always appreciated your willingness to interact with this bunch.

I must tell you that I find Powdr's statements about this decision very unpersuasive. I also will frankly tell you that I find your analogy to last year's parking reservations weak, as well as analogies to ski school access.

I am curious whether Powdr, or Killington staff, foresaw the level of blowback that has resulted from this (There were 10,000 signatures as of yesterday on a change org petition. US Senators are weighing in. Most media treatment of the news has been negative). You certainly didn't announce this "upgrade" to the public earlier, the way you do every other improvement at the resort. You spent the summer installing RFID gates, without a mention to the people you were selling season passes to. You are now offering season pass refunds over this. That seems to be something you wouldn't have to do, if you had announced this change months ago.

Powdr is now having to deal with a PR debacle, over a product you say will be sold to less than 2% of us.

Sorry Mike. I respect you enormously, and I appreciate the position you are in with this. But telling us to trust that this won't impact us too much makes the decision to do it at all no less lame.

Maybe our fears aren't reality. Perhaps some of Powdr's views about the public aren't either.

Have a great season and Happy belated.

[DES]

I don't have any fear or concern that it would affect me at all, as I'm typically a midweek skier now, but I had gone to the Killington website in order to purchase Ktickets, read about this program, and decided not to purchase any. As I mentioned on the other thread, these negative things all add up to a point where I just won't give money to that business ever again. In the future if some "upgrade... haha" happens to the Spring Pass, Killington will lose me for good. Actually, now that I typed that, I'd say the outrage is more similar to getting rid of the Black-out season pass than it is to the paid parking.

[Big Bob]

If refunds are being offered and customers such as the above are willing to not spend money at Killington, where is the financial gain for the company? I assume this is why the product was offered in the first place.

[moneygripp]

What about the guy that does the right thing, gets up early on a powder day, makes it to the resort at 7, first in line with his family then gets snaked at opening bell by ten people that bought their way to the front of the line, destroying a tradition as old as the sport itself of earring first chair?

What about that experience?
What about that impact?
What about that passion?
What about that reality?
What about that trust?
What about that management?
What about that maximum value?

[ski]

What about the guy that does the right thing, gets up early on a powder day, makes it to the resort at 7, first in line with his family then gets snaked at opening bell by ten people that bought their way to the front of the line, destroying a tradition as old as the sport itself of earring first chair?

What about that experience?
What about that impact?
What about that passion?
What about that reality?
What about that trust?
What about that management?
What about that maximum value?

Great point here !
I have always been a fan of Mike's management style, but the roll out of this terrible idea is not going to be as seamless and un-noticable as Mike suggests . . . Can you imagine what is going to happen in real life in the lift mazes? Rookie lifties from South America with what seems like little or NO training trying to run the various lift mazes was pretty much a full shlt show last year . . Now throw in a fast lane... Oh boy, going to be a major cluster F#*k . . . . Please, please train the lifties how to run a maze !!!!!!

[E O Eleven]

[KingsFourMan]

What next, EZPASS toll plazas on Killington's more popular trails? Parking meters on the ski racks outside the lodge? Congestion pricing like midtown Manhattan?

You are a great GM Mike and we are lucky to have you but you work for a bunch of bozos...Park City, need I say any more.

[hillbangin]

So I'm wondering if I bought a fast pass on a 2 foot day - could I get first chair on the bubble or Supe and lap it 3 times before the last person in line without a fast pass got on the chair?

[snoloco]

So I'm wondering if I bought a fast pass on a 2 foot day - could I get first chair on the bubble or Supe and lap it 3 times before the last person in line without a fast pass got on the chair?

From the looks of it, the Fast Tracks lane will alternate, so it's not immediate boarding for anyone who has it. Meaning that Fast Tracks users will still have to wait, but a shorter time than everyone else. I think it will be pretty hard for them to lap those without it.

[LINYbob]

What about the guy that does the right thing, gets up early on a powder day, makes it to the resort at 7, first in line with his family then gets snaked at opening bell by ten people that bought their way to the front of the line, destroying a tradition as old as the sport itself of earring first chair?

What about that experience?
What about that impact?
What about that passion?
What about that reality?
What about that trust?
What about that management?
What about that maximum value?

For those guys that get in line early to try to get first chair, this would really grate. They ought to not let this ticket take effect until 9am. By then anyone in the know will be far away from the Fast Tracks lifts and the rich guys can think they are getting a great deal.

[Pedro]

So I'm wondering if I bought a fast pass on a 2 foot day - could I get first chair on the bubble or Supe and lap it 3 times before the last person in line without a fast pass got on the chair?

From the looks of it, the Fast Tracks lane will alternate, so it's not immediate boarding for anyone who has it. Meaning that Fast Tracks users will still have to wait, but a shorter time than everyone else. I think it will be pretty hard for them to lap those without it.

This is a really good point....we need a faster more premium option on pow days...an option that allows you to snake the Fast Track People....

[MrsG]

What about the guy that does the right thing, gets up early on a powder day, makes it to the resort at 7, first in line with his family then gets snaked at opening bell by ten people that bought their way to the front of the line, destroying a tradition as old as the sport itself of earring first chair?

What about that experience?
What about that impact?
What about that passion?
What about that reality?
What about that trust?
What about that management?
What about that maximum value?

For those guys that get in line early to try to get first chair, this would really grate. They ought to not let this ticket take effect until 9am. By then anyone in the know will be far away from the Fast Tracks lifts and the rich guys can think they are getting a great deal.

Good idea!

[DES]

I can't even guess how K plans on utilizing Fast Tracks on a typical K powder morning. Take the last storm for example, only the bubble started on time so everyone already lined up at Superstar & Gondi had to then move to the bubble line. So then all those people wait in a long line and get passed by even more people in the Fast Tracks line? Ya, that would be enjoyable way to start a powder day .

[Bubba]

I read Mike’s posts (here and elsewhere) and all I think of is putting lipstick on a pig.