Economic Slow Down

Like most folks in this world, I've been watching the stock markets and their current roller coaster of a ride. I've got some money invested in stocks and have felt the pain of losing a significant portion to the giant suck that has appeared in a very short period of time. (Note: This doesn't mean it hasn't been building, it just means the reaction hasn't been seen until recently.) So I did what I always do when the world seems to be too overwhelming, I went to look at the new crop of equipment for the season.

Since I bother these guys a lot, they all know me pretty well. I spent a little time in the shop helping with the growing number of eager snow fanatics who have sent their gear for a tune up. The interesting part was really listening to some of the conversations that erupted with customers regarding life as well. Several discussions turned back to what we expected this winter to be like for us (FYI we always expect it to be amazing, especially when our livelihood depends upon it).

Most of the customers stated that they were thinking of pairing back their season for financial reasons. Destination resorts seemed to be big losers, with the following reasons:

1. Cost of airline tickets has gone up significantly
   
2. Cost of flying with gear has gone up
3. Most resorts have pushed their pass prices up again
4. Their stock portfolios have sunk radically

Which brought a renewed interest in the local resorts. Several folks were asking if it was worth buying a season pass, and just driving up. How long the snow stays fresh, etc. It's been interesting. Could this year see the rise/return of the local resort vs the destination resort?

I'm conflicted on this one. On one hand, having a larger money flow in for classes would be a nice change (I currently just brake even for teaching, which is why I have two jobs). On the other hand, it will mean larger crowds, and less fresh snow for me. Tough call.

As an aside, most of those mentioning #4 as their primary reason for skipping their trip(s) were shocked to hear our responses. Several of us have been playing the stock market for awhile and have invested heavily. Two of the guys in the shop are working there because they've already made their millions and now want to do something fun and rewarding. It's was fun to break people's perceptions of 20/30 somethings with a ski job not knowing anything about stocks.