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RFID chips in Ski Tags

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Author	Post
Bkroon9175 Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: May 25, 2003 Posts: 416 Location:Pembroke, MA	Posted: Jan 26, 2004 - 5:54 PM GMT Are we not tired of ski area operators scanning (Loon and Waterville) or punching holes in our ski passes. It is annoying and slows down the lines at the lifts. I propose that ski areas adopt RFID chips in their passes. The Radio Frequency Identification chips are now being sewn into clothing and have ample uses. The areas could install a scanner in the lift line, each pass purchased would have an inbedded chip. The area owner could then track the number of times we used certain lifts, trails etc. It would also eliminate the annoyance we all now suffer through. The marketing and operational benefits from RFID tags in passes is tremendous. This system would provide a great deal of usable info to owners if properly addressed and probably long term cost savings. Just a thought.........................

Chris Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Apr 19, 2001 Posts: 2621 Location:New Hampshire	Posted: Jan 26, 2004 - 5:58 PM GMT Actually, there's already a project in the works that would use RFID to verify ski tags and to also help ski areas determine slope usage patterns. I expect that you'll probably start hearing rubles of this project this summer. __________ SnowJournal.com

AlpineZone Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Oct 28, 2003 Posts: 169 Location:	Posted: Jan 26, 2004 - 6:31 PM GMT Quote: It is annoying and slows down the lines at the lifts. I've never seen a liftie scanning passes cause the lift line to slow down... __________ Greg B, AlpineZone.com, Sugarbush/MRG Forums

Snorunner Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Feb 06, 2002 Posts: 116 Location:20 miles west of Boston	Posted: Jan 26, 2004 - 6:39 PM GMT Advances in technology are great but can also get misused..... Skitag

hippyskier Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Jan 22, 2004 Posts: 142 Location:	Posted: Jan 26, 2004 - 7:36 PM GMT so is the idea almost like EZpass on the highway? like the same idea of having an automatic scanner that scans the chip when you pass it? peace __________ Skis, Music, Food; What More Could You Need?

Chris Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Apr 19, 2001 Posts: 2621 Location:New Hampshire	Posted: Jan 26, 2004 - 7:59 PM GMT Yes, except RFID technology is so small that it can be embedded in regular every day ski passes. __________ SnowJournal.com

katbennett Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Nov 14, 2001 Posts: 672 Location:Madison, NH	Posted: Jan 26, 2004 - 11:29 PM GMT One purpose of scanning that you do not bring up is it is used to curb fraud. Unfortunately, many folks try to slip by the ticket checkers when it is done manually/visually. I am not familiar with the chip technology you mention but even scanning, which is on going at Loon and has just started at Waterville, is a significant technology investment. Scanning can help control costs by cutting down on fraud plus giving us valuable information we can use to determine what our customers best enjoy doing at our resorts.

skibachelor Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Nov 02, 2002 Posts: 620 Location:	Posted: Jan 26, 2004 - 11:39 PM GMT Well lets see, there are two companies that make these types of passes. SkiDATA which is a European company. Mt. Bachelor has this system and I like it, however some people don't if they don't have the season pass or a zip line to insert their key into the machine. Their site is skidata.com, but since these Europeans don't check their American site very often, it's been down for over like 8 months. SKIKEY, which is a small key which you wear around your ski glove. However I don't like this brand very much, since the keys sometimes fall off and cost $2 to buy. Yes, so if you buy a lift ticket for $32 you end up paying $34 if you don't have a SKIKEY with you. I haven't seen this company anywhere else except at Willamette Pass. The company that makes these SKIKEYS is located in my city of Eugene, Oregon.

techskier Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Aug 19, 2003 Posts: 255 Location:In your computer looking back at you. Don't think I don't see that porn on your monitor!	Posted: Jan 27, 2004 - 4:39 PM GMT I posted something like this once in the past. Since I like cool Hit-Tech stuff I like the idea. I used to have a season pass that was like that at Sunday River and a friend had what they called a "Direct to Lift" card. Some at the lift would scan mine, find it was a valid season pass, and scan my friends and it would automatically charge the credit card he setup for it. No going to the ticket window. I think with the proper equipment and software, these systems could be excellent traffic managment just like EZ Pass, but could be as small as Mobil's Speedpass. Just think of automated sign boards at all lifts, showing where the most traffic is. All of this taken from the data when the card is scanned at the lift. The card I had, and still have, says Motorola on the back. I guess it was equipment from them. __________ If you french fry when you shoulda pizza'd, you're gonna have a bad time.

Bkroon9175 Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: May 25, 2003 Posts: 416 Location:Pembroke, MA	Posted: Jan 27, 2004 - 6:03 PM GMT The data that ski areas would get from RFID tags would be immense. They could crunch the data to help with their marketing, slope maintenance, food venues etc. Loon around Xmas awful with the scanning. It just made the lines even more annoying

skipatrol40s Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Apr 29, 2002 Posts: 1318 Location:	Posted: Jan 27, 2004 - 6:49 PM GMT Quote: The data that ski areas would get from RFID tags would be immense. They could crunch the data to help with their marketing, slope maintenance, food venues etc. Yes they could find all sorts of cool stuff like how much vertical you did that day or week, did you purchase alcohol and when, and how many times you went in the restroom. Important stuff like that. It would be nice if they gave your friend or parent a copy of your RFID tag, so that ski patrol could have a better chance of locating you when someone reports you missing. Be careful what you ask for. Too much information is not always a good thing.

sledhaulingmedic Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Dec 20, 2002 Posts: 2674 Location:	Posted: Jan 28, 2004 - 3:31 AM GMT I've got a better idea: THe ski area takes out money (preferably LESS of it) and leaves us alone and lets us ski! Is some marketing gek really going to justify his job by telling some stuffed suit how many runs I took on which lift? Just let me ski already! I ski to get away from this crap. These dumbass "upper" management types need to get out of their offices and ski a little. THis crap of punching tickets, scanning tickets, that job must go to the most junior employee in the place. I'll be when you get promoted from that, you graduate to scrubbing toilets. Hey, everyone's got to start somewhere __________ "Don't piss off the locals, Don't make work for the patrol"

mattwells Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Jan 28, 2004 Posts: 3 Location:Ramstein AB, Germany	Posted: Jan 28, 2004 - 6:38 AM GMT Hey all. I am actually Stationed in Germany and I have been skiing in the Swiss and Austrian alps. They have the chips inside the ski passes and they actually have the chips inside off Swatch watches. It has been really nice not having to worry about people always stopping you to check your pass to see if it is valid. Each major lift has a turnstiles setup so you can't just go right on the lift with out being obvious. Not all lifts have the lift pass readers though. They figure once you get to a certain point on the mountain, you could have only gotten there by going through one of the earlier turnstiles. It is a great set up and the time waiting in line is almost nil.

MissDaEast Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Dec 17, 2002 Posts: 1786 Location:	Posted: Jan 28, 2004 - 9:30 AM GMT They use a system similar to that at Mountain High outside of Los Angeles. You just wear the ticket in a pocket that you can pass close to the scanner, and the turnstile unlocks for you to enter the "inner sanctum" of the lift line.The turnstile sometimes doesn't work, so employees are stationed there anyway. It is also possible to give your ticket to someone else to use (when you go in for lunch, or ski a half day...and I suppose one "could" also use it, and then hand it over the fence to a friend-if the lifties weren't looking)...so, you see, there are some problems with the system from management's standpoint.

MissDaEast Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Dec 17, 2002 Posts: 1786 Location:	Posted: Jan 28, 2004 - 9:44 AM GMT Oh, one more thing that they do with this lift ticket ... You can buy a discount "deal" (such as a Five Day Ticket, which is good for any five days in the year - and it is transferrable). With one of these, you do not have to go to the ticket office every day that you ski, it just logs you in for the day, and doesn't work after you've used up your pre-purchased days. I believe that you can also reserve a spot on the hill, by calling ahead or e-mailing a reservation, using the code number of the pre-purchased ticket. ( This area gets REALLY crowded on weekends and holidays & they limit the ticket sales.)

mattwells Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Jan 28, 2004 Posts: 3 Location:Ramstein AB, Germany	Posted: Jan 29, 2004 - 7:19 AM GMT Sounds a lot like the European ski areas over here. The Europeans don't care what you do with your ticket after you buy it. You can sell it after a half day of skiing or what ever. They also have multi day passes that just expire after the said about of days has been register in their systems

katbennett Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Nov 14, 2001 Posts: 672 Location:Madison, NH	Posted: Jan 29, 2004 - 12:08 PM GMT Dear Sledhaulingmedic: I'm not sure quite where to begin in my response to your email. As a dumbass upper management type at a ski resort, let me assure you that I frequently get out of the office to ski a little (about 6 hours yesterday at Loon). Let me reiterate that scanning isn't just for marketing (although it is good for that). It also cuts down on "theft of services" so that those of you who put out good money for a pass or lift ticket are not riding with yahoos who slipped past a visual ticket check and are paying nothing. Also, understanding who is skiing when when helps us do things like project staffing needs. So if on certain days we know how many passholders and ticket holders are going to be at the resort, we can have the right number of people working that day to provide good service, etc. I won't even address the comments in your last paragraph. The people who work at your favorite resorts put a lot of effort into keeping the place clean, the food hot and lifts running. That includes ticket checkers and bathroom attendants. Enjoy the upcoming weekend on the slopes - the snow is sweet and the weather is warming up! Quote: I've got a better idea: THe ski area takes out money (preferably LESS of it) and leaves us alone and lets us ski! Is some marketing gek really going to justify his job by telling some stuffed suit how many runs I took on which lift? Just let me ski already! I ski to get away from this crap. These dumbass "upper" management types need to get out of their offices and ski a little. THis crap of punching tickets, scanning tickets, that job must go to the most junior employee in the place. I'll be when you get promoted from that, you graduate to scrubbing toilets. Hey, everyone's got to start somewhere

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