I'm sorry, people are going to argue with me but baseball players do not deserve to make millions a year, hell, they don't even deserve to make hundreds of thousands a year to play a god damn game. Athletes (football players, basketball, baseball) are the most ridiculously overpaid "workers" in the U.S.. They make no substantial difference in the world, they simply provide entertainment. They are clowns, with thick necks that play with balls. SImilarly, pro skiers probably don't "deserve" to make millions a year either. Sure they should be able to make a decent living but I don't think people should be looking to skiing to become sponsored or to become rich. It should just be about going out there and riding and having fun, which brings me to my point (this has nothing to do with SImon, sorry for off topic, but honestly people need to let Simon do his thing, he is an amazing skier and is just tyring to do his thing.).
Less exposure for skiing might mean higher prices, or whatever,  but that means the really dedicated riders, the people who really care about just skiing and not all the bullshit will find a way to get out there and make it happen. A five mt. pass for $350 is the worst idea in the history of the industry and is destroying Denver accesible skiing in Colorado as we know it. I wouldn't mind one bit paying $1000 or even $1500 (or more) for a 5 mtn. pass if it meant skiing was less popular. Less exposure, higher prices means a less accesible product for the general public which ultimately means less traffic to/from/and at the mountains, more and longer lasting powder for me, and less of an environmental impact from droves of people migrating to the mountains every weekend. Any way I slice the cake, less exposure for skiing seems like a good thing to me. If I have to pay 3 times as much for my pass and equipment to have 33% less people on the hill everday it is worth it to me.  all this corporate sponsor exposure bullshit and the endless pursuit of making skiing popular is sickening  just go out there and ride some damn mountains. I want powder, and I am sick of not having it anymore. *end rant*