Broomfield, CO – Just 13 days into Vail Resorts’ Epic Race to Ski the World, as of Wednesday 44 racers have skied all 12 U.S. resorts on the company’s Epic Pass and are ready to shift to Europe to ski the 14 participating resorts in France, Austria and Switzerland. With another 50 racers poised to join them by the weekend, this is truly anybody’s race.
The Epic Race is a season-long competition to visit all 26 resorts spread across four countries that make up the Epic Pass. The reward: The first 10 participants to complete the adventure win skiing and snowboard’s ultimate prize – a lifetime Epic Pass.
“The passion of the participants in the Epic Race is staggering, but the camaraderie that has developed amongst many of the contestants is a testament to the worldwide community of skiers and snowboarders,” said Vail Resorts’ chief marketing officer, Kirsten Lynch. “We’re seeing racers enjoying one another’s company on the slopes and cooperating to help each other achieve their on-mountain challenges. And we’re hearing stories of racers tracking down lost items for one another, and a group even had Thanksgiving dinner together in Tahoe!”
Each racer will need to ski or ride all 26 resorts on the Epic Pass: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin and Eldora in Colorado; Canyons in Park City, Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood at Lake Tahoe; Afton Alps, Minnesota; Mt. Brighton, Michigan; Verbier, Switzerland; Arlberg, Austria – St. Anton, Lech, Zürs, St. Christoph and Stuben; and Les 3 Vallées, France – Courchevel, La Tania, Méribel, Brides-les-Bains, Les Menuires, Saint Martin de Belleville, Val Thorens and Orelle. Epic Racers will be asked to document and share their experience at each resort to be eligible to win. After all resorts have been visited, all content will be verified. Winners will be determined upon completion of the race and verification of compliance with the contest’s official rules.
Through Tuesday, Dec. 3, 206 racers have logged 1,641 visits to Epic Pass resorts, and have uploaded 4,923 photos and videos to the official site. The racers hail from 23 U.S. states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Washington) and eight countries (Austria, Finland, Germany, Monaco, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the U.S.).
“I’m just trying to inspire people to try something new and have an epic experience like I am,” said Brian Baecker, a loyalty marketer from Sacramento, Calif., who wants to prove that a normal guy can win the Epic Race. “I’ve already met a lot of the other racers who are good people from all over the world. I’m proud to be out here with them and hopefully I can be one of the first 10 to finish.”