SKI READERS RANK WHISTLER NO. 1 IN NORTH AMERICA; TREMBLANT TOPS IN EAST

Source: SKI Magazine

September 8, 1999
BOULDER, CO -- SKI readers crowned Whistler/Blackcomb, B.C., the new king of the mountain in SKI's 1999 Reader Resort Survey, which appears in the October issue on newsstands Sept. 12. SKI readers also ranked Tremblant, Que., as the top resort in the East in the magazine's 12th annual survey. To earn the No. 1 ranking, Whistler topped Vail, Colo., which had won the top spot for two years running -- and for nine out of 12 years.

"Whistler is the home of big-mountain skiing. With tremendous snowfall last season and the great value of the Canadian dollar, it all added up to a superlative year. Whistler earned its top ranking," says Andy Bigford, SKI's editor in chief. "The resort's success also can be measured in numbers. Whistler hit two million visitors last year, the first North American resort to do so."

The top 10 resorts in North America, as ranked by SKI readers, include:

1. Whistler/Blackcomb, B.C.   6. Snowmass, Colo.
2. Sun Valley, Idaho 7. Beaver Creek, Colo.
3. Deer Valley, Utah 8. Steamboat, Colo.
4. Vail, Colo. 9. Jackson Hole, Wyo.
5. Aspen, Colo. 10. Park City, Utah

The Top 10 in the East include:

1. Tremblant, Que.   6. Loon, N.H.
2. Stowe, Vt. 7. Smugglers' Notch, Vt.
3. Killington, Vt. 8. Attitash/Bear Peak, N.H.
4. Waterville Valley, N.H. 9. Holiday Valley, N.Y.
5. Sugarloaf/USA, Maine 10. Wildcat, N.H.

Readers rank resorts in 16 categories (from snow and lifts to dining and service). The combined scores determine the final standings. SKI readers know their skiing. On average, readers have been skiing for 22 years and ski 26 times annually. RRC Associates of Boulder, Colo., tabulates the results.

Some category winners include: Best Snow: Alta, Utah; Best Grooming: Deer Valley, Utah; Best Terrain: Jackson Hole, Wyo; Best Challenge: Mad River Glen, Vt,; Best Value: Alta, Utah; Best Lifts: Mt. Bachelor, Ore; Best Service: Deer Valley, Utah; Best On-Mountain Food: Deer Valley, Utah; Best Lodging: Tremblant, Que.; Best Dining: Sun Valley, Idaho; Best Apres-Ski: Aspen, Colo.; Best Family Programs: Smugglers' Notch, Vt.

SKI Magazine, part of The Skiing Company, based in Boulder, Colo, is the division of Times Mirror Magazines that publishes SKIING, SKI, FREEZE, Skiing Trade News, and SkiNet.com. Other Times Mirror Magazines include Field & Stream, GOLF MAGAZINE, Senior Golfer, Outdoor Life, Outdoor Explorer, Popular Science, Ride BMX, Salt Water Sportsman, Snap, Snowboard Life, The Sporting News, Today's Homeowner, TransWorld SKATEboarding, TransWorld SNOWboarding, TransWorld Surf, Warp and Yachting Magazine.