A snowfall of savings for the upcoming skiing season
Sugarloaf and Sunday River offer student discount passes
Kassandre Moulton
Issue date: 10/4/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Boyne USA, which owns Sugarloaf/USA and Sunday River, is offering college students from the University of Maine and other schools a college "Maine Pass" for $299 this year until Nov. 5. After Nov. 5, rates will increase to $359, and after Dec. 10, $459. To non-skiers and riders, the pass may sound expensive, but regular pass rates, can run close to $1,000 for the highest tier.
Skiers and snowboarders who purchase the pass have the right to unlimited skiing and riding. Another advantage of the college Maine Pass is that there are no blackout days - or days when passholders cannot ski without additional payment. Blackout days usually occur during times when the mountains are most popular, such as Christmas vacation.
In previous years, the Sugarloaf and Sunday River winter sports experiences were available in a package deal known as the All For One Pass. The All For One Pass allowed skiers and riders to utilize six mountains in the Northeast for one price. All six resorts were owned by American Ski Company, which recently sold Sugarloaf and Sunday River to Boyne USA in a $77 million deal. Before the sale, American Ski Company was experiencing difficulty, and according to Alpine News online, Boyne also assumed $2 million in debt with the sale. This doesn't seem to bother Boyne, as the company just began large-scale improvements at both mountains. Riders and skiers will begin to see the improvements by this winter, with the addition of a Magic Carpet Service Lift at Sunday River. The Magic Carpet Web site shows pictures of these unique lift systems, which resemble a conveyor belt. Sugarloaf will see even more changes, including renovations of the mountain's hotel, a new public transit system that runs from Kingfield to Carrabassett Valley, where Sugarloaf is located, and an increased snowmaking capacity of up to twenty percent. More details about these improvements and others can be found in the news section of Sugarloaf's Web site. Second year Construction Management Technology major, Joseph Dwyer, who has been skiing at Sugarloaf for 16 years and is a former resident of Carrabassett Valley, is excited about the changes. "I think the takeover is going to mean great things for Sugarloaf. This company has the potential to make the mountain even better than it already is."
While Boyne USA is a new company to many skiers and riders in the northeast, the company has strong roots in the snow sports industry. According to their homepage, Boyne USA, Inc. was founded in 1947 by a Michigan-based family. Their first resort, Boyne Mountain, was purchased for $1. Currently, Boyne is the longest running ski management company in the industry, and owns 13 resorts, including Big Sky in Montana; Crystal Mountain in Washington state; and Brighton in Utah. Sugarloaf and Sunday River are the newest additions to the company.
There are few rules and restrictions regarding the college Maine Pass. Purchasers must be full time college students, with twelve or more credit hours. A valid college ID, such as MaineCard, must be presented at the time of the purchase. Passes can be purchased at varying locations at colleges throughout the state. At UMaine, the college Maine Pass can be bought at the Maine Bound Center, which is located behind Memorial Union.
Skiers and snowboarders who purchase the pass have the right to unlimited skiing and riding. Another advantage of the college Maine Pass is that there are no blackout days - or days when passholders cannot ski without additional payment. Blackout days usually occur during times when the mountains are most popular, such as Christmas vacation.
In previous years, the Sugarloaf and Sunday River winter sports experiences were available in a package deal known as the All For One Pass. The All For One Pass allowed skiers and riders to utilize six mountains in the Northeast for one price. All six resorts were owned by American Ski Company, which recently sold Sugarloaf and Sunday River to Boyne USA in a $77 million deal. Before the sale, American Ski Company was experiencing difficulty, and according to Alpine News online, Boyne also assumed $2 million in debt with the sale. This doesn't seem to bother Boyne, as the company just began large-scale improvements at both mountains. Riders and skiers will begin to see the improvements by this winter, with the addition of a Magic Carpet Service Lift at Sunday River. The Magic Carpet Web site shows pictures of these unique lift systems, which resemble a conveyor belt. Sugarloaf will see even more changes, including renovations of the mountain's hotel, a new public transit system that runs from Kingfield to Carrabassett Valley, where Sugarloaf is located, and an increased snowmaking capacity of up to twenty percent. More details about these improvements and others can be found in the news section of Sugarloaf's Web site. Second year Construction Management Technology major, Joseph Dwyer, who has been skiing at Sugarloaf for 16 years and is a former resident of Carrabassett Valley, is excited about the changes. "I think the takeover is going to mean great things for Sugarloaf. This company has the potential to make the mountain even better than it already is."
While Boyne USA is a new company to many skiers and riders in the northeast, the company has strong roots in the snow sports industry. According to their homepage, Boyne USA, Inc. was founded in 1947 by a Michigan-based family. Their first resort, Boyne Mountain, was purchased for $1. Currently, Boyne is the longest running ski management company in the industry, and owns 13 resorts, including Big Sky in Montana; Crystal Mountain in Washington state; and Brighton in Utah. Sugarloaf and Sunday River are the newest additions to the company.
There are few rules and restrictions regarding the college Maine Pass. Purchasers must be full time college students, with twelve or more credit hours. A valid college ID, such as MaineCard, must be presented at the time of the purchase. Passes can be purchased at varying locations at colleges throughout the state. At UMaine, the college Maine Pass can be bought at the Maine Bound Center, which is located behind Memorial Union.
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