When asked what the greatest perk to our job it, the easy answer is "the skiing and riding" but I think more than that, we'd all agree that we like to see people smile. So what does this have to do with our history? Well, we've been trying to make people smile now, for 50 years, so there is something, but what really got me thinking about this was a recent post to our Facebook page regarding the new Mega Pass that we are putting out to celebrate our 50th Birthday. The gist of the comment was that "Boyne was pricing for the afar consumer and not the local Mainer." Certainly not the most glowing comment, but one worth considering a little further.
The beauty of Sunday River to me is many things. I have the luxury of being able to claim to be a Mainer (I grew up about 20 minutes away) and Sunday River is where I learned to ski. I went to school in the area and even then - some 15 years ago, Sunday River was working with the area school district to provide us with discounted season passes for students and teachers as well as community days for residents. If it had not been for Sunday River's consideration of their local market, I am not sure I would be a skier or snowboarder today. But they did, and they cared about seeing school kids, teachers and community member smile as they do to this very day.
In terms of Boyne, we couldn't be happier with efforts to make Sunday River the best ski area in the East. Since falling under Boyne ownership they have invested a whopping $22.5 million in the resort - a far cry from the 90s when most investment funding came to a sharp halt. And even with millions and millions of dollars invested into Sunday River, season pass prices continue to be less than what they were prior to...pretty amazing when you consider it.
Now the Mega Pass isn't going to be of value to everyone - we realize that - but to those who like this kind of service and access to such amenities, it really is of value to them. For those who just want to ski, consider the New England Pass or Maine Student Pass. What if you don't ski all the time? Consider e-tickets or something like the Frequent Skier Card. There are definitely lots of ways to save at Sunday River! For those of us who have been working here and or skiing here for years and years and years, I think we would all agree that the memories associated with being here are priceless - just check out some of the history photos for proof!
Another great way to save - check out the deals page on this site. We just released the first round of $50 lift tickets for our 50th celebration. I am so ready to party and you can bet I will be wearing my skis and a smile :)