Well, I sure didn't see this one  coming

https://arapahoebasin.blogspot.com/

Wondering what the future holds.  Will it become just another IKON resort packing it it (and Epic does as well)?  Or since Al Henceroth is saying he is sticking around will it continue with the model they are currently running.  My guess (and hope) is it's the latter.   

itdoesntmatter wrote:

Wondering what the future holds.  Will it become just another IKON resort packing it it (and Epic does as well)?  Or since Al Henceroth is saying he is sticking around will it continue with the model they are currently running.  My guess (and hope) is it's the latter.   

 Two things to note: 1) there are Alterra-owned resorts that are not unlimited for Ikon holders, 2) there are Alterra resorts besides Snowshoe that still have 1-location season passes that are significantly less money than Ikon passes.

Stuart Winchester of Storm Skiing Journal checked in with Win Smith for the article about the announced ABasin sale.  Smith sold Sugarbush to Alterra (completed just before the pandemic shut things down in March 2020).

Alterra to Acquire Arapahoe Basin, Company’s 19th Ski Area - Feb. 5, 2024

" . . .

So I checked in with Win Smith, former owner of Sugarbush, who expressed similar sentiments when he sold his life’s work to Alterra in 2019, and asked him, “Did Alterra do what they promised and retain Sugarbush's essential character? Do you trust them to do the same with A-Basin?”

Win, in response: “Yes. They have not inserted anyone into Sugarbush. The team that worked for me is running Sugarbush. They do not micromanage and have kept our brand intact. They are now giving Sugarbush good capital to continue making improvements. At least five to six employees have received promotions. Notably, Amber Broadaway, who worked for me, is now the COO of Solitude. Any changes are the result of local management and not dictums from Denver. That said, they expect results, as did I. [Arapahoe Basin is] a great fit for Alterra, and Alan Henceroth is a very good leader.”

. . ."

wgo wrote:

A-Basin specifically moved from being on the Epic pass to being on the IKON pass a several years ago so I wonder if this sale was part of the plan all along. Good to have the example of Sugarbush, hopefully that continues and applies to A-Basin as well.

 Schweitzer also joined Ikon as a Partner before Alterra added it to their list of resorts.

The Alterra acquisition that has been the rockiest was Crystal in WA.  John Kircher and his family decided to sell in 2018, which seemed to be a surprise to everyone.  Fair to say that John understood the ramifications of the growth of Vail Resorts list of Epic pass resorts in that timeframe.  He had only recently decided to leave Boyne Resorts to take solo ownership of Crystal.  The next few years at Crystal were quite difficult for assorted reasons, perhaps partially because Alterra didn't go into the purchase with detailed thinking in place beforehand.  Crystal was unlimited on Ikon at the start, but was changed to 5/7 days.  Presumably, Alterra learned from that experience.

What Crystal and ABasin have in common is that they are near large urban populations and there is plenty of competition from other ski resorts close by.  They are day mountains, not destination resorts.

Why John Kircher Decided to Sell Washington’s Crystal Mountain - September 2018

Given that it was already on the IKON pass, what will IKON buying it actually change?

wgo wrote:

A-Basin specifically moved from being on the Epic pass to being on the IKON pass a several years ago so I wonder if this sale was part of the plan all along. Good to have the example of Sugarbush, hopefully that continues and applies to A-Basin as well.

Mongo wrote:

Given that it was already on the IKON pass, what will IKON buying it actually change?

 IKON is not a ski operations company, it's a multi-resort pass that is run by Alterra.  Without the Ikon Partners such as Jackson Hole, Alta, Taos, Big Sky, the Ikon pass would not be a true competitor to the Epic pass.

Alterra owns a number of resorts, including Snowshoe, plus a couple of heli ski companies in Canada.  That means big projects such as a new lifts are funded from a much bigger pot than if they were independent resorts.  Alterra has also branched out and bought companies that support the ski industry.

For example, Alterra bought Aspenware in 2022, which provide software and databases services to ski resorts.  The Aspenware list includes but is not limited to Alterra resorts.  In contrast, Vail Resorts handles software development in-house.

Stuart clarifies a lot in this article based on an interview with Alterra's CEO.

Alterra CEO Smith: KSL’s $3B "Not New Money"; Says “Vast Majority of Money We’re Investing Is Money We're Making” - Feb. 7, 2024