Aspen discounts passes for young X Games fans

But all affordable rooms for the event have been booked

Joanne Kelley, Rocky Mountain News

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Those with proof of their youth will get to ski on the cheap in Aspen next week.

The upscale resort will cut prices for the age 24 and under college-going crowd, which will soon arrive in force for the annual winter spectacle known as the X Games. A pass good for two days of skiing during the four-day event will effectively offer lift access for less than $30 a day vs. the usual $82 daily rate.

But lodging prices will be anything but affordable for those who've yet to book a room for the event, which runs Thursday to Monday.

"To find anything within a reasonable price - for under $500 a night - over the four-day weekend is no longer a possibility," said Bill Tomcich, president of Stay AspenSnowmass, the area's central reservations agency.

Saturday night will again likely be the busiest single night of the year, with occupancy rates at 98 percent vs. 96 percent around Christmas, Tomcich said. And unlike the holiday season, the X Games typically mean the moderately priced hotels fill up first.

"The lower-end accommodations have been gone for a long, long time," Tomcich said. "It's a totally opposite situation from the holidays."

Luxury homes are still available through the weekend.

And for those who want to catch just the first or the last day of the event, a smattering of rooms can be had.

Aspen's discount pass is for college students who are 24 and under and can show a valid school ID.

The total cost: $59.

It will work only during the X Game dates, Jan. 25-28. And it must be purchased no later than Sunday.

So, other young spectators who come for just a day and want to ski while there won't be able to catch a break.

But the attempt to encourage more 18- to 24-year-olds to ski and ride Aspen's runs could help the resort's image when the television cameras come to town.

"Of all the ski resorts in the U.S., Aspen probably attracts the oldest average skier," said Jim Spring, president of Boulder-based Leisure Trends Group. "They just don't get a lot of young people up there. Cost is a dissuader."

Discount pass

• Aspen's ski areas will offer a discount pass college students can use to ski or ride during the Winter X Games, Jan 25-28. Admission to the games is free.

Good for two days of skiing during the four-day event, the College X pass offers lift access for $29.50 a day vs. the usual $82 daily rate. Students must show a valid school ID and be 24 or younger.

The total cost: $59.

Available online at www.aspensnowmass.com.

No vacancy

Want a room at the inn during the X Games? Good luck. A spot-check of Aspen hotels Friday - and a visit to the town's central reservations Web site - showed that no rooms are available on Friday and Saturday nights next week.

kelleyj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5068