Why Vail Resorts Is Losing Skiers in a Growing Industry | WSJ (Level 1)

Skiing is a fun sport, but it is also very expensive. For a long time, ski resorts had a big problem. If it did not snow, people stayed home. The resorts lost a lot of money because running the lifts costs the same amount every day. In 2008, a company called Vail Resorts had a new idea. They created the "Epic Pass." This was a special ticket for the whole season. It was much cheaper than buying tickets every day. The rule was that skiers had to buy it before winter started. This plan was a huge success. Vail made millions of dollars before the first snow fell. They used this money to buy more mountains. However, this changed the industry. Now, single tickets are very expensive, sometimes costing over $300. Some skiers say the mountains are too crowded. Because of this, some people prefer smaller, independent mountains like Whitefish in Montana. These places are quieter and cheaper for a single day.