For years, the competition between mountain lovers has always been 'number of days on the hill'. Your last season's 'days out' was your ego mark, and gave you bragging rights over anyone less committed to snow sports than you.
Vail Resorts has now completely changed the game. Enter Epic Mix. Using some of the latest in Radio Frequency technology and inspired by marathon runners, Epic Mix tracks and records your vertical feet on the mountain, days skiing/boarding, and many other things that you can brag about. It also grants you achievements, called "Pins", based on anything from being on the mountain when it is below 0 (Polar Bear), riding every lift on Keystone (Keystone Conqueror), clearing 150,00 total vertical feet (Zero Gravity), and many more.
But just how exactly do you get Epic Mix? If you already have a season pass for Keystone, chances are your pass has already been recording your vertical feet and is waiting for you to activate it. Not have a season pass? No worries, Keystone offers you the ability to purchase an Epic Mix enabled PEAKS Ticket online. If you don't want to be tracked, they have the old school passes as well!
But aside from tracking my vertical feet, which doesn't really matter to me, why should I get Epic Mix? There are 100,000 reasons why you should buy an Epic Mix enabled pass by February 22nd, 2011. Literally. At launch, a dollar was put into a pot for every 3,000 feet recorded on Epic Mix. That pot maxed out at $100,000 and, on February 22nd, 2011, a random drawing of all activated Epic Mix pass holders will be held. One VERY lucky individual will received $100,000 just for trying out this incredible new technology.
What's not to love?
To find out more about Epic Mix visit the Epic Mix website, and don't forget to book a condo at Jack Pine or Black Bear to maximize your time and vertical feet on the mountain by being so close to the gondola!