Banner year looms at Utah ski resorts

Utah ski resorts could easily accommodate twice as many skiers as they have in past years without putting any stress on lifts or ski runs.

Six million skier days, however, isn't likely this season, even though Utah is off to one of its best starts in years. But 3.5 million and even 4 million are numbers that are not unreasonable, said Kip Pitou, president of Ski Utah during an early-morning press conference Wednesday.

Last year, Utah's 13 major resorts accounted for nearly 3.1 million skier days.

"Five years ago, when I first arrived, I predicted 4 million. I felt it was possible then, but things didn't turn out that way and it's still not that way," he told the group.

"But this is a new year, a very different year . . . I will predict that with everything we have going for us, I think we can hit three and a half million."

Annual ski visits represent an infusion of $710 million into Utah's economy each year and represent about 20 percent of Utah's annual tourism business.

"Imagine what a boost to the economy an increase of just a half a million, let alone a million skier days, would be," continued Pitou.

As noted, Utah is off to one of its best ski seasons in more than 20 years. Since the first of the month, resorts like Snowbird, Alta and Solitude have received nearly 100 inches of snow, with more storms expected to hit this week. The record for a one-month accumulation is 151 inches set in 1994 at Snowbird.

In response to the likelihood of an increase in skiers, Nathan Rafferty, director of communications at Ski Utah, pointed out comparisons between Colorado, long considered Utah's toughest competition, and Utah. Colorado offers about 33,000 skiable acres at its 24 resorts and accounts for more than 11 million skier days. Utah, by comparison, offers about 24,000 skiable acres at 13 major resorts and accounts for 3 million skier days.

"Anyone who skis knows there are days when you feel you're alone on the hill. . . . With the infrastructure we have, we can accommodate more skiers," added Pitou.

"And in marketing a ski product like Utah, 50 percent is based on the snow, and we have the snow, and 50 percent is based on getting the word out that we have snow, and we're doing just that."

He pointed out that Utah's Web site has received more than 130,000 individual visitors, who have looked at 1.7 million pages, representing ski areas, lodging and activities in Utah, "which is four times as many as we've ever had by this time."