The Snowboard Mom

As the 20/21 ski season comes to a close, I’m happy to say that it may have been our best season on the slopes as a family. We had no idea what this year was going to look like, considering one of our kids still wasn’t able to ski well, it could have ended in December with us all declaring we were giving up. I’m happy to report that wasn’t the case at all! It was our first year of everyone having a family season pass at a ski hill. (we usually got ski school passes which meant we had access on ski school days only). We skied as a family 16 times! ( I did the math!), took advantage of private lessons when we were permitted, and truly had a great time!
As one chapter closes, another one begins, and that means looking to next season and where are we going to ski next year. I’m often asked “Why should I purchase a season pass at the ski hill” or “When is the best time to purchase a seasons pass. I’ve got all the answers you are looking for, so buckle up, if you’re on the fence about buying a seasons pass, this is going to be a VERY useful post.

Math

Let’s be real for a minute, the math on a seasons pass makes sense. Let’s take for example our ski hill, Ski Chantecler, located 60 minutes north of Montreal. A full day ticket in the regular season for an adult is $48+tax. That means, if you go every Saturday of the ski season, and a few times during the Christmas holiday or on march break, you’re looking at about 10 visits (give or take). That is a total of $480 for all those visits (or $768 in our case as we went 16 times). Now if you purchase a seasons pass, (which is at the time of this blog post in an early bird special until April 15, 2021), it will cost you $299+tax for an adult. The before tax savings is $181 (or $469 for me!) That’s the price of a second seasons pass and change in your pocket!

Priority

Now this is a big one that really mattered this year. Priority will always be given to season pass holders, especially during covid-19 times. The hills needs to monitor and limit capacity at the hills so that there are hundreds of people gathered near the chalet or in the lift line. So sure, you save money with math, but now more than ever you have guaranteed your access to the slopes without issue.

Additional Savings

Another thing I loved about the season pass was the additional discount the seasons pass gives you at the shop located on the hill. This was the case for Ski Chantecler, but it’s almost always the case at other hills as well. It’s always around 10%-20% discount on items depending on the hill. At our hill it was 10% discount which we used a lot! When it was extra cold, we picked up a few hand warmers, and with our seasons pass we received an additional 10% off.

What’s more, usually hills have agreements with other ski hills meaning you may have access to hills in the area at a discounted rate or, in some cases, for free! Another savings.

Get Your Skis Go

There is nothing worse than getting all your ski gear on, and then having to wait in a huge line to purchase your tickets. Having a seasons pass means you can literally get on the chair lift as soon as you’re ready to ski. No additional waiting required (well that is unless someone needs to take a quick pee break).

Outdoor Activities are the Best Kinds!

It’s important to stay active and keep moving, even during those cold winter months. I’ve heard that in one hour of skiing or snowboarding you can burn up to 500 calories! Amazing right? Skiing has social benefits, but it also has health ones too! Getting a seasons pass at your favourite ski hill means you are committing to getting outside and staying active. Plus, I can guarantee that your kids will sleep REALLY well at the end of a ski day.

Mandatory Forced Family Fun Time

I joke around that we need to spend more time as a family, and we call it “mandatory forced family fun time” – all jokes aside, we could all use some more time together having fun! Getting a seasons pass for the entire family ensures that everyone is together. Unlike hockey or other teams sports, everyone is participating at the same time. Lots of great chats on the chairlift, and fun memories to talk about on the ride home. We really cherish our time on the hill as a family.

So I’ve sold you on a seasons pass, when is the best time to buy a seasons pass?

Now that I’ve sold you on buying a seasons pass, the question is when should you buy one? Well to be honest, the best time to buy is now (like the end of the ski season). Here’s why, ski hills want to guarantee a certain number of pass holders for the following season, plus they work on improvements during the summer months. So, in order to get you in the door as soon as possible, the offer rock bottom prices for seasons passes before the current season has come to an end. As an example, Ski Chantecler is one of many hills in the Laurentiens offering very low prices for next years season pass, and it’s only $299! Yup, $299 for the entire ski season! I believe the full price rate is around $449, and their fall rates were close to $349, so these are GREAT savings.

Have I convinced you yet?

You absolutely should purchase a season pass, and the time to buy that pass is now! From savings, to getting outside and spending time as a family, there is no reason not to purchase a seasons pass.

Thanks for reading and have fun out there!