By Allison Pohle
Vail Resorts is cutting the price of next year's Epic Pass by 20% for young people, another step to coax customers to its mountains.
The ski resort company said the move aims to make the sport more accessible. It also maintains Vail's advance-commitment model that offers lower prices to encourage people to buy its flagship pass ahead of the coming ski season.
Vail's Epic Pass has been a harder sell recently. In a December call with investors, Vail Resorts said it sold about 2% fewer passes in North America for this ski season. The Broomfield, Colo.-based company has sought this season to focus more on walk-up lift tickets to motivate people to visit its mountains.
The lack of snowfall in the Western U.S. this winter has meant fewer skier visits, not just for Vail, but for many mountains. Season-to-date total skier visits to Vail's North American resorts were down 20% through Jan. 4, compared with the prior-year period, Vail said earlier this year.
The Epic Pass, which went on sale Tuesday, will start at $1,089 for adults, a 3.6% increase over last season's unlimited access price. For skiers and snowboarders aged 13 to 30, the pass will cost $869.
The median age of people participating in snow sports has gone up in recent years. In the 2024-25 season, the median age was 38 years old, up from 37 the prior season, according to the National Ski Areas Association.
Gen Z skiers, which the association defines as between 13 and 28, represented 26% of visits last season, and the association noted their share has gradually declined since peaking in 2020--21.
An unlimited pass for children ages 5 to 12 will cost $555 for the coming season, Vail said.
Vail is scheduled to report earnings and updated visitation figures on March 9.
Write to Allison Pohle at allison.pohle@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 03, 2026 10:45 ET (15:45 GMT)
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