Eat My A**, Vail

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“Eat My Ass Vail” is my next sticker. https://t.co/C4j8joORF6

— Dan Brown (@KapitolPhoto) February 20, 2022

Why “Eat My Ass, Vail?

Epic crowds are colliding with epic labor shortages at ski areas (The Colorado Sun)

“They made a bet on automating everything and eliminated institutional knowledge and careers and, really, the culture at all these resorts in the name of efficiency”

Stevens Pass under avalanche of criticism (Wilkinson)

“These employees that are running the place are heroes, but they’re not given the resources to run an actual ski area,” says Jeremy. “What we’re hearing from everyone is staff are underpaid, overworked and undervalued.”

Wall Street taking notice of Vail Resorts’ issues (LaConte)

Among the issues impacting Vail Resorts that were cited in Truists’ report:

• Epic pass sales are up 76% vs. the 2019/2020 ski season, meaning the slopes would likely be more crowded to start with regardless of any labor issues.
• MTN’s wages are allegedly not competitive in their local markets (likely the most important issue).
• MTN allegedly “gutted” middle management positions, and it has been difficult to rehire.
• Consolidation of local/regional finance, marketing and human resource departments from MTN’s acquired resorts into MTN’s headquarters in Broomfield, and this has led to a dearth of “local knowledge” when it comes to issue like hiring and setting wages.
• A pandemic-triggered escalation of real estate prices has reduced the number of homes available to local workers.
• H2-B and J-1 international work visas, which ski resorts have historically used to fill employment gaps, are in especially short supply.

Crotched Mountain ski area cuts back operations as other Vail resorts in N.H. have problems (Brooks)

“It feels like they’re just trying to lock people into having an Epic Pass, so if they go on a vacation they have to go to a Vail mountain … because their local mountain has been crap all year,” he said. “They’re just not spending money, not doing it right – trying to save money.”

Lack of snow, labor, management are hitting region’s ski areas hard this season (Sutner)

Many put blame on remote corporate ownership for conditions at some facilities

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The Colorado Sun, and Jason Blevins. “Labor Shortage Leaves Ski Resorts Understaffed for Holidays, Omicron Surge.” The Colorado Sun, 31 Dec. 2021, coloradosun.com/2021/12/31/labor-shortage-vail-resorts-ski-areas-understaffed-omicron/?

Wilkinson, Eric. “Stevens Pass under Avalanche of Criticism.” King5.Com, 3 Jan. 2022, www.king5.com/article/money/business/stevens-pass-under-avalanche-of-criticism/281-3fe7f925-b01e-4c92-86ba-7f2c7438bc74.

LaConte, John. “Wall Street Taking Notice of Vail Resorts’ Issues.” Vail Daily | Wall Street Taking Notice of Vail Resorts’ Issues, 11 Jan. 2022, www.vaildaily.com/news/wall-street-taking-notice-of-vail-resorts-issues.

Brooks, By David. “Crotched Mountain Ski Area Cuts Back Operations as Other Vail Resorts in N.H. Have Problems.” Concord Monitor, 5 Jan. 2022, www.concordmonitor.com/crotched-mountain-ski-new-hampshire-vail-44370835.

Sutner, Shaun Telegram Gazette. “Lack of Snow, Labor, Management Are Hitting Region’s Ski Areas Hard This Season.” Telegram & Gazette, 13 Jan. 2022, eu.telegram.com/story/sports/columns/2022/01/12/lack-snow-labor-hitting-regions-ski-areas-hard-season/9186074002.