Demand outstripped supply as Mammoth MVP passes sold out earlier then planned.

Amid grumbles that $80 was too steep for a lift ticket, Mammoth Mountain Ski Are staff re-opened the Mammoth Value Passes. Designed to ensure skiers and snowboarders come to Mammoth next winter, staff brought back these lower priced season passes.

The plan was to sell the $576 season passes for the month of April or until a set number of passes was sold. The MVPs have now sold out a week early, staff reports.

The Mammoth Value Pass or MVP was created in 1999, according to ski area officials, to provide an affordable access to the slopes of Mammoth and June Mountains, but the number of passes was capped in 2005. People could renew passes bought in 2005, but no new MVPs were sold until this year.

Staff reports that due to the changing economy and attrition in the program over the years, Mammoth announced it would open the pass sales up to any purchaser this season giving sales a boost. This limited quantity of passes sold out in 23 days.

We saw incredible demand for this product this April, said Joani Lynch, Director of Communications for Mammoth Mountain. This is a good indicator for Mammoth next season. It shows people are still committed to investing in their recreation time and plan to spend more of it here, continued Lynch.

Not everything works out as planned. We were contacted by one person who was upset about opening up the books on MVP passes. Rather then quit the MVP program, he explained that he bought MVP passes in past years that he would not have bought if he knew the MVP passes would be re-opened to new buyers this year.

The MVP passes sold this year also allow visitors to ski the remainder of this season, which is expected to last at least through Memorial day weekend.

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