Featured Image: Courtesy of Trollhaugen
When the conversation around skiing switches to economics, people tend to do one of two things: get emotionally charged, or check out. Both responses are completely understandable. The cost of a lift ticket today is enough to convince you that freeskiing's roots are gone and that you're better off punching sand. However, anger and dissociation are two sides of the same coin, and neither one helps us get anywhere. But there's another side to the discussion that's important to include, and it's talked about all too little. Affordable skiing is there; it's just underrepresented.
A few weeks ago, Marsha Hovey, the Director of Marketing at Trollhaugen, Wisconsin, was featured on The Bomb Hole Podcast. Perhaps the most treasured media outlet in snowboarding, The Bomb Hole is truly a gem of snow sports. Yes, they've occasionally featured skiers like Chris Benchetler and Tanner Hall in the past, but even if they hadn't, we'd still be pointing you in their direction thanks to their always-entertaining work.
Editor's Note: I've never once known any of the snowboard parts in the Name That Video Part segment, and I still enjoy it all the same. Proof that you should tune in, even if you're snowboard-clueless like me.
While Hovey's episode consisted of the usual discussions around culture, kickers and events, a good portion of the chat focused on the nuanced conversation around affordability in the ski and snowboard industry. And I'll preface this by saying that normally, we'd be quick to dismiss a resort executive talking about affordability for no other reason than a conflict of interest.
Of course, an exec is going to defend the industry, you might say. But Hovey is no ordinary Marketing Director. She's helped cement Trollhaugen's place at the forefront of the culture, bringing to life events like Take The Rake, The Longest Lap and Lord of the Ropes.
The Wisconsin resort's reputation speaks for itself, as Trollhaugen was even named Midwest Locals' Choice in FREESKIER's 2026 Resort Rankings. She's proved over and over again that her goal is people over profit, and (importantly) she's still found a way to keep the resort not just financially viable, but growing and relevant in the process.
When the topic of affordability, specifically lift ticket prices, arose, Hovey didn't shy away. While acknowledging that an expensive, overtly luxurious experience does exist, that isn't the full story. The mega-resorts in the West tend to hog the spotlight, yet the states with the most ski resorts, New York, Wisconsin and Michigan, are often null of mainstream attention.
"Yes, there is a very expensive experience that does exist," Hovey stated, "and there's also a wildly affordable experience that isn't talked about enough." She points out that Trollhaugen offers lift tickets and rentals as a $30 bundle on Tuesday and Thursday nights. All-day tickets are also just $68, while night skiing tickets (3 pm to 9 pm on Saturday) are $44.
And this isn't just a cheap deal for a cheap reward. The park at Troll is truly one of the best in the country. The laps are quick thanks to the rope, the features are dialed and bountiful, and the community is one of the best you'll find anywhere. "We're always talking about how expensive [snowboarding] is, and I want to make sure people understand that that's not all of the options," Hovey continued. "There are so many options to go and experience these sports in a more affordable setting all over the country."
And she's not wrong. Big corporations like Alterra and Vail Resorts dominate Colorado and Utah, but even there, you'll find more affordable resorts like Loveland Ski Area and Beaver Mountain. And across the West, the options are bountiful. There are over 10 independent resorts in Montana, eight in Idaho, and over five in Washington, Oregon and California each.
This isn't to say the famous resorts are overhyped or lame. Nobody who's ever skied a pow day at Jackson Hole will argue that it's a bad mountain, the same way that anyone who's lapped the park at Mammoth Unbound or Woodward Copper knows how much attention to detail goes into every lip and feature. Hovey's point, rather, is that the affordability needs to be showcased the same way as the illustrious grandeur in the West is.
"We have to switch the narrative," she aptly stated. "[The small resorts] are worthy of attention just the same as the giant mountains, because they are going to be more affordable, and they are the bread and butter for teaching people how to fall in love with these sports."
If we don't discuss something, it tends to fade. Whether it's geopolitics, art or skiing, this is a historical truth, and Hovey is spot on when she says that highlighting the affordable options within the ski and snowboard world is something we need to do a better job of, especially those of us in media. If skiers aren't made aware of these places, they risk going under, and if they go under, so do the options for sub-$100 lift tickets and a burger that doesn't cost you your firstborn child.
Hovey's passion and optimism left me with a renewed perspective on the wide world of skiing and snowboarding. While big lines and blower powder will always have a place in the pages of FREESKIER, the homegrown events need to be talked about just as consistently. The more accessible skiing is, the more love for the sport and culture it generates. And as long as people continue to fall in love with sliding downhill on snow, whether that's on one plank or two, the better off we all are.
There are many places facilitating affordable, passionate communities. Trollhaugen is doing it. Events like Andy Parry's Tell A Friend Tour are doing it. Affordable skiing isn't dead; you just have to know where to find it. And as it turns out, it's far more accessible than it might seem. Shout out to Marsha and everyone else working to bring skiing and boarding to the masses!
