This story was the subject of a post I wrote this morning over at Gadling.com as well, but thought it was cool and worth sharing here too. With the ski season upon us, a number of resorts in Colorado, including Breckenridge, Beaver Creek, and Heavenly, have introduced a cool new lift ticket that incorporates some simple technology to make a day, or a whole season, out on the slopes better.
The new lift ticket incorporates an RFID tag that keeps track of a variety of information, such as number of vertical feet you’ve skied, which runs you’ve done, and distances covered. That information can then be shared online with friends and family, creating a social atmosphere to any ski outing. The central hub for the data is on EpicMix.com, but you can also share your ski adventures through Facebook and Twitter as well. There are even a series of achievements that can be earned, which award you for accomplishing certain things or attending special events. For instance, you can earn the “Nightrider” badge for riding three different lifts on a single night, while the “Archangel” badge is awarded for spending 25 days on the slopes in Heavenly. Those badges can also be shared through your favorite social networks.
Those social networking elements are fun in and of themselves of course, but the resorts are also preparing to launch mobile apps for the iPhone and Android. Those apps will allow you to track the exact location of your friends on the mountain, and even send them messages setting up times to meet or to just brag about how well you’re shredding. The apps will also give you info on snow conditions, weather reports, traffic, and more. There is no set date yet for when the apps will be available, but the Epic Mix website promises them “by Christmas.”
To find out more about the apps and Epic Mix in general, check out the video below. Looks like a lot of fun!
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This is such a great transition for an outdated system into the 21st century. A lot of ski resorts have tried to advance a little in the technology sector, but as far as my experience goes that consists of a hand-held scanner. Thanks for bringing this cool advancement to the attention of non-Colorado dwellers!
Now THAT is the technology I like to hear about! I presume it's only a matter of time until other resorts get the chips embedded….maybe even in basic day passes in a year or two?
I'm sure they'll follow suit soon enough. It's very cool tech. I wouldn't look for them this year, but maybe next.
Great system, cant even put into words how awesome the epic pass system is, Great use of technology.
Great system, cant even put into words how awesome the epic pass system is, Great use of technology.