Coming off a record-setting season, Utah’s ski industry is poised to boost its numbers even higher this season, aided by the addition of a ski resort that will be more than a ski resort.
Woodward Park City will be the nation’s first ski resort and action sports facility, offering year-round activities for everyone from newbies to experts. Its winter sports offerings could help Utah top its record of 5.1 million skier days, set last winter. That figure was up 24 percent from the prior season and 12 percent over the previous record.
Spending also set a record, reaching nearly $1.7 billion, Nathan Rafferty, Ski Utah’s president and CEO, said at the industry’s recent season kickoff news conference.
“The economic impact in a state where tourism is now over $9 billion in spending was almost $1.7 billion in the ski industry alone, so [it’s] a very, very healthy economy, a vibrant ski industry,” Rafferty said.
Utah didn’t reach a snowfall record last winter, “but it felt like it some days,” he said, noting that snow piled up to 711 inches. People were able to hit the slopes for more than 200 days.
“Having a ski season that lasts nine months helps us break those kinds of records,” he said.
All of that activity has boosted anticipation for the upcoming season, according to Rafferty.
“One thing that happens when you have a season as good as we did last year was this tailwind effect going into the ski season this year,” he said. “Skiers and snowboarders in general have short memories and their memories only last until their last powder day, which was only a few months ago, it feels like. That translates into increased season pass sales [and] increased excitement. … All our resorts are locked and loaded and getting excited for the great ski season ahead.”
While several of Utah’s resorts have undertaken multimillion-dollar improvement projects, Woodward Park City’s 125-acre indoor/outdoor campus will be at the site of the old Gorgoza tubing park. Tubing will still be offered, but it will be only part of the offerings, which will include lift-accessed snowboarding, skiing, mountain biking, skateboarding, BMX, scooter, parkour, cheer and digital media.
Shaydar Edelmann, Woodward Park City general manager, said it will be open to the public 365 days and nights each year and offer a safe progression in each sport — “for all athletes, from families and ‘never-evers’ all the way through professional-level training.”
Lift tickets will start at about $50. Season passes will not be available, but memberships will, starting at a $100 per month introductory rate.
The exact opening date has yet to be determined, but a grand opening celebration and open house are scheduled for Dec. 14.
“We’re part of the Powdr resort family, so we’re on a mission to inspire people with cool experiences and awesome places, and we offer more sports, more programming, more days to create memories, and more ways to build a passionate community,” Edelmann said. “That’s what we’re about and we’re incredibly excited to be coming to you here.”
“I don’t know about you,” Rafferty told the crowd, “but that makes me want to be 15 years old again.”
In addition to Woodward Park City and the improvements undertaken at other resorts, Utah’s ski industry will be boosted by the redevelopment of the Salt Lake City International Airport, improvements to public transit and the industry’s variety, Rafferty said.
“We get a real big marketing bump from these multi-area passes that in the market right now,” he said. “Seven of our resorts are on these major multi-resort passes, which leaves eight of our resorts in the independent world, which is also a great thing. So, we have this variation of being able to go to the resorts that have these multi-area passes but there are very distinct, independent resorts that have a great flavor and really add to the overall mix here.”
The tentative opening dates for Utah’s resorts are:
• Dec. 7 for Deer Valley Resort.
• Nov. 27 for Snowbasin Resort.
• Nov. 29 for Snowbird.
• Dec. 6 for Sundance Mountain Resort.
• Dec. 20 for Eagle Point Resort.
Alta Ski Area, Park City Mountain and Solitude Mountain Resort hoped to open this past weekend. Dates for Beaver Mountain, Brian Head Resort, Brighton Resort, Cherry Peak Resort, Powder Mountain, Nordic Valley and Woodward Park City have yet to be determined.