Seasonal passes are certainly an investment, with the Epic Pass clocking in at $819 and Ikon at $1,149 (for the 2021-22 season). Both offer access to world-renowned ski resorts for east coasters, west coasters, and midwesterners, albeit at slightly different price points. Various factors go into the choice between these two passes.

A skier in Winter Park, CO // Photo courtesy of Karsten Winegeart Still, the healthy competition between the two has also pushed both parties to move in more environmentally sustainable directions with their business models – a pleasant impact on the ubiquitous question in winter sports. The head-to-head competitors are frequently up against each other as skiers and snowboarders decide which is a better financial deal. Snowshoe Resort at night // Photo courtesy of Alterra Mountain Company

The Ikon Pass is offered by Vail Resorts competitor Alterra Mountain Company, boasting 54 international destinations, including partnership access, 32 of which are in the United States. (Note: some resorts are capped at 7-day consecutive visiting during peak season). The Epic Pass is run by Vail Resorts, a company whose mountain offerings include 60 resorts internationally, including resorts not owned and operated by Vail, but still fall under the accessibility of the pass, 36 of which are in the United States. For avid alpine athletes across America, each year’s looming winter season begs one daunting question: Epic or Ikon? Both Epic Pass and Ikon Pass are two all-season access passes that provide nearly (and sometimes totally) unlimited access to mountains across North America operated by the company whose pass is purchased

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