Granite Peak Bans Snowboarders From “Skier Only” Terrain
mike lewis
- October 26 2009
- 3,723 views
- 66 comments
The trail map shown on skigranitepeak.com that lists six "skier only" runs, highlighted in green. The resort's owner says that this will be updated to only ban riders from three runs.
Beginning this season, Wisconsin’s Granite Peak Ski Area will be restricting access to three of its runs to skiers only. The resort, which boasts five terrain parks that president and owner Charles Skinner says are used almost exclusively by snowboarders, has been hearing from a “growing chorus of skiers requesting a few ’skier only’ runs,” says Skinner. “Skiers have told us that the rhythm, turn radius, and visual orientation is different for skiers and snowboarders, and that they would enjoy a few runs dedicated just to skiers. We are now responding to this request by the dedication of three runs for this purpose.”
Granite Peak currently has a trail map posted on its Web site, skigranitepeak.com, showing that six runs will be given the new “skier only”
One of Granite Peak's five terrain parks.
designation this winter, but Skinner says that this was an “intermediate plan” that has since been revised to include three of its 75 runs that he describes as “shorter and narrower than the average run.” The segregated terrain accounts for about three percent of the total mountain.
The new policy is not currently listed on the Granite Peak Web site, but Skinner says it will be explained in an updated version of the resort’s site scheduled to launch shortly.
“Many families, like my own or groups of friends, are comprised of both skiers and snowboarders and this new policy restricts their options to enjoy the mountain together as a group – this is not right,” says Louis Bailoni, a Granite Peak local rider. “Granite Peak is open to the public, is not a private club, [and] is located on State Park property and therefore to restrict mountain access purely based on whether you choose to ski or snowboard is discriminatory. What’s next? Restrict access to the Disabled? Telemark skiers? Children below a certain age? Adults above a certain age? I.Q. level?”
“This year’s change is an effort to provide a better balance for all of our customers,” explains Skinner. “We have responded aggressively to the requests of snowboarders to expand terrain features over the past few years and have continuously upgraded and improved the features. Our snowboarder customers are important to us and we will continue to improve and enhance our terrain parks. This change is an experiment for this season and will be evaluated at the end of the season based on feedback from customers. This is the same process we have taken with our terrain parks which has resulted in changing locations and other modifications of terrain parks over the years.”
If you would like to make your voice heard, please contact Granite Peak at 715-845-2846 or visit skigranitepeak.com.
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October 26th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
"The resort, which boasts five terrain parks that president and owner Charles Skinner says are used almost exclusively by snowboarders."
The key word in the quote above is "almost." There is no ban on a skier using the park. There should be no ban on the occasional snowboarder who wants to use one of the runs that skiers predominantly use. In fact, I was at a Warren Miller "Dynasty" showing a few days ago and there was plenty of footage of skiers using terrain parks.
There is also likely no chorus of snowboarders requesting a few ’snowboard only’ runs.
This is absolutely outrageous. I am a snowboarder that prefers long runs to laps in the terrain park. I live 3 hours from Granite Peak, 4 hours from Lutsen, and 2 hours from Spirit Mountain. I've often found it difficult to decide which resort to buy a lift ticket to on any given weekend in the winter. Thanks for making my decision this year an easy on Granite Peak! You wont be getting a dime from me this year.
Thanks!
- A 30 something snowboarder who prefers carving to jibbing.
October 26th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
“We have responded aggressively to the requests of snowboarders to expand terrain features over the past few years and have continuously upgraded and improved the features. Our snowboarder customers are important to us and we will continue to improve and enhance our terrain parks."
This assumes everybody who rides park is a snowboarder.
October 26th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Im a local from granite peak , i dont agree with that i like to make runs though the park and i like making turns too but i ride with both ski and snowboard this is not cool
October 26th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Amen 612 guest! Amen!
October 26th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
next are you not going to allow white men and children to go on certain runs?
October 26th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
Like 612 Guest I don't ride park (I am fifty-something) but my son does as do many other snowboarders and skiers at Granite Peak - the only complaint I have heard regarding the parks used by all is why don't they have a half-pipe?
October 26th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
This is downright and blatent discrimination! There is no rule saying skiers can't use the terrain parks, and freestyle skiing is a fast growing sport right now so you argument on expanding the parks for the snwboarder is invalid. How can they now ban snowboarders from certain runs? I am outraged by this as a snowboarder who is as comfortable on the piste as I am in the park.
October 26th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
It's been a lot of years since snowboarders were the only ones in terrain parks. The whole idea that riders and skiers want different things is very 1990s, and like all generalizations, utterly useless.
If they really wanted to cater to the people requesting this, they would not designate those three runs "Skiers Only", but rather "Grumpy-old-butt-flap-wearing-white-guys-who-can't-share Only".
Good luck, there, Granite Peak.
October 26th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
i think segregating certain runs to skiers only is insane. What we need here is the martin luther king of snowboarding to fix this.
October 27th, 2009 at 4:27 am
I didnt realize that deer valley had moved to the mid west. Wasnt the goal to make all the resorts equal and good to all? i didn realize we went back to 1984. Sweet nice work….
October 27th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
WoW!! I’ve been a local rider there since the first year they let snowboarder ride at the state park, so I remember the start of the war of people vs people who were doing a heahty
October 27th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
WoW!! I’ve been a local rider there since the first year they let snowboarders ride at the state park, so I remember the start of the war of people vs people who were doing a healthy thing. So many years have gone buy and the industy is clicking right along..
I think the resort has brought this upon themselfs, as wanting to grow there bottomline numbers, that they have flooded the hill with $ signs and politics and instead of skiers and snowboarders..
This is not good for there biz rightnow, as Empco says Boycott.. And they will.. This day and age people are sick of of being helddown and told what todo even when they are spending there hard earn cash.
That these boycotters will make enough chatter about this where it puts the best central location for riding and events that could be so big.Instead give them a reason not to buy a liftticket.
It should be a vote by pass holders and gen public to make, not the voice of a few people..
The place has a chance to be on the map and this is the press it gets.. Should be like a stop on the Pro tour instead.
The resort industy still has not thanked the snowboarder for saving there Biz.
Local snoboarder who does not mind that people ski In Control around him.. Since day one at the state park.
October 27th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Boycott Granite Peak!! Give it a month or two after they open and they'll realize how harsh their biz has dropped with the retailer boycott of this resort spreading around the region…
Don't worry Granite Peak, all of us reps and retailers here in the midwest will gladly send our business elsewhere! Here we come Wild Mt, Troll, Spirit, Devil's Head, Tyrol etc!!!!
Don't s**t on the plate you eat off of!
October 27th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
I guess we'll be making our parks snowboard only then, we had heard that Skinner was thinking about doing this. EVERYONE at the hill was telling him it was a bad idea, and ski patrol was asking who he expected to monitor these runs. I guess he wanted a war, and he is going to get one now, I will be shredding those runs daily, and be kicking people out of the park on a regular basis. This is bullshit
October 27th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
also, that park picture is wayyyyyyyyy old, search "Granite Peak Parks" on facebook or myspace.com/parkatthepeak, all of our photos are on the facebook page, but since myspace doesn't like my mac apparently, we only have a few on myspace.
October 27th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
I am a skier and patroller and would just like to say that the comment "the rhythm, turn radius, and visual orientation is different for skiers and snowboarders" is complete bullshit. I have no problem sharing runs with snowboarders and think this is a laughable policy.
October 27th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
this mountain is just asking for those runs either to be poached, or to see snowboarders aggressively making the terrain parks "snowboard only". if i lived in this area i'd stop going to this spot all together and would make a stink to get my friends to do the same. either that or we'd go and do some 90's style boards vs. two planks aggro shit.
October 27th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
Mount La Crosse is where Wisco riders want to be.
October 27th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
I am going to get myself a pair of oak planks with cable bindings and gnarly leather boots to make sure I meet the new "rhythm, turn radius and visual orientation' requirements that will allow me to ski everywhere at Granite Peak - the rest of you can envy my unrestricted access - can hardly wait to hit the triple kink down rail with my 'new' set-up
October 27th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
I forgot to add - those gnarly, forty year old leather boots will be so comfy and manuevarable I will be able to beat everyone to the bar
October 27th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
I know one place I won't be going this year……
October 27th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Coming from a skier, that is the most straight up ridiculous thing I have seen in a long time.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
Posting on the internet is one thing, take the time to call them and (here's the key), CALMLY explain that any discrimination will not be tolerated and your money will be spent elsewhere. Calling and being a dick will only reinforce the exact stereo types that have led to this horrible decision.
I called immediately after seeing this post, yesterday when they hadn't even publicly announced this yet, and the woman on the phone was very respectful and thanked me for expressing my concern.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:25 pm
I bet they have had more request to eliminate this discrimination then they ever had to create skier only runs. Why doesn't Charles come out and make a public apology to snowboarders for his error in judgment, and make things right. Skier only runs won’t happen, no matter what any person or employee says, how will they police this? Every snowboarder that buys a pass this year will ride down all of the skier only runs more than they ever would have in the first place. Granite Peak is my home Mountain and I feel embarrassed that the first time we get any acknowledgment in the snowboarding community is for this bullshit. Charles is out of touch, I see just as many skiers as snowboarders in the parks and the snowboarders keep his hill going while all the Chicago land folks are at home.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
You can also send comments to them from this link:
http://www.skigranitepeak.com/support/index.cfm?s...
Remember that inflammatory comments will not help the situation. In this case, taking the high road and expressing that you will not tolerate discrimination of any kind and will be spending your money elsewhere is the best policy.
October 27th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
Internet arguements are the best, such good entertainment.
October 28th, 2009 at 12:04 am
if you are still buying a season pass ask for a 6% discount. it makes sense because why should you pay for runs and a lift that you aren't even aloud to use
October 28th, 2009 at 12:13 am
Thanks to Colin for attaching the comment link to Granite Peak so everyone can hopefully make their views known. I agree that it is important to communicate our objections to this potential new policy in an objective, fact based, non-inflammatory manner. Having said that the way in which this has not been communicated by Granite Peak and the 'logic' (see above comments) does leave them open to legitimate criticism (even riducule depending on your sense of humor)
October 28th, 2009 at 12:54 am
i think what they mean is that snowboarders are ruining their moguls, which could be partially true, but banning snowboarders is a little extreme just by the principle, but i mean the runs are on the far flung sides of the mountain, so i mean it is wrong but not the worst thing ever
October 28th, 2009 at 12:59 am
i am a freestyle skier asnd i totally find this bullshit! i ski there about 4 times a year but i am going to boycott this resort because it is totally bullshit.
October 28th, 2009 at 6:36 am
if i would have known this i wouldnt have bought a pass here
If this happen i no i wont be going there anytime soon
October 28th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
I thought Colorado was where all Wisco riders want to be?
October 28th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
What if a little kid on a snowboard wants to follow his parents on skis down one of those runs? What are they gonna do? No Johnny, go play with the strangers by yourself…..
October 28th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
can you return a season pass if it hasn't been used yet?
October 28th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Wow, this sounds like a joke to me, kind of like Skinner. I have been boarding for over 20 years, and already went through the bullshit of the 80's and early 90's of snowboarding, do I really have to have someone tell me again that I can't ride somewhere? Is Skinner going to hire a gang of tough guy skiers to throw snowballs at me, call me names and threaten to fight me if i go down their run, so we can all relive the old days together? I thought this mentality was long gone and that I would never have go through this kind of treatment again…
“
October 28th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
"We have responded aggressively to the requests of snowboarders to expand terrain features over the past few years and have continuously upgraded and improved the features." If Granite really wants to improve the features they have, I think it would be better to invest time in grooming properly!! Instead of wasting time listening to a few complaints from out of touch skiers, groom the parks one at a time midway through the day, like every other resort that is open day and night. Not only would there be fewer injuries, but we, the masses, would all be much happier than the few discriminating skiers that now have their own runs to feel their super sweet rhythmn, rail their amazing turns eminating from their somehow superior radial sidecut, and visually perceive me telling them they are number 1 in my book due to their occular orientation. (guess which finger I will use to tell them that!!)
October 28th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
Given the stated 'aggressive' expansion of the 'five' terrain parks (only used by snowboarders of course) maybe the next announcement will be that lift ticket prices for snowboarders will be 20% higher than for skiers due to the huge investments on the hill made to please the unreasonable demands of snowboarders
October 28th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
I'm a skier and i think that banning boarders from runs is stupid. Turn radius ectect bullshit? Why doesnt everyone calm down.
October 29th, 2009 at 12:39 am
Are there really 75 runs at Granite?
October 31st, 2009 at 4:59 am
well guess what you can come out and help us rake, groom and maintain our parks! get ready to work until 5 in the morning every night and then YOU can go out and handwork them…. not trying to be a dick but man you have no idea how much work we put into those things on a nightly basis…. not to mention the insurance liability of closing a park and then driving a cat around in it when people will just jump the fence and get run over. there is no other hill in the midwest that can compare to us… even when everything is tracked we are still better than a hill that just opened after a fresh night of grooming…. THERE IS NO HILL IN THE MIDWEST THAT GROOMS IN THE AFTERNOON.
October 31st, 2009 at 5:01 am
not really…. it is an advertising ploy by skinner…. we have to name all of the runs (including connecting runs) for ski patrol in case someone goes down…. skinner counts all those 100 foot trails as runs…. we have about 50, i would say, that are actual runs, which is still a lot…. and the best terrain in the midwest, natural and manmade
October 31st, 2009 at 5:06 am
Ok so here's the thing, don't boycott the hill that will only hurt what we are trying to do in the parks. If you want to get active call them at 715 845 2846 or use the link to message them. BE RESPECTFUL, Skinner will get it if enough people call/message in, we had to give out his personal email last year to get our new parks back after he cancelled them, and it worked! There is no place else in the midwest like Granite, Skinner may be a dick, and a stupid business man at times, BUT the hill is damn good, and the TWO runs that will be "skier only" are the second to last run in the east (left on the trail map) and the far west run (right), those runs are good for pow days, and ski patrol has already said they won't be patrolling it… there is really no reason for him to even do this because no one will respect the policy nor enforce it. IT IS HOWEVER opening a window for the park kids, we can now tell the people in the park that don't belong and get in the way (elderly people a.k.a. the ones that requested this), to go use their skier only runs and get out.
October 31st, 2009 at 5:07 am
AND PLEASE PLEASE PLEAAAAAAASE TWBIZ.COM GET A NEWER PICTURE OF OUR PARKS FOR THIS ARTICLE!!!!! IF YOU NEED ONE REPLY TO ME, I SHOT ALL THE PHOTOS LAST YEAR
October 31st, 2009 at 6:04 pm
I was being sarcastic but I appreciate the honest response - I agree that the terrain is good for the midwest hence the debate to leave it equally open to all who buy a lift ticket and obey the rules
November 2nd, 2009 at 1:56 am
fuck warren miller entertainment
November 2nd, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Sweet! I'm really glad that Granite Peak understands the pinch we're all in. By banning 10% of the mountain, lift tickets and passes will be 10% cheaper….or 10% more expensive for skiers. Thumbs up for a great marketing tactic.
November 2nd, 2009 at 7:22 pm
As a skier I hope they're banning freeskiers as well. Clearly this is aimed at pleasing elderly grumpy racers or weekend warriors who haven't realised that we've moved on from the '90s. I'd like to bomb down these runs switch and see how long it takes for the runs to be designated 'traditional only'. hah fuckers.
November 2nd, 2009 at 8:58 pm
Having been a snowboarder for over 25 years I say who cares!! It's only a couple runs and the article did say that it would be evaluated at the end of the year.
November 5th, 2009 at 12:13 am
fuck them those stupid fucks should shove their skis up their asses
November 5th, 2009 at 3:23 am
^Right on. Fuck WME, those corporate douche bags
November 5th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
they are becoming a wannabe alta… i am currently in utah and when i come home for winter break i plan on going up to granite w/ my friend who skis. and i will be damned if the ban will stop me from going down his favorite runs w/ him
November 6th, 2009 at 1:52 am
If they designate those three runs on the east side (left), those are the only runs you can use to get to the 3 runs below them and the tree skiing which is my favorite. That ends up being a big section of the hill. Also, the next run over that would be open to everyone is a mogul run that is used mostly by skiers anyway. I snowboard and spend a lot of time on the east side when the rest of the hill is crowded or on cold days. Less wind over there. It's more remote and quiet. I enjoy that. Also, can they even legally do that? I was told that they don't own the hill and a person could actually just walk up the runs and ski down them and not have to buy a lift ticket? We are only paying for a lift ticket at the lodge. The hill is a state park.
November 6th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
whats next? Heated gondolas for all the skiers too? really if we are going to pay for a pass then we should have the right to use all the runs or if not then make prices lower for snowboarders cause why should we pay all that money if we cant even use all the runs?
i have nothing against skiers or anything like that….some of my friends ski so if they all wanna go down one of the runs that are only marked off for skiers then the rest of us are going to have to take a whole other run and not even be with our friends. Just keep it how it has been in the past…there hasn't been any major problems and all this is doing is creating unnecessary drama and its going to just make it be more friction between skiers and snowboarders. this is ridiculous
November 7th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
dont give them any ideas. (white power)
November 8th, 2009 at 12:13 am
Nonsense..I lived in the midwest for a while and now thankfully live in Colorado. We all ride together out here and both snowboarders and skiers share the same mountains respectfully…
The "radius" argument is typical midwest-old-man-angry skier mentality.
Do not waste your time or money, trust me that granite peak is not alta or Deer valley, it's an ass-backwards ice covered garbage dump no better than any other similar resort in the Midwest.
Good luck with that.
November 10th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
ima go down tose 3 runs this winter
November 10th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
Snowboarding used to be my life, but I've gradually started to find other things to do with my time and haven't been able to go much over the past 4 years. Part of the reason I lost interest in it was the influx of people who took up the sport because they seemed to think riding a snowboard entitled them to be complete and total assholes.
I've seen a lot of people who figured spending $400+ on a snowboard, $200 on bindings, $200 on boots, and $300 on outerwear somehow made them a rebel. I'm not saying all snowboarders are like this — they aren't — this is a generalization. But they do exist.
I'm sure many of you have seen snowboarders who go out of their way to harass skiers who sometimes deserve it and sometimes don't. I'm saying you can't be entirely surprised that this happened.
It is discrimination, without question. But if you've got a problem with it, don't go, and tell them why you're not going. If it's your local mountain, make the longer trip somewhere else. Yes, you should not have to do that, but having a private club is not illegal and that's essentially what Granite Peak is doing with a couple runs.
If you love snowboarding, go somewhere that loves it too.
For those who cry "discrimination" how would you describe the behavior of snowboarders who yell, taunt, and provoke skiers for no reason other than their choice of winter activity?
November 10th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
I know you all are going to hate this response but here goes.
I am a snowboarder of 20+ years and I can see where they are coming from. At the start of the day the hill is groomed and perfect. The ice has been broken up or covered with powder and then smoothed out. By afternoon all that powder has been thrown to the side by snowboarders who don't know how to ride anything but the park and slide all the way down the hill on their edge, bulldozing the snow to the side or into big mounds. I don't like being told I can't go on certain runs but that's GP's choice. If you don't like it, don't go. If enough of you don't go then they will get the message and change their ways. Until then I will have a great time ripping down the hill without you getting in my way because you are sitting down in the middle of the run.
November 11th, 2009 at 1:39 am
Blow me Granite Peak…
November 11th, 2009 at 2:05 am
@ crusty old boarder
You're right, I don't like it. The problem is, once they start banning, it sets a precedent for other resorts to do something similar. Where does it stop? Want to ban sit skiers because they slide on the snow differently than skiers or boarders?
Your excuse is a poor example. I see plenty of slacker skiers who can't ski and slide pow all over the place too. That problem stems from someone who has poor technique, and is trying to ride a run beyond their ability. So, lets ban noobs and beginners.
November 12th, 2009 at 12:43 am
"The resort, which boasts five terrain parks that president and owner Charles Skinner says are used almost exclusively by snowboarders, has been hearing from a “growing chorus of skiers requesting a few ’skier only’ runs,”"
Alright, well if those several runs are restricted to skiers only, then restrict an equivalent number of terrain parks based runs to snowboarders only. I think that it is a fair compromise because as of now there is no skier restricted terrain, only snowboarder restricted terrain. Nothing prevents skiers from entering the park, why restrict snowboarders from those runs if its predicting primarily skiers would want to enjoy them anyways??
November 15th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
wait wait wait… so YOU are saying that kids that ride in the parks don't know how to ride? I dont know who you were watching but i'm pretty damn sure we have more control over our sticks than you do.
November 15th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
it's only 2 runs and they are way out of the way…. any loc at granite knows the good shit is in the trees, not the runs
November 15th, 2009 at 11:03 pm
when i see skiers on a run it messy up my turn radious how ridicoulus does That sound im a snowboarder and that is the stupidus thing ever my firend who is a skier also agrees
November 19th, 2009 at 1:20 am
so snowplowing skiiers in their 'pizza' stance dont push snow out of the way??? oh ok. thanks for clearning that up!
November 19th, 2009 at 1:26 am
This is actually so ridiculous its funny.
Well im glad those 'Grumpy-old-butt-flap-wearing-white-guys-who-can't-share' have a ton of fun on their runs.