Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 26, 1992 TAG: 9201270247
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C15 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Neal Thompson
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
GOOD THINGS COME IN SKI PACKAGES
SKI MORE OFTEN"Unlimited" season passes let you ski any day, any time and can save up to 50 percent on daily ticket rates. Some ski areas offer packages for just midweek skiing or a point system where you buy $300 of points and use those points to buy tickets (i.e. - a weekend ticket is more points than a night ticket.) Multiday tickets - like a three-day package - are always cheaper than one day at a time.
VOLUNTEER
Some resorts let people ski free if they spend some time as a courtesy patrol, a ski host or a ski ambassador, who helps newcomers to the resort. Also, you can volunteer to help out on a race day.
TIMING
Most ski areas offer up to 35 percent off on lodging and up to 50 percent off on skiing during pre-Christmas and end-of-season weeks.
Midweek tickets also are much cheaper and half-day tickets are always cheaper if you're not going to ski a full eight-hour day.
BE A SPONGE DURING LESSONS
You should make the most of the hour or two in a lesson: don't be shy, ask questions, watch and listen, complain if it's bad. Also, group lessons are often better than private lessons because they're cheaper and you can sometimes learn more by watching others. That's especially true for kids.
BROWN BAGS
Anyone who's skied more than a few times know the prices at most resorts are great, but the food isn't. A homemade lunch saves bucks.
CAR POOLING
'nuf said.
DISCOUNTS
Resorts give cheap rates to women, seniors, students and military people, sometimes just on certain days, sometimes always. Some resorts also run coupons in newspapers or magazines.
SKI CARDS
SkiAmericard, ShredAmericard, Ski Card International and the U.S. Recreational Ski Association all offer discounts on lodging and lift tickets. Membership fees range from about $10 to $50 and a card's benefits depend on how often it's used.
GROUP RATES
Groups of 15-20 friends can often arrange discounted lodging and lift ticket packages through a resort's group-sales department.
EQUIPMENT
Borrow or, if you're serious about skiing, buy your own - it's cheaper. Most ski shops have summer and pre-season flea markets and ski swaps. Also, shops that rent out demo skis - like Roanoke's CMT - often sell them real cheap at year's end.
If you are a first time skiing and you're not sure if you really like it or not, it's always best to borrow equipment before spending money - including clothing: jackets, gloves, hat.