YOUR AD HERE »

Maybe this could solve ski pass debate

ASPEN – If the Aspen Skiing Co. wants to attract more people to the slopes, perhaps it’s time to offer virtual skiing, according to one interested observer.

Pitkin County Commissioner Michael Owsley on Tuesday told Aspen Skiing Co. executives in an annual meeting that they should create a video game that features the slopes of the four Aspen-Snowmass ski areas.

“There should be a video game where you can go and ski every run on the mountain, in all kinds of conditions, at all kinds of levels,” Owsley said.



The game would hold natural appeal for kids but would also interest older skiers who want to relive their past glory or hit some slopes they never quite mastered, he said.

“I could probably feel good skiing some places on a video game better than I actually would [on snow],” he said with a chuckle, later adding, “I was talking about skiing down at incredibly high speeds.”




Skico Senior Vice President David Perry noted that a video game exists that features the terrain park at Buttermilk. He urged Owsley to have at it.

Perry said the only potential downfall to the idea is turning potential customers into couch potatoes who don’t actually hit the slopes.

Owsley said the game would inspire skiers rather than provide a virtual outing. “It’s whetting your appetite for the real experience,” he said.

– Scott Condon