SAM Magazine-Denver, Colo., Sept. 2, 2011-Vail Resorts' (VR) next generation EpicMix ski and snowboard app expands and simplifies how guests take and share photos at the company's six resorts, and broadens the app's reach to nearly everyone who visits the areas, not just season's passholders. EpicMix will deliver photos to guests' computers and mobile devices for free, and makes it easy to combine photos with other information, including vertical feet and earned "pins." The new features are expected to be available by mid December.

VR CEO Rob Katz introduced the new features at an event in Denver's Performing Arts Center Wednesday afternoon, to an audience of perhaps 200 avid EpicMix users and a couple dozen members of the press.

"We're re-imagining how guest photos are taken, stored and shared at our resorts and delivering a groundbreaking way for skiers and riders to capture their experience on the mountains," said Katz. EpicMix makes it extremely easy to create and share memories.

The key hardware and human components: RF chips embedded in passes and the "hard cards" VR is using instead of paper tickets this season, and a team of up to 200 photographers VR is hiring to replace Sharpshooters as the on-mountain photographer force. Upon request, the company's photographers will take portrait and action photos and automatically deliver the images to the guest's EpicMix account by quickly scanning a guest's RF-enabled lift ticket or season pass.

VR is also changing the business model for on-mountain photography. Low-res images suitable for computer use and web sharing will be available free, while hi-res digital files will cost $20, compared to the $35 Sharpshooters charges for a single print.

As part of this initiative, VR will eliminate nearly all paper tickets and replace them with a reusable and durable RF-enabled card loaded with their daily lift tickets or season pass. The new card also provides a hassle-free easy scan process at the lifts-guests no longer need to show a ticket or pass to the ticket checkers. \

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