This undated image provided by Beaver Creek Resort shows Trappers Cabin at Beaver Creek near Avon, Colo. Five nights at the cabin, with a concierge and chef, is part of a $50,000 white-glove package for four offered by the resort that includes season passes to 22 mountains owned by or partnered with Vail Resorts, first-class airfare from within the U.S., a private helicopter from the airport to the resort, and ski equipment and lessons. (AP Photo/Beaver Creek)

This undated image provided by Beaver Creek Resort shows Trappers Cabin at Beaver Creek near Avon, Colo. Five nights at the cabin, with a concierge and chef, is part of a $50,000 white-glove package for four offered by the resort that includes season passes to 22 mountains owned by or partnered with Vail Resorts, first-class airfare from within the U.S., a private helicopter from the airport to the resort, and ski equipment and lessons. (AP Photo/Beaver Creek)

Ski packages for the 1 percent – and for the rest

NEW YORK — Private ski lessons are so passe. The latest on-mountain perk for those with seemingly unlimited funds is spending the day with an Olympian.

The chance to plow through powder — and maybe drinks — with a gold medalist is just one of the ways resorts this season are trying to capitalize on rich travelers looking for unique experiences and some bragging rights.

One Colorado resort even offers a $50,000 package that includes helicopter transfers from the local airport.

Fear not, for those of us not named Astor, Rockefeller or Vanderbilt, there are other options as the industry tries to win over, and retain, skiers outside its loyal base.

There are free lift tickets for beginners — or those who recently flew into town — midweek specials and yes, a chance to spend time with former Olympians, although you probably won’t have them to yourself.

The epicenter of opulence this season is Colorado’s Beaver Creek Resort, which is hosting the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in February. In celebration of the giant ski competition, the resort is pulling out all the stops.

At the base of the mountain, the Park Hyatt has created a “Ski with a Legend” experience for guests with gold and silver medalists Phil and Steve Mahre. For $2,500 per brother, a group of up to six can spend a day skiing with the twins, including sampling the ski champ lifestyle over a meal and cocktails.

For those with deeper pockets, Beaver Creek is offering a $50,000 white-glove winter package for four that includes season passes to 22 mountains owned or partnered with Vail Resorts, first-class airfare from within the U.S., a private helicopter transfer from the airport to the resort, five nights at the private on-mountain, Trappers Cabin — it comes with a concierge and chef — ski equipment and private lessons. If that weren’t enough, one morning the group gets a chance to ski the mountain before anybody else.

At Park City, Utah, a “fresh powder Sherpa” wakes guests early with a mini-massage and warm breakfast so they can ski the freshest snow for $884.

At Utah’s St. Regis Deer Valley, guests can get the chance to ski with a roster of Olympians and U.S. Ski Team members including Kris “Fuzz” Feddersen, Kaylin Richardson, K.C. Oakley, Jillian Vogtli and Mac Bohonnon.

A half-day excursion for up to six people starts at $2,250. A full day begins at $3,250.

“Our guests are generally very sophisticated, frequent world travelers who expect to be wowed. Essentially, they can go anywhere in the world that they please,” says Edward Shapard, the hotel’s general manager.

The competition is pretty stiff. For instance, skiers on a $65,000 private jet excursion with stops at Four Seasons hotels in Vail and Whistler can ski with 1994 Olympic gold and silver medalist Tommy Moe when they get to the Four Seasons in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

“Put the intimidation factor aside; skiing with an Olympian has its perks, lift lines naturally open up and heads turn,” says Cory Carlson, director of sales for the hotel.

However, you don’t need deep pockets to ski with the champs. You won’t get private time, but at Colorado’s Steamboat Springs, you can get free pointers from 1964 Olympic silver medalist and world champion Billy Kidd and then join him for a run down Heavenly Daze. Check the sign at the top of the gondola to see if Kidd is skiing that day and join him at 1 p.m.

Also at Steamboat, 1992 Olympic bronze medalist and two-time World Cup mogul champion Nelson Carmichael hosts a free mogul clinic on Nelson’s Run at 1 p.m. on select Sundays throughout the season. Check grooming reports to see if he’s skiing and meet outside Four Points Lodge.

For those who aren’t star-struck, most resorts offer free mountain tours. They’re a great way to get acquainted with various runs and pick up tips. First-time skiers can find free, or deeply-discounted, tickets to the beginner areas that often come with lessons and ski rentals. Sometimes, experienced skiers can get free tickets by bringing along beginners.

Skiing mid-week also saves. Fly into Utah Monday-Thursday, bring your boarding pass to Alta or Snowbird within 24 hours, and convert it into a lift ticket for half the normal price: just $54. Tickets are also usually cheaper the earlier they’re purchased.

For those who plan ahead, on Liftopia.com, savings on nonrefundable tickets bought in advance can average 30 percent off walk-up rates. For more deals, combine tickets with extras like meals and rentals.

Rich or on a budget, skiers can’t control the snow. Luckily, in the mountains, it’s already falling.

More in Life

This Korean rice porridge, called dak juk, is easy to digest but hearty and nutritious, perfect for when you’re learning how to eat. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)
A comforting meal for new beginnings

Rice porridge is a common first solid meal for many, many babies around the world

file
Minister’s Message: The sound of God’s voice

In all my desperate prayers, I sometimes forget that God has spoken definitively already

Rivers and Ice by Susan Pope. (Promotional photo)
KPC Showcase to feature discussion with Alaska author Susan Pope

Pope will discuss her memoir “Rivers and Ice: A Woman’s Journey Toward Family and Forgiveness”

Promotional photo courtesy Sony Pictures
Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace and Celeste O’Connor appear in “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.”
On the Screen: New ‘Ghostbusters’ struggles to balance original ideas and nostalgia

“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” picks up right where “Afterlife” left off, and it also succumbs to a lot of the same problems

document from ancestry.com
William Raymond “W.R.” Benson’s draft-registration card from 1942 reveals that he was 52 years old, living in Seward and self-employed. His wife, Mable, is listed as a person who will always know his address.
Hometown Booster: The W.R. Benson Story — Part 2

W.R. Benson was a mover and a shaker throughout his life, but particularly so in Alaska

Terri Zopf-Schoessler and Donna Shirnberg rehearse “The Odd Couple: The Female Version” at the Kenai Performers’ Theater near Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
‘Iconic, classic comedy’

Kenai Performers debuts “The Odd Couple: The Female Version”

Photo provided by Sara Hondel
Sara Hondel stands with a leprechaun during Sweeney’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Soldotna on Sunday. Green, leprechauns and Nugget the Moose poured down the streets for the 34th annual parade hosted by the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce. Under cloudy skies — but fortunately no precipitation — a procession of viridescent celebrants representing businesses and organizations brought festivities to an array of attendees lining Redoubt Avenue.
Go green or go home

Soldotna turns out for St. Patrick’s Day parade

Eggplants, garlic, lemon juice and tahini make up this recipe for baba ghanouj. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)
When making a good example is hard to swallow

Preparing baba ghanouj despite a dislike of eggplant

William Raymond “W.R.” Benson (front row, far right) poses along with the rest of the Sigma Nu fraternity at Albion College in Michigan in about 1908. Despite a lifetime spent in the public eye, Benson was apparently seldom captured on film. This image is one of the few photos of him known to exist. (photo from the 1908 Albion College yearbook via ancestry.com)
Hometown Booster: The W.R. Benson Story — Part 1

W.R. Benson was a man almost constantly in motion

Most Read