Ski Utah Press Release

Public Relations Director alison@skiutah.com

Alta Ski Area Named #2 Overall Ski Area in North America, Overall #1 Best in Snow in North America and Overall #1 Best in Snow Consistency and Quality in North America in the 2017-18 Best in Snow Awards, Powered by Liftopia

Awards Calculate Skier and Rider Survey Results with Proprietary Data, Revealing Fan Favorites and Top Resorts

SAN FRANCISCO and ALTA, Dec. 2017 – Alta Ski Area has been recognized as #2 Top Overall Ski Area in North America. Number one rankings include #1 Snow Consistency and Quality in High West; #1 Snow Consistency and Quality in North America; #1 Overall Best in Snow in High West and #1 Overall Best in Snow in North America, receiving national recognition in the 2017-18 Best in Snow Awards, Powered By Liftopia.

Honoring ski resorts across North America, Liftopia -- the largest online and mobile marketplace for lift tickets and mountain activities -- announced the 2017-18 Best in Snow Awards on December 18. The awards bring uber-local, relevant and must-know intel to beginning skiers as well as ski and snowboard aficionados. Unlike other ski awards, the Best in Snow Awards is the only ranking that calculates survey feedback from thousands of skiers and snowboarders and incorporates the largest dataset in the industry to determine the ski areas consumers are most passionate about. Winners are ranked and divided among seven categories for regions including the Northeast, West Coast, High West, Southeast and Midwest.

“We are honored to be recognized by Liftopia as the #2 ski area in North America and the ski area with the best snow consistency and quality”, states Alta’s General Manager, Mike Maughan. “Being also ranked in the top ten for challenge, value and beginner friendly contribute to the reason why Alta is a favorite of many skiers. These accolades are great recognitions for our 80th Anniversary season.”

To compile the 2017-18 Best In Snow Awards, Powered by Liftopia, more than 12,000 consumers were surveyed to measure their enthusiasm on specific aspects of their favorite resorts such as challenging terrain, crowds, family friendliness, snow consistency and overall quality. Respondents took into consideration criteria such as snow quality and conditions, grooming, accessibility, terrain variety and difficulty, vertical drop, learn to ski and snowboard programs, staff and instructors, resort size, crowds and lift lines, accessibility of lifts and beginner terrain, off-slope activities, the surrounding community, and cost of lift tickets, rentals and programs, among others. The responses were weighted with a proprietary algorithm based on Liftopia’s exclusive dataset that includes skier and snowboarder visits annually, acreage, uphill capacity and average true cost of skiing, to surface the best ski areas overall and across seven categories and five regions. 

“Skiers are by nature adventurous and today’s travelers are looking for the new, the interesting, the unknown areas to vacation. By measuring customers passion for their favorite areas, The Best in Snow Awards give consumers an opportunity to see which ski areas may become their next new favorite. Our method ensures a level playing field for ski areas of all sizes and brings skiers lesser known ski areas in addition to the larger ones we already know and love,” said Evan Reece, co-founder and CEO of Liftopia. 

Methodology and the complete list of winners in the 2017-18 Liftopia Best in Snow Awards can be found here.

About Alta Ski Area

Founded in 1938, Alta Ski Area is an iconic winter destination with a rich history. A seasonal average snowfall of over 550 inches, coupled with a philosophy of offering an authentic ski experience, have developed generations of skiers who consistently call this Utah resort their special place. Whatever your ability, Alta has skiing for you. Deep powder snow, soft groomers and spectacular scenery help to create lifetime memories.

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About Liftopia

Liftopia operates the largest online and mobile marketplace and resort technology platform serving the ski and mountain activity industry. Skiers and riders can purchase lift tickets, equipment rentals, meal vouchers and more from more than 250 ski areas in North America on Liftopia.com and via the Liftopia mobile app, with savings of up to 80% off walk-up window rates when purchased in advance. The brand created the coveted Best in Snow awards in 2016, utilizing a detailed survey combined with a proprietary dataset to rank the North American ski areas that customers are most passionate about. Founded in 2005, Liftopia is headquartered in San Francisco and backed by leading institutional and angel investors. Visit the Liftopia blog or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.