U.S. Ski Resorts ban Snowboarding because of Safety concerns

In North America, Utah has two ski-only resorts, with each resort’s reasoning for exclusivity differing.

In the United States, only Utah’s Alta and Deer Valley ski resorts, along with Vermont’s Mad River Glen resorts, still enforce a ban on snowboarding throughout their ski resorts.

A majority of ski resorts did not allow snowboarding during the 1980s when snowboarding was in its infancy.

An effective diplomacy campaign led by the Smithsonian Magazine resulted in ski resorts across the country opening their doors to snowboarders after a successful diplomacy campaign.

Ski Utah’s director of communications, Alison Palmintere, explained that the decision to exclude snowboarding from a ski resort’s business plan is based on how that resort plans to make money.

The spokesperson said there is a distinct benefit to having a variety of different types of resorts in Utah, including those that concentrate on only offering skiing as part of their experience.

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Similarly, this sentiment was echoed by Emily Summers, the communications director at Deer Valley Ski Resort, who told Nexstar’s KTVX that the ski-only business model has «become a brand identity for us in the ski industry.»

“It’s one of the things that makes us different from other companies. “This is a way for us to identify ourselves and provide you with a truly unique experience,” she said.

“We are a ski company that only focuses on skiing as a sport. Because of that, we have become a highly sought-after company, since it makes us so unique.

The policy can be a hindrance for mixed-sport families, but other families do not mind the single-sport focus and are rather attracted to ski schools or the ski-only experience in general for the reasons stated above by Summers.

There are many ways to slide down a snowy mountain, and here we focus on just having two feet and two planks to prevent slipping,” Summers explained.

There is also another reason why Alta Ski Area offers the ski-only experience with their website advertising the resort as a “skiers mountain.

However, Lexi Dowdall, the resort’s communications manager, said there is another reason for the restriction of skiers to the area.

In addition to the resort’s “varied terrain and excellent snow quality,” Dowdall said much of the powder-skiing terrain needs to be reached through sidestepping, traveling, or hiking.

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Snowboarding is forbidden at Mad River Glen, the other resort in the US with a snowboarding ban located in Vermont.

Snowboarding at the resort was allowed during its early days, but the main lift’s offloading area was not designed for snowboarders, according to its website. Derailing the lift occurred when people pushed off from the chair.

Snowboarders were then banned from using the main lift, leading to frustration among snowboarders and an infamous confrontation with resort management. As a result, ski-only has been enforced.

The snowboarding community is not antagonistic toward snowboarders. Skiing is very competitive, and our Co-op owners believe snowboarding is the best course for the mountain,” says the website.

The Utah Ski Valley is home to 15 resorts. Eagle Point Resort will open Dec. 20 as the latest ski resort to open this month. Alta Ski Area is opening this Friday, Nov. 22, for those seeking a snowboarder-free experience.

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