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That was a very interesting read. I've always wondered about the details around the contract between the big ski resorts and the NFS, fun to read the actual per

• eru 24d ago
  > the geographical limitations inherent of a ski resort make the free-market argument hard to believe That's a bit of a weird argument? It's a bit like saying that while you are inside a Walmart, they have a monopoly on selling you stuff. Yes, that's true. But surely the relevant competition for ski resorts happens before you book your vacation?
  • markdown 23d ago
    What if Vail owns all the ski resorts?
    • eru 23d ago
      Go to the beach? Owning a ski resort is no different than owning any other desirable property: real estate has a local monopoly. You recover that via property taxes (or land value taxes).
      • brainwad 23d ago
        The beach? In winter? The actual thing that skiiers in NA do now is fly to Europe or Japan, where Vail has not yet ruined skiing.
        • eru 23d ago
          Summer vacations compete with winter vacations for people's money. You can do fun stuff at the beach even in winter, and the beach was just one example. Thanks for bringing up international competition, too. Btw, just because it's cold in one part of the world, doesn't mean it's cold in another part.
      • hydrogen7800 23d ago
        "Don't ski" is not a solution to a ski resort monopoly.
        • cucumber3732842 23d ago
          Yeah, it is. Recreational skiing is one of the purest of luxury goods. There are plenty of other exclusive hobbies that can more than soak up the demand. Bird hunting is basically a straight drop in replacement (expensive travel, expensive equipment, outdoors, etc).
          • passivegains 23d ago
            None of the skiers I know ski because they want to spend a lot of money, they spend a lot of money because they want to ski. (Hauling yourself up a freezing cold mountain might not sound like much fun but they quite enjoy it.) Nothing but skiing will do. None of the hunters I know hunt because they want to spend a lot of money, they spend a lot of money because they want to hunt (birds or otherwise.) (Crouching in a tree or a swamp for hours on end might not sound like much fun but they quite enjoy it.) Nothing but hunting will do. Hobbies are almost never drop in replacements for each other.
            • cucumber3732842 23d ago
              My point was that if skiing kills itself something else that scratches most of the same itches will become fashionable among the same demographics. I have no idea what it would actually be (if I did I would invest in it, lol). Kind of like how the cruising industry has exploded over the past couple decades as the "traditional" US vacation spots have become unaffordable to the masses. It's not a straight drop in, but it's close enough. The same people who used to go to the Poconos, Tahoe or Cape Cod or still do, but they're not being replaced because people see the cost vs the fun you get and say fuggit. The old places continue on but they cater to a small exclusive clientele because the other potential customers are doing something else, probably at the same price point but a better value. >(Hauling yourself up a freezing cold mountain might not sound like much fun but they quite enjoy it.) The vodka makes you warm on the inside. (joking but also not)
  • niwtsol 23d ago
    That's a fair counter. I think I stretched my usage of "geographical limitations" to include the permitting process and thus new entrants. It would be much easier for someone to build a competitor to the hypothetical Walmart you proposed on the same street, in the same town, somewhere close. Ski resorts need the permit from NFS and they stopped giving those out, so the supply is capped by federal policy.
    • eru 23d ago
      Yes. Though people usually plan their holiday a bit in advance and are willing to travel, sometimes even globally. Ski resorts also compete with other non-ski holiday destinations.