This week Vail Resorts, Inc. unveiled EpicMix™, a first-of-its-kind online and mobile application for the 2010-2011 ski and snowboard season. The EpicMix allows Vail Resorts guests, at any of its five world-class mountain resorts–Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Heavenly–to effortlessly utilize technology to digitally capture their ski and ride experience and share it with friends and family.
EpicMix is a digital application that guests can access online, at their computer or via a free mobile application that can be downloaded for the iPhone, Android or other smart phones. EpicMix automatically captures the activity of guests throughout each of its resorts, by leveraging Vail Resorts’ state-of-the-art radio frequency (RF) scanners that are being installed at each of its 89 lifts across all five mountain resorts. An RF-enabled chip embedded in Vail Resorts’ season passes and PEAKS lift tickets will automatically track guests’ lift rides, calculating vertical feet skied and days on the mountain and will recognize special achievements and accomplishments by granting guests commemorative, collectible digital pins. EpicMix will have hundreds of available digital pins for a multitude of unique experiences available at each resort.
EpicMix will allow guests to share their statistics and accomplishments through updates on Twitter and Facebook and guests can create special EpicMix leader boards with their Facebook friends. The EpicMix mobile application will alert guests when any of their Facebook friends are skiing and where they are on the mountain. The application will also allow guests to send messages to their private groups of Facebook friends on the mountain. The mobile application will also provide trail and grooming information, snow and weather reports, as well as resort news and traffic updates. EpicMix will also have a special website for kids under the age of 14, which will allow them to connect with their parents’ accounts, but will have content designed specifically for them and unique pins only kids can earn. The kids’ site also will have special privacy restrictions. Parents will also be able to use EpicMix to track the lift rides of their kids in real time.
“With the advent of new technology in equipment and new features on the mountain, skiing and riding have become the ultimate form of creative expression in sports and travel. At the same time, the rapid growth of social media has given people a whole new way to express themselves online and connect with friends and family. EpicMix is a groundbreaking experience that brings both together in a seamless and hassle free way for all of our guests,” said Rob Katz, chairman and chief executive officer of Vail Resorts. “EpicMix takes the fun of playing and sharing online and marries it with the very real experience of skiing and riding. By not requiring our guests do anything new, EpicMix is accessible to everyone, not just those already familiar with social media. EpicMix has the ability to track your physical accomplishments, similar to applications like Nike+ and then combine it with the community experience of location-based social media, similar to applications like Gowalla.”
The basic functionality of EpicMix does not require Vail Resorts’ guests to do anything but ski and ride as they always have. There is nothing to buy, nothing new to wear and no required check-ins with their mobile devices. The application is embedded into Vail Resorts’ existing season pass and PEAKS lift tickets. EpicMix can be used by any guest at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Heavenly, whether they purchase a season pass or a PEAKS single day lift ticket. EpicMix will launch on opening day at Keystone Mountain on Nov. 5, 2010. The Company has posted a comprehensive video demonstrating the features and functionality of EpicMix at www.epicmix.com.
The privacy of Vail Resorts guests is of paramount importance to the Company and no information collected through EpicMix will be shared unless a guest “opts in” and specifically chooses to share their information. All information collected through EpicMix is subject to the strict privacy policies of Vail Resorts. Guests can choose to disable the RF chip in their pass to prevent any scanning. Children under 14 participating in Epic-Mix will have limited features and a connection only to their parents’ account.
Epic Mix and Vail Resorts Season Passes
EpicMix is available to all Vail Resorts guests who have a PEAKS lift ticket or a season pass. The Vail Resorts’ Epic Pass, Epic 7-Pack, Summit Pass, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin Pass, Heavenly Pass and PEAKS Lift Ticket are all enabled with RF technology and allow guests to participate in Epic Mix. All Vail Resorts season passes are currently on sale now and the revolutionary Epic Pass™ is back for its third season providing unlimited, unrestricted access to six world-class resorts, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Heavenly, as well as at Arapahoe Basin at $599 for adults and $299 for children (ages 5 to 12). New this year is the Epic 7-Pack™ (www.epicpass.com): A seven-day unrestricted ticket that skiers and snowboarders can use at any one of Vail Resorts’ five mountain resorts and Arapahoe Basin anytime during the season at a price of $449, or almost 35-percent off of a single-day lift ticket price at the window. Also for the second year, The Summit Pass™ is available to purchase online at www.epicpass.com and provides unlimited, unrestricted lift access at the top Summit County resorts–Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin–at $409 for adults, $319 for teens (ages 13 to 18) and $209 for children (ages 5 to 12). Also new this year is a Keystone and Arapahoe Basin Pass, which offers unlimited, unrestricted skiing and riding at both resorts and is priced at $359 for adults, $299 for teens and $199 for children. Prices on all pass products are guaranteed until Sept. 7, 2010.
For more information and to watch a demo video of EpicMix, visit www.epicmix.com, www.epicpass.com or www.snow.com.
The above was provided from Vail Resorts via their News reader as a press release. This announcement we view as a significant game changer. This is a major new stake in the ground by resorts in an effort to engage their customers and make sure the relationship stays in house. I can only wonder the reaction of companies like flaik, Slopetracker and other GPS tracking services in the marketplace. We will definitely make use and test drive this new service being season pass holders.
Showing posts with label GPS tracking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GPS tracking. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Whistler Blackcomb for the Olypics 2010
Whistler and Blackcomb and the Winter Olympic games as a working trip has had me excited since I knew I would be able to attend. This past summer when we finally landed Whistler Resort as a new flaik resort, it was decided we would have a presence and staff would be on hand for team building, promoting our service as a new and revolutionary feature/service at ski and ride school to media, international resorts, North American resorts and skiers and snowboarders who would be swarming Whistler resort between February 12 and February 28, 2010.
The following will be various observations and reflections on my first Olympic experience from a personal and work perspective as well as a parent bringing my sons to the Olympics for a lifetime experience. One of the initial challenges was making sure we had accommodations as demand had driven lodging prices to rates I have never seen before. Eventually a 4 bedroom townhouse right outside the village was rented for the period of the games from locals who we worked with at the resort. It was a very convenient set up and we would rotate different flaik staff from the home office at different times to ensure everyone would get several days to experience the mountain and the games. This was conveniently located on the shuttle bus route and would provide a parking space for when a car was rented.
Given the size of Whistler as the largest ski resort in physical size and skier volume this account and the launch of flaik has been a significant accomplishment for our second year on the marketplace. To be able to have the world be in Whistler and see how the service is used was a great opportunity. One media opportunity has been with NBC when they did a spotlight on the Whistler Kids program out of Blackcomb during the first week. The film crew was shooting the children and staff using the flaik tags and one of the staff used the flaik tag as well for the morning session. This was followed up the second week with an interview and more in depth investigation of the flaik service that included viewing the tracking in real time of our service at work.
During the two weeks the flaik team has been seen in action and in teams wearing the red flaik jackets with our logo clearly evident. While skiing and riding on mountain, we were repeatedly asked by skiers and snowboarders about the tag, service, how it worked and where they could try it out and rent for a day. Several times we were mistaken as a team of our own, much to our own chuckles. Currently there are limited rental locations available at several resorts.
FLAIK - Flaik is a unique and ground changing technology that was introduced at two resorts – Steamboat Springs and Copper Mountain during the 2008.09 winter season. The technology utilizes GPS and cell technology fused to deliver real time tracking of skiers and snowboarders at ski resorts. The primary application has initially targeted ski and ride schools where each student and instructor is provided a flaik tag that tracks them throughout their day on the mountain. Flaik includes safety features that uses different alerts and alarms should a student and instructor get separated. The service enables resorts to know at all times where students and instructors are on the mountain. This provides an added layer of comfort for parents, staff and resort operators as well as operating efficiencies in managing the ski and ride school from labor savings, management performance functions and getting students who head away form classes together very quickly.
The flaik service is currently available at the following nine North American resorts: Copper Mountain, Steamboat Springs and Winter Park in Colorado; Alpine Meadows and Homewood Mountain Resort in California; Smugglers Notch and Stratton Mountain Resort in Vermont; Whistler Resort and Mont Tremblant in Canada.
Parents and users love the flaik service as they are able to visit the web site, build a profile and once they download the data have a video scripted replay of the day on the mountain. The application enables the user to relive each run, see how fast they went, what runs they skied, how fats they went, total vertical feet skied and begin to track easily and share their day with friends and family. New features are being released throughout the season. I know my boys sure love watching where they went, how many vertical they skied and speeds they attained at different parts of the mountain.
The flaik service and technology is also used to power various fun events at resort partners such as vertical challenges, all mountain rallies, scavenger hunts and daily rentals for individuals and groups to track their vertical feet, ensure safety and create a digital journal/diary of their day(s) on the mountain. The Helly Hansen Big Mountain Battle series at 8 North American resorts is powered by flaik again for this year at the following resorts – Squaw Valley, Stevens Pass, Revelstoke Mountain, Sun Peaks Resort, Fernie Mountain, Smugglers Notch, Taos, and the finals known as the Battle of the Bowls at Aspen Highlands.
Article written by JOhn Siewierski President Founder Mountain Sports Club and currently Senior Vice President of Sales for flaik, inc.
The following will be various observations and reflections on my first Olympic experience from a personal and work perspective as well as a parent bringing my sons to the Olympics for a lifetime experience. One of the initial challenges was making sure we had accommodations as demand had driven lodging prices to rates I have never seen before. Eventually a 4 bedroom townhouse right outside the village was rented for the period of the games from locals who we worked with at the resort. It was a very convenient set up and we would rotate different flaik staff from the home office at different times to ensure everyone would get several days to experience the mountain and the games. This was conveniently located on the shuttle bus route and would provide a parking space for when a car was rented.
Given the size of Whistler as the largest ski resort in physical size and skier volume this account and the launch of flaik has been a significant accomplishment for our second year on the marketplace. To be able to have the world be in Whistler and see how the service is used was a great opportunity. One media opportunity has been with NBC when they did a spotlight on the Whistler Kids program out of Blackcomb during the first week. The film crew was shooting the children and staff using the flaik tags and one of the staff used the flaik tag as well for the morning session. This was followed up the second week with an interview and more in depth investigation of the flaik service that included viewing the tracking in real time of our service at work.
During the two weeks the flaik team has been seen in action and in teams wearing the red flaik jackets with our logo clearly evident. While skiing and riding on mountain, we were repeatedly asked by skiers and snowboarders about the tag, service, how it worked and where they could try it out and rent for a day. Several times we were mistaken as a team of our own, much to our own chuckles. Currently there are limited rental locations available at several resorts.
FLAIK - Flaik is a unique and ground changing technology that was introduced at two resorts – Steamboat Springs and Copper Mountain during the 2008.09 winter season. The technology utilizes GPS and cell technology fused to deliver real time tracking of skiers and snowboarders at ski resorts. The primary application has initially targeted ski and ride schools where each student and instructor is provided a flaik tag that tracks them throughout their day on the mountain. Flaik includes safety features that uses different alerts and alarms should a student and instructor get separated. The service enables resorts to know at all times where students and instructors are on the mountain. This provides an added layer of comfort for parents, staff and resort operators as well as operating efficiencies in managing the ski and ride school from labor savings, management performance functions and getting students who head away form classes together very quickly.
The flaik service is currently available at the following nine North American resorts: Copper Mountain, Steamboat Springs and Winter Park in Colorado; Alpine Meadows and Homewood Mountain Resort in California; Smugglers Notch and Stratton Mountain Resort in Vermont; Whistler Resort and Mont Tremblant in Canada.
Parents and users love the flaik service as they are able to visit the web site, build a profile and once they download the data have a video scripted replay of the day on the mountain. The application enables the user to relive each run, see how fast they went, what runs they skied, how fats they went, total vertical feet skied and begin to track easily and share their day with friends and family. New features are being released throughout the season. I know my boys sure love watching where they went, how many vertical they skied and speeds they attained at different parts of the mountain.
The flaik service and technology is also used to power various fun events at resort partners such as vertical challenges, all mountain rallies, scavenger hunts and daily rentals for individuals and groups to track their vertical feet, ensure safety and create a digital journal/diary of their day(s) on the mountain. The Helly Hansen Big Mountain Battle series at 8 North American resorts is powered by flaik again for this year at the following resorts – Squaw Valley, Stevens Pass, Revelstoke Mountain, Sun Peaks Resort, Fernie Mountain, Smugglers Notch, Taos, and the finals known as the Battle of the Bowls at Aspen Highlands.
Article written by JOhn Siewierski President Founder Mountain Sports Club and currently Senior Vice President of Sales for flaik, inc.
Friday, February 27, 2009
HELLY HANSEN BIG MOUNTAIN BATTLE CHOOSES FLAIK FOR EXTREME RACE TIMING
HELLY HANSEN BIG MOUNTAIN BATTLE CHOOSES FLAIK FOR EXTREME RACE TIMING
flaik GPS system tracks participants’ performance, safety – and bragging rights – via satellite and the Web
The next generation in race timing technology will be on display this winter as the Helly Hansen Big Mountain Battle series of races keeps track of its snow riders using the flaik GPS tracking system.
The first snow-sports tracking system to successfully integrate global positioning and
wireless telecommunications technology, flaik tracks where each user is and what he or
she did on the mountain, then transmits the data to the Web.
It’s the perfect timing solution for the Big Mountain Battle, in which two-person teams of
skiers and boarders tackle courses designed by big-mountain expert Chris Davenport. With its GPS-enabled tags, the flaik system will let Helly Hansen Big Mountain Battle officials locate individuals and teams on the mountain, track them as they pass electronic checkpoints, and deliver run-by-run and day-by-day statistics in close to real time.
Big Mountain Battle fans can follow skiers and riders on the web, updated every few minutes. “It’s the first interactive ski race,” said flaik Inc. CEO Steve Kenny. Instead of 30 to 40 timekeepers, each race requires just two “and one of them is just keeping the other company,” Kenny said.
WHAT, WHEN AND WHERE: The Helly Hansen Big Mountain Battle series kicked off
Feb. 21 at Squaw Valley (Calif.) and continues with events at Sun Peaks (B.C.) Feb. 28,
Stevens Pass (Wash.) March 14, and Smugglers Notch (Vt.) March 21. Top finishers will
receive an expense-paid trip to Aspen/Snowmass (Colo.) March 29 for the final “Battle in
the Bowls.” Information: http://www.hellyhansen.com/bigmountainbattle.
About flaik
flaik, an early-stage, Boulder-based company whose satellite-based social networking
technology helps skiers track their vertical performance and resorts monitor ski and
snowboard school students, is the first tenant to join the 8th Continent Aerospace
Business Incubator in Boulder, Colo. In 2008, flaik was named Australian International
Product of the Year by the Australian International Design Awards, and was awarded an
IF Product Design by the International Forum Design in Hannover, Germany. For more
information, please visit at www.flaik.com, www.8cproject.com, and
www.boulderinnovationcenter.com.
BOULDER, CO – February 23, 2009 –
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Steve Kenny, steve.kenny@flaik.com, 303-847-6756
Drew Frey, dfrey@metzger.com, 720-833-5916
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)