Snowboarders are barred from 3 ski resorts in North America

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Utah is home to two of the three ski-only resorts in North America, and the reasoning behind the exclusivity is different for each one.

Vermont’s Mad River Glen and Utah’s Alta and Deer Valley ski resorts are the only resorts on the continent that still enforce snowboarding bans.

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During the 1980’s, most ski resorts did not allow snowboarding. According to the Smithsonian Magazine, a successful diplomacy campaign persuaded ski resorts nationwide to open their doors to snowboarders.

Alison Palmintere, director of communications for Ski Utah, said the decision to exclude snowboarding comes down to each ski resort’s business plan. She said there is “a benefit to having a variety of different resort experiences in Utah, including those that only offer skiing.”

Deer Valley Ski Resort’s communications director, Emily Summers, echoed this sentiment telling ABC4 that their ski-only business model has “become a brand identity for us.”

Skier at Deer Valley Ski Resort. (Image courtesy of Deer Valley)

“It’s what kind of sets us apart. It’s really an identifier and a unique experience that you’re going to get here,” she said. We only focus on the sport of skiing. That has made us really unique, and we are sought out for it.”

Summers said while the policy can be a hindrance for mixed-sport families, others like the single-sport focus and are attracted to their ski school or the ski-only experience in general.

“There’s many ways you can slide down the snow, and here we just focus on having two feet, two planks,” Summers said.

The ski-only experience is also a part of Alta Ski Area’s business model with their website advertising Alta as a “skier’s mountain.” However, the resort’s communications manager Lexi Dowdall provided an additional reason for the policy.

Dowdall said much of the resort’s “powder-skiing terrain must be reached by sidestepping uphill, traveling or hiking.” She said the ski-only experience complements the resort’s “varied terrain and excellent snow quality.”

Mad River Glen, the only other resort in the United States with a snowboarding ban, is located in Vermont and has a very different story behind the policy.

The resort’s website says it was one of the first resorts to allow snowboarding, but it quickly ran into safety problems as the main lift’s offloading area was not designed for snowboarders. This led to people pushing off from the chair and derailing the lift from the sheave wheels.

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“This became a common issue that obviously had safety implications,” the resort’s website says.

Snowboarders were subsequently barred from the main lift, but the resort said this led to frustration among snowboarders and an infamous confrontation between riders and the resort owner. Since then, the ski-only policy has remained in effect.

“We want to make clear that there is no animosity towards snowboarders per se. The ski industry is very competitive and our Co-op owners believe that the snowboarding policy is the best course for the mountain,” the website reads.

There are 15 resorts in the state, according to Ski Utah. Ski resorts start opening this month and in early December, with the latest opening day scheduled at Eagle Point Resort on Dec. 20. Deer Valley opens on Dec. 7 and Alta Ski Area opens this Friday, Nov. 22.

“There’s really a mountain for everyone,” Palmintere said. “We have so many options to choose from.”

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