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At No. 4, Park City resort has continental excellence
By Mike Gorrell
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated:10/23/2006 01:03:28 AM MDT
With the continent's best terrain park and one of the top three pipes, Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR) has made a mark with snowboarders.
As a result, PCMR is ranked as the fourth-best North American resort for snowboarders in the annual reader poll conducted by TransWorld Snowboarding magazine.
"TransWorld is the No. 1 snowboarding magazine. To get the top ranking among [terrain] parks and to be No. four overall, beating out the likes of Vail and Aspen and being up there with Whistler and Mammoth, we're really stoked," said Jim Mangan, PCMR's snowboarding guru for several years and now its action sports marketing director, as well.
"We have the No. 1 park system three years in a row now, which has never been done," he added. "When the top snowboarding magazine prints that, it can't do anything but help us out."
PCMR was the only Utah resort to crack the magazine's top 20. Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort was ranked 24th; Brighton came in 21st, while notching enviable No. 1 ratings for snow quality and value.
"Ours is a nice little park, and we have great snow. Snowboarders know that and that we're a great value," said Brighton general manager Randy Doyle, who shrugged off the low overall rating. "We're not one of those big areas, so we just don't have the stats to get [higher up] there. But we have a fun terrain park, and we dedicate a lot of time to
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it."
TransWorld's reader survey rankings were based on 10 factors: terrain parks, pipes, challenge, vibe, snow quality, lifts, food, value, lodging and nightlife/after riding.
Whistler/Blackcomb in British Columbia, the venue for snowboarding events in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, vaulted from third last season to first this year. The only Canadian resort on the list, Whistler's climb, was fueled by high ratings for its challenge, lifts, lodging, food and overall vibe, said Trans-World chief content director Kurt Hoy.
"Our readers are on the snow constantly, and they know which resorts are delivering," Hoy said. "You can count on the resorts on this list being on-point on and off the slopes."
Mangan could not explain what PCMR might be missing that would cause it to slip to fourth despite being judged to have the best terrain park and third-best set of pipes.
"You never know what you're going to get in one of these surveys," said Mangan, who personally is promoting Summit County's vibe with his production of a movie, "City. Park City," which was released last month.
"But obviously, the kids are loving the parks," he added.
He expects even more customer satisfaction this season.
Mangan is moving PCMR's smallest terrain park from Jonesy's run to pick 'n shovel. The midsized park there will be shifted over to King's Crown, while the resort's biggest park will be groomed into Jonesy's and extended farther up the hill.
"We just wanted to offer more features for all the parks, switch things up and give it a fresh new look," he said. "Our smallest park will be twice as long as it was the last couple of seasons."
mikeg@sltrib.com
Snowboarding elite listings:
The top 10 resorts for snowboarders:
Source: TransWorld Snowboarding magazine
* 1. Whistler/Blackcomb, B.C.
* 2. Mammoth Mountain, Calif.
* 3. Breckenridge, Colo.
* 4. Park City Mountain Resort
* 5. Loon Mountain, N.H.
* 6. Northstar-at-Tahoe, Calif.
* 7. Vail, Colo.
* 8. Copper Mountain, Colo.
* 9. Squaw Valley, Calif.
* 10. Heavenly, Calif.
By Mike Gorrell
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated:10/23/2006 01:03:28 AM MDT
With the continent's best terrain park and one of the top three pipes, Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR) has made a mark with snowboarders.
As a result, PCMR is ranked as the fourth-best North American resort for snowboarders in the annual reader poll conducted by TransWorld Snowboarding magazine.
"TransWorld is the No. 1 snowboarding magazine. To get the top ranking among [terrain] parks and to be No. four overall, beating out the likes of Vail and Aspen and being up there with Whistler and Mammoth, we're really stoked," said Jim Mangan, PCMR's snowboarding guru for several years and now its action sports marketing director, as well.
"We have the No. 1 park system three years in a row now, which has never been done," he added. "When the top snowboarding magazine prints that, it can't do anything but help us out."
PCMR was the only Utah resort to crack the magazine's top 20. Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort was ranked 24th; Brighton came in 21st, while notching enviable No. 1 ratings for snow quality and value.
"Ours is a nice little park, and we have great snow. Snowboarders know that and that we're a great value," said Brighton general manager Randy Doyle, who shrugged off the low overall rating. "We're not one of those big areas, so we just don't have the stats to get [higher up] there. But we have a fun terrain park, and we dedicate a lot of time to
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it."
TransWorld's reader survey rankings were based on 10 factors: terrain parks, pipes, challenge, vibe, snow quality, lifts, food, value, lodging and nightlife/after riding.
Whistler/Blackcomb in British Columbia, the venue for snowboarding events in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, vaulted from third last season to first this year. The only Canadian resort on the list, Whistler's climb, was fueled by high ratings for its challenge, lifts, lodging, food and overall vibe, said Trans-World chief content director Kurt Hoy.
"Our readers are on the snow constantly, and they know which resorts are delivering," Hoy said. "You can count on the resorts on this list being on-point on and off the slopes."
Mangan could not explain what PCMR might be missing that would cause it to slip to fourth despite being judged to have the best terrain park and third-best set of pipes.
"You never know what you're going to get in one of these surveys," said Mangan, who personally is promoting Summit County's vibe with his production of a movie, "City. Park City," which was released last month.
"But obviously, the kids are loving the parks," he added.
He expects even more customer satisfaction this season.
Mangan is moving PCMR's smallest terrain park from Jonesy's run to pick 'n shovel. The midsized park there will be shifted over to King's Crown, while the resort's biggest park will be groomed into Jonesy's and extended farther up the hill.
"We just wanted to offer more features for all the parks, switch things up and give it a fresh new look," he said. "Our smallest park will be twice as long as it was the last couple of seasons."
mikeg@sltrib.com
Snowboarding elite listings:
The top 10 resorts for snowboarders:
Source: TransWorld Snowboarding magazine
* 1. Whistler/Blackcomb, B.C.
* 2. Mammoth Mountain, Calif.
* 3. Breckenridge, Colo.
* 4. Park City Mountain Resort
* 5. Loon Mountain, N.H.
* 6. Northstar-at-Tahoe, Calif.
* 7. Vail, Colo.
* 8. Copper Mountain, Colo.
* 9. Squaw Valley, Calif.
* 10. Heavenly, Calif.
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