Park City Allows Snowboarding For '96/'97 Season
By Todd Harris

On April 23, 1996 the Park City Ski Resort made the announcement that, effective the Fall of 1996, Snowboarders would be welcome at the resort.

"We reviewed the no snowboarding policy every year, and through our recent purchase of the Boreal and Soda Springs resorts in California we feel we have learned what we need to know to make the change at Park City," says Nick Badami, chairman of Powdr Corp., Park City's Parent company.

Badami says that there will be no restrictions on snowboarders at Park City and the resort is moving ahead with plans to make the resort more "snowboard-friendly". While prices for the coming year have yet to be determined ($48 for a day pass last year) Badami says both skiers and snowboarders will pay the same for both day and season passes.

The sudden move by Park City has many in the industry thinking it was a financial decision or a public relations move which would make the resort more politically correct to host the snowboarding events at the 2002 Salt Lake City games. Badami says that's not the case. "We're a destination family resort," he says. "We shouldn't make it hard for families who want to ski and snowboard together, but as far as the financial decision, we're a money-making company. We never take on a project unless we can do our best."

For neighboring Wolf Mountain Resort, who has allowed snowboarders for quite some time, the news was received with mixed reaction. "I don't think it will hurt us, we've done a great job with our snowboard park, the terrain is awesome and there is loyalty to a resort... Snowboarders are not thankless," says Beth Moon, Wolf Mountain's public relations director.

The news was not a surprise for management at Utah snowboard hot spot Brighton. "I don't know how they could afford not to make the change, being a family destination resort," said Randy Doyle, Brighton's area manager. "I really don't see it affecting Brighton all that much."

While the change in policy might not affect other resorts in the state of Utah, the announcement has already had somewhat of a domino affect. As of May 1st, the following changes were either underway or being considered.

Keystone Resort in Colorado was leaning towards lifting their "no snowboarding" policy, Alpine Meadows in California, (which is also owned by Powdr Corp.) was going to follow Park City's lead and Snowbird is going to lift the ban of snowboarders on the Gad II lift.

With Park City lifting the Ban, the only remaining snowboard hostile resorts in Utah are; Alta, Deer Valley, and Sundance.

Park City will now wait and see if snowboarders come rushing to the once forbidden terrain, or remember the icy reception they always received in the past.