Double major adds Mad River Glen
Addition of third mountain excludes snowboarders

David Walsh | staff writers
dwalsh@smcvt.edu

During winter in northern Vermont, students are given many options as to where they can shred powder, including Smugglers Notch, Jay Peak and Bolton Valley. But shredding can be the one thing every college student fears: expensive.

With the new Triple Major Pass, however, students can keep some cash in their pockets by paying one price, $269, to access three popular mountains- Jay Peak, Bolton Valley and Mad River Glen. The Triple Major Pass replaces last year's Double Major Pass that only offered Jay Peak and Bolton Valley.

The triple team

Last year’s Double Major Pass gave students access to Jay Peak and Bolton Valley and was purchased by skiers and snowboarders alike.

Students purchase the Triple Major Pass in Alliot Hall. Larry Frisoli, photo

This year, the Double Major Pass has upgraded and added Mad River Glen to its arsenal for the upcoming winter season, creating the new Triple Major Pass. Unfortunately, only skiers will be able to take advantage of Mad River Glen because of the mountain's ban on snowboarders.

Mad River Glen is a great addition to the pass because it gives students more of a variety, says Sean Bakos, Jay Peak ticket manager.

“The benefit is, for a low price, you can ski at three different mountains and each mountain offers a unique skiing experience,” says Virginia Hume, Mad River Glen ticket manager. “The disadvantage is for the students who snowboard, and that is because we don’t allow snowboarding.”

The Triple Major would satisfy more people if Mad River Glen allowed snowboarders, but the mountain is not about to give up its tradition of being skiers-only, Hume says.

Mad River Glen is a co-op mountain owned by a number of shareholders. The shareholders bought the mountain from owner Betsy Pratt, who started the tradition of only allowing skiers, and the shareholders then decided to continue with that, Hume says.

While this seems like a risky strategy and an easy way to lose money, it may actually be an advantage because it gives Mad River Glen a unique identity in a
region where competition is stiff, Bakos says.

Snowboarders unite

Snowboarders looking to buy the Triple Major Pass may be turned off by the addition of Mad River Glen due to its no snowboarding policy.

Mad River Glen is one of only a handful of mountains in the country that only allows skiers. This policy has earned them a unique reputation, but also some negative attention from Burton Snowboards, one of the snowboarding industry’s leading brands.

Burton has a "We'd Ride It If We Could" campaign to oppose Mad River Glen's no snowboarding policy. Larry Frisoli, photo

In opposition to Mad River Glen’s skiing-only policy, Burton Snowboards created the “We’d Ride It If We Could” campaign, a play on Mad River Glen’s “Ski It If You Can” slogan. Burton representatives did not return calls to comment on the campaign, however, Mad River Glen representatives say that there are justifiable reasons for the ban.

“The main reason was it was dangerous or difficult getting on and off the single chairlift with a snowboard,” Hume says.

According to the Mad River Glen Web site, snowboarders were
allowed on the mountain beginning in the 1986-1987 season, but they were then banned in the 1991-1992 season.

To buy or not to buy? That is the question.

Despite all the controversy, St. Michael’s students are still buying
the Triple Major Pass. At this year’s first St. Michael’s Ski and Snowboard Club meeting, Bakos and several other Jay Peak representatives were present to sell the pass.

Sophomore Nick Bush, a snowboarder, and sophomore Chris Bishop, a skier, both purchased the pass. Despite being involved in opposing sports both students say the pass is a great deal.

The addition of Mad River Glen had little to do with Bishop’s decision to buy the pass because he wanted Bolton for night skiing and Jay for powder, he says.

St. Michael's students munch on food offered by Jay Peak representatives. Larry Frisoli, photo

Yet, Bishop is a skier who enjoys hitting the slopes with his friends and says that Mad River Glen’s no-snowboarding policy ruins that option because some of his friends snowboard.

“It is unfair,” Bishop says. “I wish I could ride with my buddies.”

However, Bush, despite not being allowed at Mad River Glen, still thinks the pass is a great idea.

It makes three mountains accessible for a reasonable price and also provides variety, Bush says.

Other kids who are on the fence about buying the pass may decide not to because the addition of Mad River Glen turns them off, Bush says.

Bush may not be able to carve Mad River Glen’s trails with his friends, but he will still make use of the pass.

I’m not willing to sacrifice my riding,” Bush says.