OCR Text |
Show shell Solitude Tech. oes High for my system, I found I could ever imagine. I am sure it is only a matter of time before every area goes to a system such as Solitude’s. Currently there are six US areas using the DataCard system that Solitude uses - and here’s id ge peed Re as The better method is to get the for argument; it’s needed and where they are. This allows a to open the gate.If you are going to take more — message to blocked. For “hard card,” “smart card,” “key card,” ing factor: even one point allows a and “Eagle Card.” This is a device ride. That is, if you can get yourself down to just a point or two you can still ride any lift. The card reader will put you at zero. This attempts to keep. you from getting stranded in the wrong parking lot and makes it so you do not have points left over. To keep track of the points there is.a lit- _ about the size of a credit card which can be programmed with a variety of skiing options. One information day unlimited, as well as peer ern the tle screen that shows. the number - can be worn inside the clothing and — remaining when you pass through the ng 3 Comp 02. va Le insert the ticket into a reader which then opens a gate to allow you to board the lift. The syssimilar to that used Snowboards ~ the reader at each lift detects the card and opens the gate automatically. This is perfect for all those idiots who hold up the line by refusing to show their ticket and loudly complaining, “I’ve been through this line five times today, Yeah, don’t you buddy. people... But remember You and I digress. gate. The points are good until the end of the season. You could buy 360 points for $64 and ski two runs a week all season, or 1800 points and get ten good days in. Once you buy the ticket you do not have to wait in line at the ticket counter again until me?!” 1,000. the points are gone. Just put on the other With the “soft” card a skier must still get out the ticket but there is no opportunity e Bindings & Boots boards, or snowboard as Solitude eo § e such Eagle Pass (pictured below), which was called, by various employees, skiing day skier, generally gets the ticket on an elastic string. At each lift, even the ones on the upper | tem is somewhat subways Washington, DC’s system. name of the owner. What is especial_ ly great about the Eagle Pass is that it string. The one time, mountain, you must some _ poet day it is better to purchase the unlimited day pass for $32. The better choice for most people is the points system. For that same $32 you can get 180 point. Lifts require 8 to 18 points to ride with one interest- ten day unlimited, 1000 points - whatever you want. The card can store the When you buy a ticket at Solitude you get one of two % things: an Eagle Pass or a ticket on a g : } | @ ry SOousesod1 @ Sdui1cis aie gstnS2 Kits & Supplies ® And Soecre 30 ar SSAOIED & | | @ SCSPIA e@ SieSHNoLer SS e or the gate this elimi-— and ask that a message be sent to meet 3pm. If it was urgent the gate could be locked for Junior. It would also allow a record of the ski day. For $1 people could stop by a kiosk at the end of the day and pick up a sheet showing number of runs, vertical feet, et cetera. Currently the Eagle Pass is a one channel card. Next year Solitude hopes to have two channel cards which will allow charging of food and other items to the second allows board- °® ing all thed chan- nel. The two cards now used at hit the slopes. 3} Solitude are also much more environmee wt a tty sound than the they just sit on Z old method. your card until ° ‘bhe jcc agile STEVE FONDA KEEPS A WATCHFUL EVE OVER you go skiing. Passes are The first run THE POWDERHORN LIFT fully reusable. each day actiWhether used vates the card and subtracts one 2 for one day or three months they can from it. Keep in mind that unlike the be returned and reprogrammed again points, the unlimited days are a calenand again. There is also no backing to dar day. If you only ski one run and throw away and there are no more go home you have still used up an metal wickets. entire day on the ticket. Using the The soft tickets are also a boon to points system also alleviates the the skier who likes to purchase dis“Gotta get my money’s worth” syncounted tickets in town. Before, a drome. If the weather turns terrible or person getting discounted tickets at you get tired - go home. No loss. No feeling like you’ve paid and have to places like Breeze/Max Rentals or Dan’s Food store would get a voucher. The voucher had to be brought to the ticket counter and exchanged for a ticket. Now you just buy the ticket and it is activated when you take the first run. No voucher to thrown away. No wax backing to the ticket to throw away. No waiting in line once you get to the mountain. Just put on the equipment and go. Now the important stuff: How easy is it to defeat!? Before heading went I used an Eagle Pass set for unlimited skiing. As I- approached each lift and got within a few feet of the gates; the sensors would detect the card in my jacket and open the gate. The lift operators with whom I spoke said they had few problems with the system. There is a slight learning curve but they said people were getting it. SASH4ONS sent employees them at the Big Cottonwood Cafe at 0 keep skiing at all cost. On the day I 3055 E. 3300 S* 467 - 8000 OPEN LATE- OPEN SUNDAYS be nates the time-honored calling in sick on a powder day. I was told of an employee who was thought to be up skiing when he had called in sick. The computer confirmed this and was programmed to lock the gate and to display the message, “GO TO WORK!” With passes activated and deactivated at the touch of a button, this eliminates the head ache of people using bogus passes. | This is also handy for the guests. If Mom & Dad are looking for Junior they could go to the ticket counter time now, and ot Magazines@ Tune 4 how it works. by sy C. Baker than a dozen runs in a by David When I arrived at Solitude first day with their new ticket I expected the worst. Instead the most incredible system IT Nis ahaa bail ad ~The Eagle Pass also has some other incredible features which make it easy for the area to contact guests and employees. Since the card has the ability to store the owners identity on ~ it when a skier passes through the gates a central computer knows who Page8 up for my day at Solitude I contacted ~ my unsavory acquaintances and asked for the dirt on Solitude’s new system. “No problem, there is a big Continued on pg. 10 |