Get an EPIC PASS for life................

If it costs you 1600 to ski the US resorts you are a loser. If you need to spend 300 a day in Europe you are doing it wrong. To be eligible you already have to have an epic pass for this season - no need to buy lift tickets.

I understand why people dislike vail resorts and at the same time I'm like yea fuck them, fuck wal mart and that big business mentality. But then again I already have my epic pass and I think I'm going to wal mart sometime today because I'm not sure where else to get a for sale sign for my car.

Going for it: it's the slow season here pretty much up until Christmas so not much money to be made, most employers encourage people to take vacations or unemployment. Splitting the travel expenses with a small group of friends, each of us know people at or within reasonable vicinity of most of the mountains who are down to assist with accommodations = couch surfing and home cooking. Planning on a night or two in a hostel but definitely not renting a car in Europe.... Wish us luck?
 
NEW CONTEST: Top to bottom barenaked runs at all 26 mountains under Vail Resorts. Documentation of said runs will be required. First one to complete this will probably reach enlightenment and receive unlimited respect/beers at ski resort dive bars...also lack of epic pass is necessary...what are you waiting for?
 
booom.

it's like none of the fuckers here have slept in their car and eaten ramen, rice, mac n cheese and beans for every meal. i definitely lol'd at $90 per night. bundle up, hit recline on that fucking drivers seat and close your eyes.

i went to scandanavia for 2.5 weeks this year, definitely one of the more expensive places to go in europe, and got in and out for under 3 g's without penny pinching at all. also that was with a $15/day beer budget.

this trip is totally doable for a bum, you just have to be creative.
 
You could get your lodging for free every night if you wanted to. You could get the airfaire all in for $1800 or less. The Pass is $700. You need to eat anyway so you cant count that. Gas and car rentals are the last big bill and there are ways to keep that low.
 
eating costs more on vacations, since you can't stock up at a grocery store the same way. Also how in the fuck would you lodge for free every night? i mean you can couch surf and car camp to an extent, but when its 15 degrees in a country ive never been to, im going to sleep in a hostel. And please tell me how you can lower gas an car rentals.
 
Couple Updates:

1. Vail is kicking a free season pass for next year to all competitors who complete the race in addition to the 10 lifetime season passes. That is a nice move!

2. The race has been pretty cool so far. I met up with German guy form the forums at Denver Airport for the first time and hit A-Basin. We met up with another competitor there and today we hit Keystone and will meet up with another competitor. Snow is falling in CO. 6 inches yesterday and a few more today. I did a short summary here on day 1.http://epicskiandride.com/day-1-arapahoe-basin-snow-report/
 
Did any of you read the fine print?

You will be TAXED on your winnings. They calculate your winnings from your current age to an average life expectancy. Let stay you are 30 years old and win this contest, the average life expectancy is 80 year old. That's 50 years of Epic passes you win. Multiply that by the current price of the Epic pass, $730 and your total winnings are $36,500. Now you must pay taxes on this. I believe that typical prize earnings are subjected to taxation of about 1/3. $12,166 in taxes? As part of your winnings they give you $3000 to help cover the cost of any taxes you are subjected to. They also mention that this money may or may not cover of the full cost of taxes.....

What happens in five years when Vail Resorts goes under?

 
The difference isn't that much. I think I spend less on the road because I'm not buying all sorts of ingredients and gallons of mik.

So far we've eaten our meals at Whole Foods and the free breakfast at the hotelDay 1 hotel food breakfast, snaked an apple and banana for lunch dinner roast chicken and a salad $18 /2

Day 2 hotel food breakfast, same for lunch Pizza/2 $20

Hotels:

Day 1 $45/2

Day 2 $55/2

Gas $22 so far again div by 2

Car rental will cost about $100 each for the CO leg of the trip.

I've spent $80 over two days on food and lodging which is 1760 for the duration of the trip. But, I'll be couchsurfing, staying with friends etc more as we go so I bet that number will be more like $1200 for food and lodging. If I was hustling I could go lower but since I have a job and have some cash I'll uplevel a bit.

You could pretty easily couchsurf for free or Air BnB and split the cost with others to keep your rooms at low cost. Several competitors live in Tahoe and CO and are offering space to others for free. I'm hosting a few people at my place in Tahoe.

 
There is finer print that has been circulated on this topic from Vail.

You will get $3k from Vail

Privately they have published the value of the prizes for competitors based on age. If I win, the $3k will come very close to covering it. The math they run isn't as expensive as yours. I am 33.

If they go under I'll still keep skiing and riding somewhere else. Nothing in life is guaranteed.
 
Damn! Im stoked for you for doing this, it seems like a once in a lifetime trip. Prove me wrong man. And if a network of houses and couches already exists for the competitors, thats sick as fuck.

Have fun and ski tons!
 
So if you hit everywhere on the epic this season and document it like your in the race you get a free pass next year?

I'm not buying doubt they would give it to me if I finish and hit the Europe ones in Jan-March.
 
Met some dude at Kirkwood yesterday trying to get a scan but I kept telling him we're not even open yet..........................

Today is opening day..............
 
If you registered for the race and you complete all 26 challenges this season Vail will give you a free pass next year.

Just did a potluck Thanksgiving dinner in Tahoe with 8 other racers who are on the road for the holiday. Pretty cool.

Colorado is looking good. Tahoe is still pretty brown. I hit Kirkwood today. Heavenly on Friday.

www.epicskiandride.com
 
3 g's and bum in the same post... If you had 3k to "bum" around, I do not think you should head to Scandinavia. Unless you go right back to work when you get home. But, that would be a vacation, not skibumming.

Be creative? I am a college kid with middle-class parents, bills and a part-time job. I am not a bum, but will get at least 2 days a week. No way I can be creative enough to come up with 3 g's. What are you talking about?

If you are privileged enough to afford this then more power to ya. At least acknowledge that not everybody could swing this.
 
Same post, not the same sentence. I was comparing the 3 g's that I spent to the outrageous amounts getting tossed around earlier in the thread. If you're gonna pick a fight at least read the whole thing.
 
THis.

Most Americans don't own passports. Most Americans can't dream of having a hobby as expensive as skiing. And most Americans can't afford a flight to Europe, even if whilst in Europe they can live for cheap and sleep on cars, trains, floors, etc etc etc.

This challenge is a marketing gimmic targeted at anyone who would ever think of having a season pass. So if you live in San Francisco or REno for example and ski Tahoe mountains this kind of marketing is steered to have you buy and Epic pass and not the Squaw Alpine one. Not everyone doing it will be in the market for an overpriced condo but everyone who does it can afford a 5 dollar bottle of water or a 600 dollar pass.

But any ski marketing will be the same deal. I challenge you to find a mountain that encourages skiiers to sleep in their cars in the parking lot.
 
i was going to say i did all but one of those arlberg spots in 2 days (i don't think i did stuben but probably could have if i tried)

really tho it would be impressive if ns could make teams to complete this. someone in CO team up with someone in europe. each of you buy an epic pass and ship it to the other one to do that shit without spending money..
 
Well the race is over. I didn't win but I did score a pass for next season free from Vail. I did a wrap up blog post covering a bunch of the topics bounced around here. All in all I could have done this for under $2500 if I really cheaped it. It was a great trip. Great people. I'd do it again but I'd somehow work harder/smarter to make sure I didn't lose.

Wrapping up the Epic Race

 
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