Advance-purchase pass will offer significant discounts to ski one to 10 days

Vail Resorts has introduced a new pass product aimed squarely at casual Whistler Blackcomb (WB) skiers and boarders.

According to a release, the "deeply discounted" pass product will provide "unprecedented flexibility and season pass discounts" to people who are looking to ski as little as one day a season at the resort.

"With the customizable pass, guests can unlock discounts equivalent of up to 50 per cent off lift ticket window prices by selecting the number of days they plan to ski or ride—from one day to ten days—and whether or not to add holiday access," said the release.

Skiers and boarders will receive increased discounts the more days they purchase. The pass product must be purchased in advance of the season.

A one-day holiday restricted pass will cost $118 per adult and $59 per child, while a 10-day pass will cost $ 1,071 per adult and $536 per child.

"We are incredibly excited for the 2020-21 winter season and the launch of the brand new Whistler Blackcomb Day Pass," said Geoff Buchheister, chief operating officer at WB in the release. "With this new pass—alongside EDGE Cards, the Whistler Blackcomb Unlimited Season Pass and the Epic Pass—we are able to provide incredible choice and flexibility to our guests, allowing them to choose the product that best suits their needs."

Vail Resorts will continue to offer two-, five- and 10-day EDGE Cards, which provide discounted days at WB and are exclusively available to residents of Canada and Washington State.

The new pass offering comes amid a challenging season for the resort when it comes to public relations, with many Whistler and Lower Mainland raising concerns over on-mountain operations and the cost of skiing and boarding.

A online petition calling on Vail Resorts to "address the problems they have created by idly neglecting the magic that once defined the unforgettable experience of skiing Whistler Blackcomb" was launched at the start of February and currently has almost 10,000 signatures.

"Many local residents and longtime customers of Whistler Backcomb have noticed that ever since Vail Resorts bought the mountain four years ago the lifts have become more and more unreliable, lines have become longer and longer, terrain takes more and more time to open, snow making has been reduced, grooming has gone downhill (pardon the pun), and the food has gotten worse—all while prices have gone sky high!" it reads.