In 2010 I had covered how Nokia was collaborating with Burton Snowboards, to create a new type of connected snowboarding experience.
Since then, Vail Resorts in the USA has created an RFID based platform that can be accessed from any device. Their app is called EpicMix and, together with the slopes’ RFID lift ticket system, it captures users’ skiing and boarding activity and automatically uploads it to an EpicMix dashboard.
This season (2011/12) they have redesigned the app, created more badges (in the spirit of Foursquare), and integrated the resort photographers’ photos so they appear seamlessly in the user’s EpicMix account.
In US destination ski resorts, RFID-linked tracking and social sharing turn a day on the mountain into a measurable, shareable story.
RFID lift tickets as the invisible engine
The clever part is that the tracking does not ask you to “do” much on the hill. Your lift access becomes the passive signal. The system can log where you have been and how your day is stacking up, then present it back as a clean timeline and a set of stats in your account.
Badges and photos that keep the story moving
Badges give the platform an easy repeat loop: one more run, one more milestone, one more pin to unlock. The photo integration adds something even more powerful. It gives you proof you were there, in moments you do not usually capture yourself, and it drops those images into the same place you already check your day.
Why this changes the experience of a resort day
This is not only a ski tracker. It is a social layer that makes the day easier to remember, easier to compare, and easier to share. It also nudges behavior in a subtle way: people chase an extra badge, or detour to a spot where they know the photographers are active, because the system makes those micro-goals feel rewarding.
What to steal for any connected “real life” platform
- Use an existing touchpoint as the sensor. Lift access already happens. The system just listens.
- Return value quickly. Stats and milestones should feel immediate, not like a weekly report.
- Make memories part of the product. Photos are not decoration. They are retention.
- Design sharing as a byproduct. If the dashboard is satisfying, sharing becomes optional, not forced.
A few fast answers before you act
What is EpicMix?
EpicMix is an RFID-enabled tracking and sharing platform from Vail Resorts that captures ski and snowboard activity via lift tickets and presents it in a personal dashboard across devices.
How does the RFID lift ticket system help track a ski day?
RFID in lift tickets and passes can register lift usage as you ride, which lets the platform build a record of your day without requiring manual check-ins.
What is new in the 2011/12 season update?
The 2011/12 version is positioned as a redesign that expands badges and brings resort photographers’ images directly into a user’s EpicMix account.
Why do badges matter in a resort app?
Badges create small goals that make people check the app again, compare with friends, and feel progress beyond “I skied today”.
What makes photographer integration such a strong feature?
It adds high-quality memories with minimal effort. The experience feels richer when photos appear automatically in the same place you track your day.