Vail Resorts has plans to transform the way guests select and pick up rental gear with the creation of a unique program called My Epic Gear, revealing the concept in a news release on Monday.
Users will be able to select the gear they want to rent through an app and it will be delivered to them if they are staying at lodging within a resort area. If not, they will be able to pick it up and drop it off via slopeside valet service, eliminating the need to stand in line at a ski shop. They also will be able to change their gear selections throughout the season, such as choosing skis specifically designed for skiing powder on days when fresh powder is anticipated.
My Epic Gear won’t be fully available until the winter of 2024-25, but a “pilot season” next winter will make it an option for a “limited number” of Epic Pass holders at four of the company’s resorts, all in Colorado — Keystone, Breckenridge, Vail and Beaver Creek.
When the program is launched for 2024-25, users will pay a $50 up-front membership fee and $50 per day for their rentals. Details of the pilot program in Colorado next season, including what it will cost and how Epic Pass holders can participate, have yet to be announced.
“Having the right gear is essential to the experience of every skier and rider,” said Vail Resorts chief executive Kirsten Lynch in the news release. “The traditional model of gear ownership and gear rental has not changed in decades. My Epic Gear reimagines gear ownership and gear rental, whether guests want the certainty of their gear for the season or for the day, transforming the quality, service, convenience and cost of one of the most critical parts of the mountain experience.”
According to the release, users will be able to select a ski or snowboard model at the beginning of the season and be guaranteed that it will be available for them every day of the season, tuned and ready to go. They will be able to select different models any day of the season, based on availability. When the full program is rolled out in 2024-25, it will be an option at all five Vail Resorts destinations in Colorado as well as Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Park City in Utah, Heavenly and Northstar in California and three Vermont resorts, Stowe, Okemo and Mount Snow.
“Most gear owners have their skis and snowboards sitting idle, untuned, for most of the year, but they want the certainty of having the gear they want when they get on the mountain,” Lynch said. “My Epic Gear will offer a much lower cost option, without the hassle of transporting, maintaining, or upgrading to the latest models, while still providing the certainty of having the gear they choose when they get on the mountain. For gear renters, My Epic Gear gets them the best skis and snowboards, name-brand high-quality boots with a customized fit and the specific gear they want, ready for them, when and where they want it.”
