SAM Magazine - Orinda, Ca., May 1, 2008 - A web poll conducted by OnTheSnow.Com, threw up some surprises for those who watch the industry. While the choice of Whistler Blackcomb as the top resort in North America may have been expected (the Canadian ski resort consistently scores high rankings in reader's polls conducted by such stalwarts as Ski and Skiing Magazines), some of the results from the website's poll have surprised industry observers.

There's no doubt that OnTheSnow.com is legitimate. The site attracts a Nielsen-audited 1.2 million unique monthly and is owned and operated by Mountain News Corporation, a forty-year-old mountain recreation and travel news and information company which also publishes The Industry Report and MountainGetaway.com. But despite OnTheSnow.com's expertise, and the choice of Whistler Blackcomb as the top resort in North America, some of the reader's poll rankings are surprising to say the least.

New Mexico's Angle Fire, for example, was named as having the best terrain park in North America, beating out resorts such as Park City (which is home to Tanner Hall and other top pro skiers and snowboarders and which hosts numerous world class park events), Buttermilk (which hosts the Winter X Games) and June Mountain (long known as a top spot for photo and film shoots featuring many of skiing and snowboarding's best professional athletes).

In the Rocky Mountain region, Deer Valley, Utah, was named by OnTheSnow.Com's readers as having the best nightlife, a choice that will surprise anyone who has spent time in Aspen, Telluride or Breckenridge. Also in the Rocky Mountain region, Telluride won best terrain park, beating out the aforementioned resorts like Park City and Aspen/Buttermilk. And in the Midwest Region, Shanty Creek, Michigan, was cited by the site's visitors as having the best downhill terrain, beating out Mt. Bohemia, an Upper Peninsula ski area which averages just under 300 inches of snow each year, has 750 vertical feet of drop (compared to Shanty Creek's 450), features only advanced and expert terrain and has, arguably, the steepest and most challenging skiing in the region.

For the reader's poll, OnTheSnow.com's visitors ranked resorts in five categories: Overall Favorite, Best Nightlife, Most Family-Friendly, Best Downhill Terrain, and Best Terrain Park. The site received more than 7,500 reviews, which were submitted from September 2007 until April 2008.

"User generated content is one of the most powerful and effective ways Web visitors have to communicate with each other," says Mountain News Corp. President and Publisher Rob Brown, whose company publishes OnTheSnow.com. "Skiers and snowboarders are relying on the word of their peers when they make resort choices. We believe the importance of reader advisories will continue to grow each year and these annual awards provide a peek into their thinking."

Results are as follows:

Overall Winners:

Favorite Resort: Whistler-Blackcomb, B.C.

Best Downhill Terrain: Whistler-Blackcomb, B.C.

Best Nightlife: Whistler-Blackcomb, B.C.

Most Family Friendly: Snowmass, CO

North America's Best Terrain Park: Angle Fire, NM

Regional Winners:

Pacific Northwest:

Favorite: Schweitzer, Idaho

Nightlife: Schweitzer, Idaho

Family: 49 Degrees North, Wash.

Downhill Terrain: Mt. Baker, Wash.

Terrain Park: Mt. Bachelor, Ore.

Far West:

Favorite: Squaw Valley., Calif.

Nightlife: Mammoth Mt., Calif.

Family: Snow Valley, Calif.

Downhill Terrain: Kirkwood, Calif.

Terrain Park: Bear Mt., Calif.

Rocky Mountains:

Favorite: Snowmass, Colo.

Nightlife: Deer Valley, Utah

Family: Grand Targhee, Wyo.

Downhill Terrain: Jackson Hole, Wyo.

Terrain Park: Telluride, Colo.

Midwest:

Favorite: Ski Brule, Mich.

Nightlife: Shanty Creek, Mich.

Family: Chestnut, Ill.

Downhill Terrain: Shanty Creek, Mich.

Terrain Park: Perfect North Slopes, Ind.

Northeast:

Favorite: Sunday River, Maine

Nightlife: Whiteface, N.Y.

Family: Smugglers' Notch, Vt.

Downhill Terrain: Gore Mt., N.Y.

Terrain Park: Loon Mt., N.H.

Mid-Atlantic/Southeast:

Favorite: Wintergreen, Va.

Nightlife: Wisp, Md.

Family: Bryce Mt., N.C.

Downhill Terrain: Blue Knob, Pa.

Terrain Park: Hidden Valley, Pa.

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