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Show B-12 The Park Record SatSunMonTues, December 20-23, 2003 : k mi N w , Resorts push technology to boost profits DENVER (AP) Ski resorts traditionally tra-ditionally have been about as hightech high-tech as snow and mountains, relying rely-ing more on Mother Nature than motherboards to lure skiers. But the industry has schussed into the digital age during the past decade. From on-mountain digital displays dis-plays that supply updated weather, terrain and highway conditions to snowmaking machines controlled from laptops, ski resorts are becoming increasingly wired. Resorts use technology to groom slopes, market special deals, book reservations, find lost skiers, train workers and give lessons. les-sons. Lift-line employees armed with ' high-tech scanners help prevent ticket fraud, while advanced software soft-ware helps ensure a quick, smooth ride up the mountain. Some resorts have devices available for rent to skiers that track such data as average speed and distance. g While snowfall remains key to a successful season, ski resorts, like most businesses, have discovered that technology has a direct effect on the bottom line. And it will only play a larger role in the future. "Technology at ski resorts really real-ly has kind of cascaded in the time since 1994 or 1995, and the rate of change continues to accelerate," said Michael Berry, president of the National Ski Areas Association in Denver. "The software soft-ware people are just as important now as the wrench people." The industry actually pioneered one major technological innovation: innova-tion: the chairlift. Several U.S. ski resorts began operating chairlifts in the mid-1930s, mid-1930s, ushering in the ski industry of today. A major advancement came 20 years ago when resorts began installing lifts that slow when people peo-ple get on or off and speed up in between. That allowed resorts to get people up the mountain more quickly, meaning they could han dle more skiers daily. Since then, resorts have implemented imple-mented a variety of high-tech software soft-ware and programs to better manage man-age lifts. Some resorts have networked all lifts, allowing workers to monitor moni-tor braking information, lift speed and other data from a central computer. com-puter. Resorts can spot problems immediately and dispatch a technician, techni-cian, or even fix a lift, from their computers. In fact, the days when a skier frequently sat swaying 20 feet high on a stalled chairlift are almost a thing of the past. "One of the big advances is in the computing power of the brains of our ski lifts," said CA Lane, director of mountain operations at Winter Park ski resort. "We have the ability to monitor numerous (aspects) of the lift, which makes them safer and more efficient." Ski resorts entered the digital age in the mid-1990s and have rapidly rap-idly adopted technology since then. Technology has cut costs, pushed up profits and allowed resorts to market more effectively. For consumers, technology has made skiing more convenient, and it has given skiers access to a wealth of information about where to go and how much to spend. "Technology has become such a big part of ski resorts that consumers con-sumers have come to expect it now," said Peter Hoskins, vice president of marketing and sales for Avon-based Resort Technology Partners, a 6-year-old company that designs operations management software for the industry. Resorts initially entered the high-tech world using automated reservation and financial systems. In the mid-1990s, they began developing Internet sites and installing Web cameras that broadcast broad-cast snapshots of lift lines and weather conditions. "As an analyst it was wonderful to see the lift-line capacity on the mountain cameras," said Dennis McAlpine, who, follows Vail Resorts Inc. for Scarsdale, N.Y.-based N.Y.-based McAlpine Associates. "If there was no one in line, you'd get scared that the resort wasnt doing too well." Steamboat Ski & Resort invested invest-ed $6 million during the past decade" to develop its online reservation reser-vation engine. Last year, it debuted a service that lets consumers book flights, hotel ropms, lift tickets and events in the city through its Web site. To see the more tangible impact technology has made at ski resorts, look to the slopes. Early in the season, resorts use software and satellite technology to more accurately layer their slopes with snow. "The snowmaking operation now has the ability to control the flow of air and water using technology tech-nology that tells us where to make snow and where not to make snow," said Doug Feely, vice president presi-dent of information technology for Intrawest Colorado, which owns and operates several resorts in the state. An increasing number of resorts use plastic ski passes with embedded computer chips. The passes, about the size of a credit card, are scanned at lift lines by devices equipped to scan radio frequencies. fre-quencies. Instead of visually verifying the authenticity of every ticket, workers work-ers simply scan the plastic card, and the device confirms whether it is valid. Skiers can even charge a ticket to the pass while they're in the lift line, allowing them to completely bypass the ticket counter. "In effect, the cash register has moved from the ticket window to the scanner at the base of the mountain at chairlifts," said Bill Jensen, chief operating officer for Vail and Beaver Creek resorts. Some resorts also have unmanned ticket gates that, for an extra charge, allow skiers to get on lifts more quickly. The gates fea ture technology that automatically reads passes and, if the pass is valid, unlocks a turnstile-type gate. Skiers can store credit-card numbers on the passes and use them to purchase food, hotel rooms and other resort services. Resorts glean a wealth of information infor-mation from the cards and use it to identify customer trends. They can, for-instance, create new passes or products if they find that season pass holders are not skiing very often. "Using these cards helps us know who our customers are so we can develop a marketing strategy that meets their needs," said David Perry, senior vice president of Aspen Skiing Co., which operates four mountains in Aspen. Some resorts even provide season sea-son pass holders - by request - with the number of times they skied in a particular season. Other ways in which resorts use technology: , Using computers, modems and software programs, Winter Park remotely troubleshoots chairlift problems. Workers can tune or tweak motors without physically going to the lift. Copper Mountain and Winter Park this month plan to introduce rentable GPS devices that track such information as speed and distance dis-tance skied. Ski instructors at several resorts use handheld wireless devices, such as Palm Pilots, to register students stu-dents and download information on the mountain. "I see a day maybe 10 or 15 years from now when most guests will have GPS tracking devices that tell them what run they're on, which direction to go and how busy the lift lines are at the bottom of the mountain," Jensen of Vail and Beaver Creek said. "The future in this industry is not necessarily about the next generation gen-eration of faster lifts or grooming technology. ... It'll be about the ability to have information readily available to you anywhere you are on the mountain." 0 EXPERT AGENT soo 7 s L.H ft I (at? -! -a YOUR EXPERT TEAM FOR PARK CITY, DEER VALLEY & SURROUNDING AREAS LOCATED AT THE PARK CITY MOUNTAIN RESORT ADIACENT TO THE ICE SKATING RINK vf r. I 37 VILLAGE LOFT $334,900 At the base of Park City Mountain Resort. Ski-inSki-out unit with incredible west facing views. 2 bedrooms and 2 baths. Bridgett Murphy bmurphylwdparkcity.com 435 640-5733 www.bridgettrriurphy.com 1385 LOWELLAVENUE 101 $229,000 Beautifully maintained unit at The Resort Center. Good rentals and great amenities. 1 bedroom and 2 baths. Kathy & Larry Penrose penroseparkcityut.com 435 647-6329 www.penroseparkcity.com ' Information herein, although deemed reliable, is not guaranteed. Buyer to verity square footage. 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