Indy Pass, long considered the underdog compared to big names in ski passes, has come a long way since its inception in 2019.
In April, the collective of medium-size ski resorts cut off sales of 2023-2024 season passes just 10 days after opening to the public. Management said they wanted to keep their promise to passholders “to preserve the independent ski resort experience,” Vail Daily reported.
That popularity has resulted in a new website and branding, as well as the first-ever physical passes, the collective announced last week. The new site (shortened to IndyPass.com) shows off access to 183 partner resorts spread across three continents, according to the release.
“Its design blends user-friendly navigation with practical tools, including an interactive map that showcases the limitless array of destinations available on the pass,” the release said.
Also, instead of using driver’s licenses or other IDs to hop on the lift, skiers will now use the physical cards mailed to them. Those cards will come with a bumper sticker and a letter explaining the pass’ ongoing commitment to keep skiing available to everyone.
“Once, you didn’t need to be wealthy to live in a mountain town, and skiing was not a status symbol or a luxury good, but a way to connect more deeply with the natural world and with others,” the letter says. “Indy Pass exists to return skiing and riding to those who have seen it priced beyond their means.”
What It Means for Indy Pass Availability
Part of that commitment, however, means that you can’t buy a pass at the moment. You’ll have to join a waitlist and wait for a pass to become available. It’s part of the collective’s mission to avoid turning smaller, independent ski areas into crowded behemoths.
What’s clear is that the Indy Pass has become a competitor to longtime industry heavyweights like Ikon, Epic, and Mountain Collective, mainly by maintaining a lower price tag. While a complete adult pass for Epic, Ikon, and Mountain Collective costs $1,025, $980, and $650, respectively, the Indy Pass is still just $500.
Once considered merely a “supplemental ski pass for hardcore, frequent skiers,” the Indy Pass has become “a pass that can reasonably act as a skier’s entire winter lift ticket investment,” The Storm Skiing Journal wrote last week.
In other words, some of you powder hounds out there might want to sign up for the waitlist.