Could pricey 'lifetime pass' offered by Washington ski area lead to bigger trend?

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A 300-acre ski area located in the state of Washington has announced that they'll be offering a 'lifetime pass' option, which likely has slopesport enthusiasts curious if the move could inspire a greater trend around the country.

Loup Loup Ski Bowl, which is located about 125 miles northeast of Seattle, has priced their new 'lifetime passes' at $6,000 apiece, available to "anyone and everyone and [...] good as long as there is a Loup Loup Ski Bowl."

The ski area cites the benefits to purchasing a lifetime pass as a lifetime of skiing or snowboarding, helping to support the destination, and as an "inflation proof" pass option.

The resort also alludes to current conditions being rough on the destination: "Unfortunately, El Niño has taken its toll on the Loup, as well... and we are in need of help." The resort website currently reports 43 inches of snowfall this season.

Normal day passes at the mountain start at $59 for adults while season passes are priced at $569. This means that 'Lifetime Pass' holders without a season pass would need to visit 102 times at current weekday pricing (or 86 weekend days) or purchase 11 season passes (assuming no price increase) to break even.

This begs the question of whether or not more ski areas around the country could adopt a similar approach. Paying upfront for future seasons could have a clear benefit in raising short-term capital for struggling spots.

Given the pricing used for Loup Loup Ski Bowl's 'lifetime pass,' let's take a look at how much a pass might be at one of Colorado's resorts where a $200 weekday ticket can be common. In that scenario, a 'lifetime pass' might be priced closer to $20,000. Or if that's based on a pass price of around $900 (full Epic Pass was priced at $909 for the 2023-2024...