What does the Australian ski fields and 50 Cent have in common? That’s right, they both “get money.” A report from the Australian Alpine Club has ranked the cost of day tickets from mountains around the world and Australia’s mountains are ringing the register the loudest. It’s hard to spin a story like this to your favor but Andrew Ramsey, the executive director of the Australian Ski Areas Association, has given it a go. He claims that we “shouldn’t look at single day prices but package deals where there is a very different picture.” I haven’t booked a package deal in a while but unless they have introduced secret runs, deluxe hotels and cheap lift tickets only for those on package deals - I really can’t see the picture being that different. You can check the full story in the Age here. As a side note, the article mentions the cheapest tickets as being available in Japan. A quick glance on the interweb tells me that this isn’t completely true, I know Brighton in Utah is $53 a day.
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I don’t agree with anything that skier guy said. I’ve never bought a packaged deal, last season I only ever bought day passes. Still, a two day pass isn’t cheaper than buying two singles.
I would think the strength of the Australian dollar would only help cheapen lift tickets as the mountains become less price competitive with foreign resorts.
Don’t forget the gate entry/taxi fee too.
It’s an age old debate I know, but Australian mountains can keep upping tickets because people still go. There’s so much demand for the limited supply of snow.
It’s not a very subtle mention of Japan in their either. Vested interest?
How is it that in Australia we have the the smallest mountains,
the most unpredictable snowfalls and some of the most crowded
runs in the world (i’m thinking coming home via bourke st on a
sat afternoon) and yet we are paying the MOST for our lift tickets.
Don’t get me wrong i love my victorian mountains, but the appeal
of going to New Zealand for 10 days at practically the same cost as
as skiing/boarding 10 days at buller is just to much.
Good work pop boys.. love your stuff!
I don’t really understand why people pay for tickets. I rode 05 & 06 (Buller) with out a single pass (nope - no season pass either). Just head up there and get to know a few kids.
I don’t think Robbie Stagg has EVER ‘purchased’ a pass… yeah sure enough he’s work a few of those seasons but not every employer hands ‘em out.
And don’t forget we are probably one of the few places in the world that has absolutely zero truth in snow reports. We all have come to learn that ‘fair visibility’ means you wont see your hand in front of your face. ‘10cms of champagne powder’ means there could be a pocket of dust on crust somewhere in a back bowl, and ’some lifts may be on wind hold throughout the day’ means there’s no chance in hell a chair will run but we’ll still charge you 100 bucks to line up at the T-bar for 45 mins with 15,000 other people.
yeah it’s shit, but we are going to go a spend everything we have there, and eat noodles to make it happen…Well i know I will be anyway.
I think the limited supply comment is on point. Its a simple supply and demand equation. Snow is in short supply in Australia so people will pay the earth to ride it. Did anyone ride Baw baw’s rail park thing last season? I once had a dream that quiksilver acting as DC would convert that whole mountain into a super park type scenario. Complete with snow making, dug in super pipe etc. etc.
Brighton is rad…
Just came back from NSW Skiing trip, and my bank account looks sad. I was amazed at the lift ticket price, and spoke to an Instructor who was out from the US, and he was jaw smacked at the prices (not to mention the $4.50 for a can of coke, $4 for a chock Milk, $7 for Chips, etc…). I know we have a short season, and the Snowfields have to make hay while the sun shines, but it is getting to the point where going OS is going to be the only financially practical option. I have a family of 6, and even factoring in Airfares, 2 weeks Skiing in NZ, Japan or US is going to work out a tad cheaper, and I get the option for a few days sightseeing in a different country thrown in. I really want to support the Australian Ski industry, but it has to start looking after its locals as well.