A person holding a smartphone displaying the Epic Mix app, showing a skier in blue gear on snow with the app's logo, user stats, and social notifications.

Innovated the Skiing and Snowboarding Mountain Experience

CASE STUDY

In 2010, the experience across ski areas felt the same season after season. wanted to create something new for pass holders and extend the relationship beyond the average six days on snow into a year-round connection. 

So we built EpicMix, a new product and brand that turned the mountain into a game. A free iOS, Android, and desktop experience included with season passes that let skiers and riders track vertical feet and lift rides, connect with friends and family, check conditions, share accomplishments, and earn digital Pins for on-mountain achievements and exploration. 

Users could rack up points and see how they stacked up on leaderboards, bringing friendly competition and discovery into the experience. 

This was end-to-end product and brand creation. The core idea, naming, brand identity, UX, launch strategy, marketing, and production. Built as a cohesive ecosystem, not a one-off campaign.

Screenshots of a mountain biking app displaying user stats, maps, and badges on a smartphone.
Screenshot of a snowboarding resort loyalty program dashboard showing user's progress, points, and badges earned.
Webpage showing Snow.com with a snowy mountain background, a skier, and navigation options for resorts, vacation planning, mountain conditions, and a green EpicMix logo. Includes social media sharing and user stats for snow-related achievements.
Close-up of a person's hand holding a smartphone displaying a mobile app with a Pins section featuring a Pow Hound Pin, earned December 1, 2010, at Breckenridge, with options to share via Facebook, Twitter, and email.

Nike+ Meets Gowalla in Vail Resorts App for Skiers and Snowboarders

— MASHABLE

DEMO VIDEO

Digital Pins

A chart titled '180 Pins, 180 ways to say 'Aww Yeah'' with 180 icons representing different phrases or expressions. The icons are arranged in rows and columns, each with a unique graphic and caption, covering a wide range of expressions and sayings.

Figuring out all the ways to earn pins on the mountain was one of the funnest part of creating EpicMix. The hardest part was designing all the pins.

LAUNCH CONTENT

The word 'RESULTS' in bold, black capital letters on a white background.

10% Increase In Repeat Visits to Vail Owned Resorts

7.4% YOY Increase In Lift Pass Revenue

Led to Fast Company Naming Vail One The "Most Innovative Companies"

Implemented At Resorts Around The Globe 

Awards

The image shows the logo of the CLEO Awards, with the word 'CLEO' in large black letters and the word 'AWARDS' underneath in smaller black letters.

2x Gold clios

Diagram of a simple electric circuit with a battery, a switch, and two light bulbs connected in series.

PEOPLE’S VOICE