A Friendly Challenge.

I never did concern myself about this!

I never concerned myself about such "details" but Mike with his cost per run analysis made me think!

Then DaveMac with his "Scottish" commons made me think more!

So here it is Mike and DaveMac,,I challenge you to submitt your TOTAL ski expences for 2009 ( beginning September 1, 2008)! I will for the first time in my life do so also!

At end of season we will compare real money spent (as long as you all never tell my wife and kids)!

Note!!
I mean all moneys spend related to skiing. Those flowers you give to wife to "soften her up" for that ski trip must be included.

That money spent on ski mags, back pills, sun block, etc.....

Total count!!!!


Then I will tell you all how much the "typical" skier spends and what products sell the most!


Just a small teaser for you DaveMac!

Do you know what product sell the most and has the highest profit margin in ski shops worldwide? That is in any ski shop, in any country.

Why not do an 08 aswell?

My problem with 08 was that;
I was not walking for three months,
I never tabulate my skiing expenses , so 2008 data is lost!

However I am sure Mike has all information!
He calculates; money spent skiing per day. per mile, per season, per run! I mean it!
He can tell you the average money spend on food while skiing.

Some skiers who ski with him tell me that he also calculates the wind resistance of various ski outfits he has, just so that he can get more runs in one day!

Sorry for 2008!

Ask DaveMac,,he might have his spending!

Pavel, where do we start? I don't live my ski life now as I did in my seasons in Niederau. Like you, I no longer keep tabs on my ski costs. Like everyone else, I have a limited amount to spend, and a wish to maximise my skiing. I just love to ski.

In my first season, I drove to Austria, took less than £200, bought skis and boots, worked for half of the winter, and survived, arriving back at Dover with £5! Made it! During the season, couldn't afford to go out at night, except on a Friday night, when the ladies bought the drinks! Don't ask why! The red sweater with the blue armband was dynamite!

Now, I guess I am a Lancastrian Scot, (the definition of a Lancashireman is a Scotsman with all the generosity squeezed out of him!) However, I have progressed, and mellowed. I am now prepared to spend a bit more, on the theory that our chancellor, Gordon Brown, is subsidising me. Yes, I know he is PM, but for sure, he remains chancellor.

On the other hand, old habits die hard. One benefit of returning to the same resort, is that buying a season pass pays back very quickly. Counterbalancing this, is that although I am fortunate enough to have skied in many places, there are still a lot of places on my hit list, and we try to go for one big one each year. Unfortunately, it seems that most of my hit list includes expensive places.

Now then, what do we include? If you are putting your wife's flowers on your list, I guess I am already $20 ahead. Oh, sorry Pav, $30. Can we exclude alcohol? Mike sounds a bit too keen for me, he is probably not drinking his fair share.

On the other hand, if we start from Sept 1st, that has a benefit for me, I will already have paid for my for the flights and car hires on the first two of my Niederau trips.

The big integer is how much skiing we do. I may be curtailed to 5/6 weeks this year. So if you guys are doing 10/15 weeks, and mostly on a season pass, I have no chance.

Also, if I am free skiing, and knocking up 22/25 runs a day, look out. But on the days I ski with friends/frau/ski buddy/passing vagrants/go off piste/come across a music/guitar session at the top of the mountain/sit down and look at the Kitzbuhleralpen with a gluhwein, I am a gonner.

If there is a real clear day, with strong deep shadows, I stop and paint. Yes I know, but there you are.

I have a skiing friend who used to be a Niederau season skier, with the sole season aim of getting his ski pass cost down to a schilling a run! Mike sounds to be a similar sad case. Is the wind resistance calculated from the outside or the inside of the ski suit?

It's a great challenge, I will join in. You will need to level the playing fields. How about the best ten cost/mile days of the season?

Pav, Mike,

I am away for a weeks hill walking. You have a week to concoct the rules!

pavelski wrote:
Just a small teaser for you DaveMac!

Do you know what product sell the most and has the highest profit margin in ski shops worldwide? That is in any ski shop, in any country.

I'm not DaveMac but can I have a go?

I think it's something like lip balm/lip salve. It must cost them a few pennies/cents to make yet they charge 3,4,5, even seen 6 euros for it, if it's the special deluxe Neutrogena variety.

I was thinking of wax, but I think that Ilove skiing is on the right lines. I might go for Sun lotion, but I wouldn't argue with ILS. A small Pitz Buin lotion cost £14 in Saas Fee last year.

What makes this really, really bad is that coming back from SF, my OH put the lotion into the hand baggage, and it was thrown in a bin at security. (Only later to be retrieved by a security officer, allegedly!)

Good one Pavel!

With a little consulting of last year's records I do expect I could come up with a cost list of '08 - so I agree with Rossfra8.


For 2009 I have already bought our season's passes for Ski Martock and with the slight increase this year I realize my run count must increase to reach my $0.30/run cost of last year. I think the tally should include all monies spent due to skiing in 2009; Including passport costs if necessary to go to an out of country resort. From Nova Scotia, if I were to go to Maine (Sunday River) for example, a passport will be required for 2009.

Should fuel costs to get to the hill be included? Probably. I base my cost / run on the basic season's pass cost and the number of runs during the year. (One day a year has been my marathon day. This day I strive to be the first chair and ski non stop until I reach 50 or 55 runs. This usually has taken until 7pm with non stop action. This day really helps lower my ratio.)

Perhaps all costs should be included - gasoline, meals,(any monies spent at the hill), as well as any new gear and passes or lift tickets at other hills. With this, my cost/run will take off -- just look at the cost of fuel!! :shock:

My guess for the most marked up item at the ski lodge shops is ski poles.

So Pavel, is the object to spend less for equal enjoyment or just to know the real cost of winter time play??

DaveMac:

We've not met but you seem to have me well pegged :!: :!:

I don't drink my "fair" share and it does seem sad to count my runs. But then I can't paint. :mrgreen: I have one of those plastic golf tally counters and get deep thirlls each time I clock another run -- when I can remember to do so. :oops:

But I really feel costs for the 2009 season should include all money spent for any enjoyment gained in the year on the hills. :evil:

Mike :wink: