By Alison Taylor
One of the world’s most popular ski magazines has ranked
Whistler-Blackcomb number one for the 10th year running.
In the November issue of Skiing Magazine, Whistler-Blackcomb is
again at the head of the list of Top 25 Resorts in North America, marking a
decade as the best of the best.
“This is a feat no other resort has ever accomplished and we
are very proud to be the first,” said Stuart Rempel, senior VP of marketing and
sales at Whistler-Blackcomb.
Whistler-Blackcomb sees the magazine rankings as their annual
report card, a way of gauging public perception of their ski operations. And
getting an A plus for 10 years running has them pretty excited, said Rempel.
“It’s a testimony to the consistent product and the great
product that this resort offers,” he said.
Other resorts have tried to usurp its number one standing in
Skiing to no avail again.
Alta/Snowbird, Utah took second place again in the polls and
Jackson Hole, Wyoming knocked Vail, Colorado out of third place this year.
Fernie was the only other Canadian ski resort to make the top
10, coming in at number eight this year.
“Why has Whistler-Blackcomb dominated our resort poll for 10
years running?” said Marc Peruzzi, Editor-in-Chief of Skiing. “Skiing readers
and the athletes we survey know the skiing kicks ass, that’s why. The biggest
vertical in North America, tons of advanced terrain, 400-plus inches of snow,
and a rowdy party scene that doesn’t feature a bunch of pasty, lock-jawed
wankers in white turtlenecks doesn’t hurt.”
Skiing Magazine selected its Top 25 Resorts in North America by
reader surveys and statistical facts.
More than 300 pro skiers were canvassed and 4,300 readers voted
online.
Those calculations were combined with the verified skiable
acres, lift-served vertical, number of bars and eateries and annual snowfall at
each resort to get the final results.
And as if top resort wasn’t enough, the Garibaldi Lift Company
got a resounding North American plug in the same publication, ranked as
Skiing’s Top Mountain Bar, an honour not lost on the GLC’s general manager Mike
Varrin.
“It’s pretty exciting to get that recognition,” he said.
Freeskier Magazine lists Whistler-Blackcomb as the number one
resort in the Pacific Rim and it remains the favourite place to ski overall.
Transworld Snowboarding put Whistler-Blackcomb as the number
one resort in North America and it was in the top five rankings of Ski Magazine
this year.
“These magazine rankings help people make that choice (of where
to ski),” said Rempel. “We think they’re very important.
“We’re not going to let our guard down now.
“We’ve got good competitors out there. They’re strong and they’re not sleeping.”
