SAM Magazine--West Dover, Vt., June 17, 2005--The Vermont Ski Areas Association announced its skier/boarder visit numbers for the 2004-05 season, which were 4.4 million. The total makes Vermont the third largest ski/ride state behind Colorado and California.

This year's numbers represent a five percent increase over the 2003-04 season, which came in at 4.2 million. The State's record is 4.5 million, which was in 2000-01, making this year's numbers not far off the mark.