There is no doubt that skiing can be an expensive sport. Between equipment, passes and lift tickets, warm clothing, and food, it is easy to spend a lot on an enjoyable day on the slopes. But spending a lot also isn’t mandatory. It is entirely possible to ski Utah’s great resorts on a family-friendly budget.
If money is no object for your next ski trip, no worries. Go have all the fun in the world. But if you are trying to watch your pennies, we have a few suggestions that could help you save some money. Our goal here at Canyon Sports is to help as many people get on the slopes as possible with ski rentals or snowboard rentals.
1. Rent Your Equipment Rather Than Buying
Our first tip is to save money on equipment by renting rather than buying. Canyon Sports offers both ski and snowboard rental by the season or by the day. You get the latest equipment kept in tip-top shape and supported by our team of experts.
Ski and snowboard rental is ideal if you are just trying winter sports for the first time. Renting means you don’t have to commit a tidy sum of money to purchasing equipment you might not want to keep once the season is over. It is also ideal for casual skiers unlikely to hit the slopes every week during the season.
2. Consider Night Skiing
The world-class resorts here in Utah tend to stay open late into the night. Night passes are usually a lot cheaper than full-day and half-day passes. How much cheaper really depends on the resort. As an added bonus, nighttime traffic on the slopes tends to be less.
Skiing at night is a more affordable experience with lower crowds to contend with. But there is a caveat: it can get pretty cold up in the mountains once the sun goes down. So be sure to dress warmly.
3. Weekday Passes Are Good, Too
If your schedule dictates that nighttime skiing is out, you can still save money on full and half-day tickets by planning your time on the slopes during the week. Remember that weekends are the busiest. So if you can ski Monday-Wednesday, you should be able to find less expensive tickets.
A lot of locals prefer to buy season passes. Now is not the time to do so given how expensive prices are at the start of the season. But come 2025, if you know you’ll want a season pass for next year, March and April tend to be the best times in terms of prices. Once May and June roll around, season pass prices start to climb again.
4. Ski the Smaller Resorts
As a company that specializes in ski and snowboard rental, we are fully aware that Utah offers some of the most popular skiing in the country. Some of our resorts are known around the world. But the most popular are also the most expensive. Why not save a little money by skiing in the smaller, lesser-known resorts?
Eagle Point, Nordic Valley, and Beaver Mountain are just a few of the more affordable resorts in Utah. Some of the best are independently owned and offer quite a bit of charm in addition to great skiing.
It is possible to ski Utah on a family friendly budget. Give it a try. If you need equipment rental, it starts here at Canyon Sports. Come pay us a visit and let us talk about getting you hooked up with skis or a snowboard for the 2024-25 season. It is going to be a great winter.