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Worst Ever marketing BS
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Anonymous
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Posted: Jan 09, 2002 - 8:42 PM GMT

I wanted to know what you thought the worst ever marketing BS was. It is key to note, I mean at ANY SKI RESORT!! Here are some of my examples:

1. Hunter Mountain. How can they claim to have 3 mountains. They have two (2) faces, but not three mountains. Calling hunter One and Hunter West separate mountains in ridiculous. I find that to be the worst marketing spin I have ever seen. It is just a lie!

2. Gore Mountain. They claim 3 mountains. From the trail map it looks like 1 big mountain with 2 label peaks (Gore and Bear), but they really are two very separate peaks, as anyone who has poled down Cloud from one to the other would know. But they claim THREE (3) mountains. Well, naturally, I was a little confused and asked a Ski Patroller who I was in the gondie with, what they considered the third mountain. They counted the Buny Slope with J-Bar that is on the opposite side of the lodge. I checked. the so called "mountain" is 80 vertical feet. More of a hill, I thought, but, hey, I can cut them some slack becasue the skiing was good.

3. K's 3 gondies. We all remember a few years ag owhen K claimed 3 gondies becasue they caould run the Skyeship as two separate gondies. I thought that was pretty bad.

4. Every (well, at least most) J snow report. First let me say, that I realize how much snow Jay Peak gets and often times they do get hte most snow, but they wait (often) until after the other mountains put up their report and "top oof" their snow totals to make sure they have the most. That or the update to make sure they have more.

5. Vertical Drops. Here are some very qusetionable verts. Have you ever heard of a mountain rounding verticals down, no, I didn't think so.

Windham- 1600' (like 1400, maybe)
Shawnee, Pa- 700" (yeah right, and I'm Santa Claus)
Mountain Creek- 1040' (I have no complaint with this other than to say that the vert you actually ski is far less. Most of the blacks are really short and have little vert.)

7. Black Diamond Trails at Mountain Creek. Let's just put it this way. It was the first and only time I have ever poled down a black. Kamakaze is think it was called.

If I think of more later, I'll put them up. Curious to see what everyone thinks.

Dave
www.geocities.com/tigerskier

dirk109
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Posted: Jan 09, 2002 - 9:38 PM GMT

As for Jay Peak, I have come to relize that IT is the BEST mountain in VT. Period. Snow, Snow, Snow and crazy Base. Oh yeah did I say SNOW.

Anonymous
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Posted: Jan 10, 2002 - 3:17 AM GMT

heres are good one ragged's new
six-pack haha thats a joke
jon

Ned_Bolle
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Posted: Jan 10, 2002 - 3:59 AM GMT

I'll have to add Someday Bigger's spin on White Hype when it first opened: "The Steepest, longest, widest, trail with the most adjectives on the planet!"

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Anonymous
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Posted: Jan 10, 2002 - 12:39 PM GMT

Can anyone claim to find non-BS marketing in the ski world.

I would pay good money - if I had any! - for an advertisement that actually told the truth.

From ski reptorts to snowfall, vertical drop to lift capacity, the truth is only used when no one can think of a better lie.

JoshuaB
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Posted: Jan 10, 2002 - 4:42 PM GMT

Currently on Loon's web site:

"And we're big...44 trails wind down 2,100 vertical feet, spread over 275 exhilarating acres."

And on the Current Conditions page:

"Trails Open: 46 of 50"

Why am I even checking? A snowboarder buddy of mine wants me to meet him there on Monday. He has a pass and likes to ride on Mondays. So I'm going to hit Stowe Sunday, take Monday off of work and hit Loon. Going to be an expensive couple of days!
Joshua B

Anthony
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Posted: Jan 10, 2002 - 7:37 PM GMT

Quote:

On 2002-01-09 22:59, Ned_Bolle wrote:
I'll have to add Someday Bigger's spin on White Hype when it first opened: "The Steepest, longest, widest, trail with the most adjectives on the planet!"

Well, the sign by our outdoor hot tub here at the Brookside condos at SR proclaims it to be "the longest, widest, bubbliest slopeside hot tub in the state of Maine." No one has challenged us yet.

Anthony

PS---skiing is real good this week...little warm today, though.

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ThatNYguy
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Posted: Jan 10, 2002 - 10:31 PM GMT

[quote]
On 2002-01-10 07:39, Anonymous wrote:
Can anyone claim to find non-BS marketing in the ski world.

I would pay good money - if I had any! - for an advertisement that actually told the truth.

From ski reptorts to snowfall, vertical drop to lift capacity, the truth is only used when no one can think of a better lie.

I would have to say that Mad River Glen has been pretty NON-BS the whole time it has existed.

Pay up,

Russ

riverc0il
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Posted: Jan 10, 2002 - 11:54 PM GMT

lol, good one about white heat. that trail gets WAY too high billing. i really like that trail, but the groomed side is not double diamond steep to me.

actually, all of SR's double blacks (that are not glades or consistantly bumped) are over rated. i think that double black trails are essentially BS Marketing of themselves. some resorts don't even use double black ratings for trails that would considered triple blacks at mountains that do.

i do think a trail rating beyond a black should be posted on 'extreme' trails, but unfortunately it becomes a marketing tool.

i think vertical drop numbers are usually fairly accurate from what i've seen. i've actually whipped out a topo or two to check!

the problem is that figure can be misleading. what ski areas do is measure the lowest possible skiable point (usually a lift or lodge) to the highest possible skiable point (highest lift on the mountain).

this is not "Continuous Vertical" which means if a ski area has multiple peaks (SR, K, etc.) they can adjust this figure to look bigger than each of their single mountains really are. also, areas such as burke measure verts from their beginner terrain, but it's a 4 trail beginners only area... it's kinda padding the stats without lieing about it.

misleading? maybe. BS? no, they are real numbers.

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Anonymous
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Posted: Jan 11, 2002 - 12:05 AM GMT

veritical drop claims are what annoy me the most. While I doubt they outright lie, taking the difference in alititute between the highest peak and the lowest base is misleading. Killinton claims 3050' of vertical but only one or two trails to the gondola base allow them to say that. The vast majority of their trails and mountains are probably half that. Sunday River claims 2340' of vertical but try skiing that without poles. No single mountain at SR goes over 1630' of vertical with most considerably less.

PatrickSullivan
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Posted: Jan 11, 2002 - 12:48 AM GMT

Wildcat's claim isn't that bad they claim 2112' of vertical at 4062' asl. has longest trail in NH.
pat

Anonymous
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Posted: Jan 11, 2002 - 2:20 AM GMT

i would have to say ALTA UT. what they say is true about the snow 500" ad the ver like 2020 i think it is oneof my alltime best ski aras i le it there
jon

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Posted: Jan 11, 2002 - 3:13 AM GMT

I love the comment about the tub. That's great. I miss the sign on the tower tree at the 'Loaf in the pre-Les days that said: "If you were at Sunday River, you'd be at the top by now!". That one of those things that disapeared right quick once we had to "Pay Les to ski less"

nb

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Anthony
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Posted: Jan 11, 2002 - 4:35 AM GMT

Quote:

On 2002-01-10 22:13, Ned_Bolle wrote:
I love the comment about the tub. That's great. I miss the sign on the tower tree at the 'Loaf in the pre-Les days that said: "If you were at Sunday River, you'd be at the top by now!". That one of those things that disapeared right quick once we had to "Pay Les to ski less"

nb

There is still a sign on a barn on the SR Road....right after the left turn to SR.....saying "Ski Loon For The Goon" He used to tout Sugarloaf and others on the sign until Les took them over.... You pass that sign whenever you drive to the Jordan....

Anthony

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PomaLad
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Posted: Jan 11, 2002 - 10:04 PM GMT

Somebody PLEASE stop that hideous Mt. Snow Song that's constantly being played on the airwaves!! Ok, Ok..That whole Xtreme thing attracts the kids. We get it. Also, please stop counting lift lines as trails.
Good Day.

riverc0il
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Posted: Jan 11, 2002 - 10:10 PM GMT

PomaLad, what is wrong counting lift lines as trails? some of the best and toughest trails in New England are lift lines...

red line at magic, agony and white heat at SR, lift lion and the others at wildcat, the trail under the single chair at mrg, etc.

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PomaLad
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Posted: Jan 11, 2002 - 10:13 PM GMT

No...I'm talking about the actual line to wait for the lift!!
I agree with you on your choices though.
Good Day.

riverc0il
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Posted: Jan 11, 2002 - 10:28 PM GMT

lol, gotcha!

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Ned_Bolle
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Posted: Jan 11, 2002 - 10:45 PM GMT

Not being in the "Geographical market area" for Mount No, we are not subjected to their marketing Jingle. I'll bet that Riv, Josh and Hop and others will tell you it's go to be pretty obnoxious to compete with: "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh! Waaaaaahhhh! Wachusett!"

nb

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Betsy
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Posted: Jan 12, 2002 - 12:21 AM GMT

UGH. The Mount Sneux jingle. Ned..I've heard it hear in Boston. I think on WBCN. It's pretty bad, but not nearly as bad as WAWAWAchusett.......

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