ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Salt Lake City, UT - Four snowboarders and Wasatch Equality, a Utah non-profit corporation whose stated mission is to open all ski areas operating on public land to snowboarding, filed a lawsuit today in the United States District Court for the District of Utah against Alta Ski Area and the U.S. Forest Service, seeking a permanent injunction to prevent Alta from enforcing its snowboarding ban. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobD Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Maybe Deer Valley is secretly funding the suit to get a monopoly on ski only in the west. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dingbat Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Maybe Alta is secretly funding it so they can save face with their clientele by being forced to allow snowboards on the hill.:rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 I always saw it as something close to racism; sportism, if you may? Why allow one and not the other? Yes, I understand new snowboarders that scrape all the snow off not being wanted, but why did better riders also get the shaft? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 I've got no problem with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruincounselor Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 If Alta was on private land there is no question that they get to make the rules. The issue is that Alta is on public land. Do they have a reasonable right to restrict access? I've always found the arguments for segregation underwhelming. If they want to use the purist argument they should enforce a leather boot, wood ski policy - with non-releasable bindings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dingbat Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 If they want to use the purist argument they should enforce a leather boot, wood ski policy - with non-releasable bindings. And no snowboard derived sidecuts or technology. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0ardski Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Is Alta really that much of a terrain mecca for anybody to really care? another ? are skwals or monoskis allowed? and if so why not alpine boards, When I use poles and alpine board in deep snow no one can tell I'm not skiing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 If Alta was on private land there is no question that they get to make the rules. The issue is that Alta is on public land. Do they have a reasonable right to restrict access? I've always found the arguments for segregation underwhelming. If they want to use the purist argument they should enforce a leather boot, wood ski policy - with non-releasable bindings. My thoughts exactly. Your house=your rules. Public land=public access. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn Poop Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Public land or not, with so many more awesome places to go, who gives a **** if Alta and Deer want to ban snowboards? Yeah, if this were Michigan and they were the only landfill in the area, then I could see making it an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonbordin Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 My thoughts exactly. Your house=your rules. Public land=public access. Amen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 (edited) I love that video! It appears that what they really want is a resort that excludes beginners, which is a doomed business model in an already exclusive sport. Economics will likely make them cave eventually, as soon as their aging clientele fades away, and like every other "ski" area will realize that they needed the influx of young customers to survive. The public land argument is a valid one. Sometimes, on the chair lift, I like to remind young snowboarders (that may hold a similar prejudice toward skiers) to have some respect, and be thankful for the pioneer skiers that developed all these "ski areas" we now enjoy, otherwise they'd be walking up the hill and have to clear a trail down. Maybe Alta should make a Utah friendly version of this ad for an "exclusive" midwestern expert-only resort. Edited January 17, 2014 by bigwavedave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icebiker Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 Yes, I understand new snowboarders that scrape all the snow off not being wanted... I hear that argument too. I always tell them for every boarder that slides with his one edge per turn, a sliding skier has two. So who actually moves more snow, eh?:p Then I tell them I don't slide. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puddy Tat Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 ...Then I tell them I don't slide. ;) You scrape the snow they don't like that, you leave a trench and they complain about that... I've really no time to worry about this anymore. I've noticed over the past few years, especially amongst kids, the number of new skiers at resorts drastically outnumbers the number of new boarders. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted January 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 I hear that argument too. I always tell them for every boarder that slides with his one edge per turn, a sliding skier has two. So who actually moves more snow, eh?Well, we probably do to be frank. It's not often you see a skier side-slipping an entire steep run, but you sure see snowboarders doing it. Also the fact that a lot of snowboarders are teenagers means a lot of snowboarders are obnoxious idiots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 I'm sure this has been discussed here before, but what have been the results of people taking niche equipment to Alta? Alpine boards, narrow alpine boards, Skwals, teleboards, etc? Can you ride the lift if you have an alpine board and poles? Etc. Just curious, not planning to besmirch the hallowed slopes with my foul single-plankedness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted January 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2014 (edited) I don't know for sure, but my impression is that all single-plank conveyances are banned, except maybe actual side-by-side monoskis. The report below is about a handicapped guy that was tossed out of Deer Valley for riding a Teleboard (reputed to be a custom Donek). If they catch you, they will ask you to leave. You might even get escorted out? No refunds are likely. <iframe src="http://eplayer.clipsyndicate.com/embed/iframe?aspect_ratio=3x2&auto_start=0&pf_id=9207&rel=3&show_title=0&va_id=4002523&volume=8&windows=1" scrolling="no" width="425" frameborder="0" height="330"></iframe> Edited January 18, 2014 by ExcelsiorTheFathead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeho730 Posted January 18, 2014 Report Share Posted January 18, 2014 There is no reason why boarders cannot go up and come down on their own. Key is that boarders cannot use lift facilities. Best form of protest will be to skin up and board down without using lift facilities. It's public land, so I believe Alta cannot prevent someone from boarding the slopes as long as he or she does not use lift facilities? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davekempmeister Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 I've got no problem with it. why should you, you're not vested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monodude Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 I'm sure this has been discussed here before, but what have been the results of people taking niche equipment to Alta? Alpine boards, narrow alpine boards, Skwals, teleboards, etc? Can you ride the lift if you have an alpine board and poles? Etc. Just curious, not planning to besmirch the hallowed slopes with my foul single-plankedness. I've had many an epic day @ Alta on a MonoSki. I say open it to snowboarders... Don Come to the darkside we have edibles... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowwjob1 Posted January 24, 2014 Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 I know that they let tele boards on the lifts. I was at snowbird riding with a tele boarder that rode at alta regualarly. Also why skin up Alta just ride th tram at the bird hike baldy and drop in to alta. then catch the bus back to the bird. Skiers alway get pissed but there is nothing theycan do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted September 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2014 Judge rejects snowboarders suit over ban from Alta Courts » Lawsuit had claimed they were unconstitutionally barred from slopes. By Tom Harvey | The Salt Lake Tribune A federal judge on Tuesday tossed out a lawsuit by snowboarders who had claimed the Alta Ski Area was unconstitutionally keeping them from its slopes. U.S. District Judge Dee Benson said in a 30-page opinion that federal court was not the right arena for the snowboarders to be arguing they should be allowed on the Utah resort's famed runs such as Baldy Chutes. "There are many forums plaintiffs can resort to in an attempt to accomplish their goal of snowboarding down the Baldy Chutes at Alta," Benson wrote in his decision. "Seeking an injunction from this court is not one of them." The boarders had sued in January arguing that they were being irrationally discriminated against and deserved protection under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which historically has been used on cases involving discrimination based on race, gender and sexual orientation. But Benson said "there are multiple grounds supporting a rational basis for Alta's skiers-only equipment restriction, plaintiffs allegations of animus are irrelevant to the discussion." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted April 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2016 SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A federal appeals court on Tuesday backed a ban on snowboarders at a Utah ski resort, saying the private business has a right to remain one of the last resorts in the nation to ban the activity. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals made the ruling while dismissing a lawsuit filed by a group of snowboarders against Alta Ski Area outside Salt Lake City. The snowboarders had argued that it was discriminatory to stop them from shredding its slopes at the resort located largely on public land. The Denver-based court disagreed and sided with Alta. It said the private company can make the decision even though the U.S. Forest Service, a government agency, grants the resort a lease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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