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What’s in this issue
The Battle for Vail Resorts
Why the Fight in the Boardroom Matters to all of us
A Hong Kong hedge fund, a Park City tech billionaire, an Olympic champion and a former Disney CEO are all fighting over the future of the company that runs our mountain. If you live, work, ski or own property in the Vail Valley, this one’s worth your attention.
It started in early 2025 with one small investor’s scathing letter, which helped push out CEO Kirsten Lynch and bring back Rob Katz. Now activist fund Oasis Management owns nearly 10% of Vail Resorts and is waging a full proxy fight for four board seats. It points to a 47% drop in net income and pass sales down 12%. This week Vail fired back, questioning the nominees’ pay and their ties to Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince. Prince has offered $500 million for Park City Mountain and dreams of a gondola linking six Utah resorts.
Why should you care? Because in a resort economy, Vail Resorts works more like infrastructure than an ordinary company. It’s the valley’s largest employer and shapes housing and local politics. It decides how long the lift lines are and what a pass costs. The Epic Pass brings the visitors our lodges, restaurants and shops depend on. And with talk of an “asset-light” Vail that sells off mountains, the question of who owns and invests in Vail and Beaver Creek matters to every property owner here.
The likeliest outcome isn’t a fire sale. It’s more pressure on the company to deliver a better experience, which could be good news for all of us. We break down the players, the dirty laundry and what to watch before the shareholder vote.
Happenings
Vail Opening Weekend 2026
vaildaily.com
Three weeks from Friday, the first gondola cabins of the season head up Vail Mountain. After last winter, nobody’s taking the snow for granted, but the forecast talk about a Super El Niño and an early start on snowmaking have the Valley ready to celebrate. Here’s what we know so far about opening weekend: Opening Day traditions at Gondola One, a new après scene at the base, and a free concert in Vail Village to cap off the first day on the slopes.
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Order Like a Local
villagebagel.co
If you live here, you already know. You’ve waited in the Edwards line, you have a usual, and you’ve probably said “shmear” out loud without it sounding awkward.
If you’re a visitor, there’s a good chance you’ve driven right past it. Village Bagel isn’t in Vail Village or at the base of Beaver Creek. But it’s worth the detour, and it might be the easiest great breakfast in the valley to fit in. Its second shop in Gypsum, out by the airport, has a drive-up window: order on your phone, grab a hand-rolled, boiled-and-baked bagel with some shmear, and you’re on your flight without missing a beat.
In the full story, we share what the owners and crew actually order, from the shmear that shows up in nearly every staff favorite to a chocolate chip combo that sounds wrong but isn’t. Plus the story of how it all started with a homesick New Yorker, Penn Station and a single poppy seed bagel.
Coming to the Valley
hyatt.com
If Beaver Creek has a front door, it’s the Park Hyatt. The ski school is about 20 steps away on one side, and the village and ice rink are right out the back. Now this 1989 landmark has a refreshed lobby, bar and guest rooms with a warm, residential mountain look. We take a look at what’s new, where to eat and unwind, and how to book your stay with Hyatt Privé perks like upgrades, daily breakfast and a property credit.
Jean-Claude’s Stammtisch
Part Two of the Stammtisch chat between JC and Mike on their favorite ski runs is ready! We talked about Vail in Part One, so this time it’s all about Beaver Creek (and Bachelor Gulch and Arrowhead). Somebody say something about warm chocolate chip cookies?…! Check out Part Two here.
