Killington cancels lifetime season passes

The new owner of the Killington ski resort is telling hundreds of people with lifetime passes that their unlimited access to the slopes is coming to an end.

Killington's new owners, Powdr Corp. of Salt Lake City, Utah, and SP Land Corp. of Dallas, say the terms under which they completed the $85.2 million deal did not bind them to the commitment made to the people who purchased stocks or bonds from the Sherburne Corp. in 1960 and 1961 to help get the resort started. A benefit of that investment was a lifetime season pass.

"At the time of the transfer of ownership, your pass will expire and the new owners have no obligation to honor your pass," said a letter to the pass holders.

Killington's new owner will give the lifetime pass holders passes for two years.

Many lifetime pass holders are upset.

"I don't understand how the new company can now say that our lifetime passes are no longer honored," said passholder Marty Post of Killington.

Post said he'd found paperwork about the sale saying the convenants containing the passes were passed on to Killington's new owners.

Powdr spokesman Mark Fischer said the filings Post discovered only referred to former owner American Skiing Co.

"The lifetime passes don't refer to their lifetime, it's the lifetime of the corporation," Fischer said. "Powdr, in an effort of good will, will provide for the passes for the next couple of years, and we're under no obligation to do that. We just don't want to cut people off cold turkey."

State Rep. Harry Chen, D-Mendon, said officials from the Vermont attorney general's office urged pass holders to file complaints so an official investigation could be started.

Chen said he thought the issue could end up in court.

"It's shortsighted," he said. "As a new company, I would think they would be trying to build goodwill rather than alienating skiers." (AP)