Ski mag only likes less crowded, Ikon resorts for 2025

Since SKI Magazine is no longer a print publication, I have no idea how they conduct the survey. It does not surprise me that results year to year have become more volatile. There is a fair amount of commentary regarding crowd/traffic issues.
 
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If it's anything like USA today, Forbes or Outside Mag "Best of" (Resorts, etc) they are pretty much self nominated by the marketing depts at these resorts, then beg readers on their facebook pages to vote everyday.
 
snowave said:
If it's anything like USA today, Forbes or Outside Mag "Best of" (Resorts, etc) they are pretty much self nominated by the marketing depts at these resorts, then beg readers on their facebook pages to vote everyday.
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The survey was "powered by Outside." Ikon holders got a free subscription to Outside last season. That might be a factor for why Epic resorts such as Park City or W-B are in #25-30.

Clearly Snowbasin wanted to be #1 more. ;)

#2 Aspen/Snowmass
#3 Banff/Sunshine
#4 Taos Ski Valley
#5 Alta
 
snowave said:
If it's anything like USA today, Forbes or Outside Mag "Best of" (Resorts, etc) they are pretty much self nominated by the marketing depts at these resorts
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Related, most didn't/don't know but Warren Miller movies have been pay to play for a long time. You want your resort in the movie? That'll be $50K or more payment please. Obviously for a few of the segments that's not true as there is no resort or etc.. but much of the movies have been made that way for a while. Smaller film names though left begging for at least free tix, roped off trails for powder shots or etc... is about all they can get.
 
The audience no longer wants to pay for media. I guess these different methods are how they are covering their bills.
 
Warren Miller Entertainment is a bit of a mismanaged soap opera of a company:

Warren Miller sold the company to his son, Kurt Miller, in the late 1980s.
  • Kurt Miller sold Warren Miller Entertainment to Time Warner in June 2000 for approximately $7.5 million.
  • After the sale, Kurt Miller started a new company called Synergy Group, based in Boulder, Colorado. This company acquires and co-produces sports films for Regal Entertainment. (Think it went bankrupt?)
  • Kurt's relationship with his father, Warren, became strained after the sale. They had barely spoken since the transaction.

After that, the company changed hands several times:
  • Time, Inc. sold it to Bonnier Corporation in 2007.
  • In 2013, Warren Miller Entertainment was acquired by Active Interest Media.
  • In 2020, Pocket Outdoor Media (now known as Outside Inc.) acquired Warren Miller Entertainment along with several other outdoor-focused brands.
Throughout these ownership changes, the company continued to produce annual ski films carrying on the Warren Miller brand legacy.
Warren Miller was no longer involved in the production of the films after the late 1980s, though his narration was still used in some films into the 1990s. It's worth noting that while the company has changed hands multiple times, it has continued to produce annual ski films and maintain the Warren Miller brand. The most recent developments include Outside Inc.'s acquisition and plans to continue the Warren Miller film tradition as part of their video and streaming business strategy.
 
Outside Inc. is a haphazard amalgam of dying print labels. I refuse to pay for anything (subscription—ha!) and just delete my cookies on browsers to read for free.

Strava and Outside are both on my negative list of outdoor sports tech companies.
 
ChrisC said:
Warren Miller Entertainment is a bit of a mismanaged soap opera of a company:
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I used to be in the loop with WM being located in Boulder, but there indeed was a lot of soap opera-ness of both the Time Warner and Bonnier transitions.

AIM and Outside transitions have been way, way smoother is about all I know. I've been in the AIM/Outside offices multiple times over the years. Lots of very divergent magazine titles that seem entirely unrelated other than being printed on glossy pages in magazines.

Definitely a slowly shrinking list of brands/magazines over the years though.
 
From the SAM article, sounds like the comments people wrote were more useful than the actual ranking results.

October 31, 2024
www.saminfo.com

Independent Areas Top SKI Resort Rankings

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Oct. 31, 2024—Snowbasin, Utah, earned the top spot in the West and Mad River Glen, Vt., repeated as the best in the East in the
www.saminfo.com www.saminfo.com
"
Top 30 Ski Resorts in the West:
  1. Snowbasin, Utah
  2. Aspen Snowmass, Colo.
  3. Banff Sunshine, Alberta
  4. Taos Ski Valley, N.M.
  5. Alta Ski Area, Utah
  6. Grand Targhee, Wyo.
  7. Telluride Ski Resort, Colo.
  8. Solitude Mountain Resort, Utah
  9. Sun Valley, Idaho
  10. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyo.
  11. Crested Butte, Colo.
  12. Snowbird, Utah
  13. Arapahoe Basin, Colo.
  14. Deer Valley, Utah
  15. Lake Louise, Alberta
  16. Beaver Creek, Colo.
  17. Copper Mountain, Colo.
  18. Winter Park, Colo.
  19. Whitefish Mountain Resort, Mont.
  20. Mammoth Mountain, Calif.
  21. Vail Mountain, Colo.
  22. Steamboat Resort, Colo.
  23. Breckenridge Resort, Colo.
  24. Big Sky Resort, Mont.
  25. Brighton, Utah
  26. Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia
  27. Heavenly, Calif.
  28. Palisades Tahoe, Calif.
  29. Park City Resort, Utah
  30. Keystone, Colo."
 
The Ikon/Outside/SkiMag connection is quite strong. Looking at the Top15, there are 2 non-Ikon ski areas:

Snowbasin, Utah
Aspen Snowmass, Colo.
Banff Sunshine, Alberta
Taos Ski Valley, N.M.
Alta Ski Area, Utah
Grand Targhee, Wyo.
Telluride Ski Resort, Colo.
Solitude Mountain Resort, Utah
Sun Valley, Idaho
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyo.
Crested Butte, Colo.
Snowbird, Utah
Arapahoe Basin, Colo.
Deer Valley, Utah
Lake Louise, Alberta


The Outside subscription fee is too high - $6.99/mo, occasionally $3.99/mo. You used to be able to get a paper subscription for that amount.
 
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