Skiing magazine readers cosistent
With 30 centimetres of snow in the alpine by mid-week, Whistler-Blackcomb is already off to a good start this season.
The resort has also benefited from a lot of good press lately, winning and placing in various "best of" categories in different publications.
Skiing Magazine was the latest rave, as Whistler-Blackcomb was ranked the number one ski resort in North America by the magazine for the sixth straight year.
The magazines annual top-25 list is based entirely on votes cast by readers and the top professional skiers in Canada and the U.S.
"With more than 11 square miles of skiable terrain, Whistler-Blackcomb has something for every level of skier," said Perkins Miller, editor-in-chief of Skiing. "No resort can match it for its great combination of hard skiing and hard partying."
Alta/Snowbird in Utah ranked second for the second year in a row, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming rounded out the top three.
Fernie made an appearance in ninth place, Kicking Horse was 16 th , and Lake Louise was 21 st .
Whistler was also selected as the Best Ski Resort for the third time by British travellers in the Daily Telegraphs annual Travel Awards, as decided by a poll of readers.
According to Tourism Whistler, travellers from the U.K. now make up about 10 per cent of all winter visits to the resort.
Ski Magazine ranked Whistler number two this year, behind Vail, Colorado, in their Top 60 Resort Guide. And the Sunday Times of the U.K. included Whistler in a feature story on the Worlds 10 Best Ski Resorts.
Its a lot to live up to, but this year Whistler also has the meteorologists on its side.
Jim Roemer at BestSkiWeather.com believes Whistler-Blackcomb will have the best early season conditions in North America and will receive above-average snowfalls. The Canadian Farmers Almanac is also calling for above-normal snow from mid-November to early December, and mid-January to mid-February.
Other kudos have come recently from Health Magazine, Travel and Leisure magazine, and Meetings West.
A group of leading snowboard publications, including Transworld Snowboarding and Snowboarder, will release their annual readers poll in the next month.