Some smaller ski resorts tout their authenticity

DENVER -- A budget ski resort in western Colorado came up with an eye-popping offer -- a $700 lift ticket, the most expensive in the nation. This lift ticket comes with a bonus: a pair of handcrafted skis made from Colorado wood.

Gimmicky? Sure. But Sunlight Mountain Resort said in an era of increasing ski-industry consolidation, where a handful of companies control more and more winter-sport terrain, scrappy independent resorts need all the help they can get to compete with amenity-laden megaresorts.

From baking fresh doughnuts for skiers to displaying art to play up a sense of community, the smaller, independent resorts said they have to rely on personality.

"It's the difference between Budweiser or a craft brew," said Troy Hawks, Sunlight's head of marketing and sales.

The ski industry used to be dominated by independent resorts, where downhill and cross-country skiers would drive to a local mountain, maybe get a fireside cup of hot chocolate in a lodge, then drive home. A ski area with an on-mountain hotel was a rarity; one with nighttime entertainment and white-tablecloth dining would be a destination.

In the 1980s, larger conglomerate companies began consolidating ski areas, investing heavily to make their mountains 12-month destinations. They made room for upstart snowboarders, added spas and skiing lessons for children, built condominiums and larger hotels and allowed guests to buy one pass good at several resorts.

The trend hit a new milestone in October when Vail Resorts of Broomfield spent $1.05 billion to buy Canada's Whistler Blackcomb Holdings Inc., North America's biggest and busiest ski resort. The purchase brought Vail Resorts to a dozen ski areas, all of them destination resorts that court overnight guests.

"We're seeing homogenization in the industry, no question," said David Norden, CEO of Taos Ski Valley Inc., an independently owned resort in New Mexico.

Big ski operators such as Vail can afford to advertise worldwide, and they grab headlines when they grow. But an industry association that tracks skier visits said smaller, independent resorts are holding their own.

"There's the visible national destination resorts, but there's a whole other aspect of the industry made up of resorts that are closer to home, that they're easily accessible, affordable and in many cases specialize in teaching people how to ski," said Michael Berry, president of the National Ski Areas Association, based in Lakewood.

At Taos, resort owners are investing in local art to play up the region's acclaim for Southwestern art, especially pottery and textiles.

"As with any business, it's important to try to come up with, 'What is your differentiating factor?"' Norden said.

One Colorado resort uses its lack of amenities as an attraction. Silverton Mountain in southwest Colorado has no terrain for beginners or intermediates. No ski school. No hotel. Just one lift and 1,800 acres of uncrowded terrain for expert skiers. No frills. Just thrills.

"We set ourselves apart by limiting the daily skier visits and making the experience the opposite of others," said Silverton Mountain co-founder Jen Brill, who happily boasts that her mountain sees as many skiers in a season as the megaresort Breckenridge Ski Resort sees in a busy winter weekend.

Another independent resort touts its family-friendly vibe, taking pride in its lack of alcohol sales and abundance of ski lessons.

Brad Moretz, co-owner in Appalachian Ski Mtn. in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, said independent resorts simply need to play up their differences to keep a hold in a consolidating industry.

"There are lots of people that look for a more personal experience," Moretz said. "The conglomerates do a good job, but there is absolutely no replacement for pride of ownership."