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CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — Officials in Casper are raising the price of season passes at the Hogadon Ski Area for first-time buyers because of fraud.
Leisure Services Director Doug Follick said the ski area on Casper Mountain has no way to verify whether a customer is truly a first-time buyer and he said some people are abusing the system.
Follick said the original goal of the first-time discount was to entice young Casper residents to start skiing, but the ski area determined that almost 200 of the 300 reduced-cost passes sold annually were going to adults.
"Someone walks up to the counter at the rec center and says this year, 'My name's Mike,' the next year, 'My name is Michael' and the year after it could be Dave," Follick said.
People who bought the introductory passes paid $185, compared with $265 for a standard pre-season pass.
"What you're trying to do is lure kids, the younger generation," Follick said.
The current prices are $250 for children, $365 for youths ages 13 to 18 and $900 for two adult and two child passes, the Casper Star-Tribune reported (http://tinyurl.com/zrgqexm ).
Follick said rates will increase next season because the ski area is opening a new ski lodge. He said those rates won't be available until next spring.
"We're a hometown ski area and we try to keep skiing as economical as possible," Follick said.
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Information from: Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune, http://www.trib.com
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