As the Vancouver Olympics approach this winter, many people are reflecting on past Winter Olympics such as the 2002 Salt Lake games. A recent Associated Press article highlighted the effects that the Olympics had on the Utah ski industry. Here are some of the articles key "Utah Talking Points":
- "Traffic on the slopes was up by 37 percent in the 6 years after the Olympics."
- "Utah skiing is now a $1 billion industry."
- "Off the slopes, this season's biggest improvement is a new set of state liquor laws."
- "The Canyons, a rival to Snowbasin in development, was once the smallest Park City resort, now bills itself Utah's largest ski area."
- "Utah always had the best snow, a secret the Olympics spilled far and wide. Major skiing magazines started to consistently rate Utah's resorts the best."
- "For the 3rd straight year, Deer Valley Resort has been named the #1 North American ski resort by a leading magazine, SKI."
- "For snow alone, Alta-Snowbird ranked #1, as it almost always does in major surveys."
It has been nearly 8 years since the Olympic Games came to Park City and skiers are still reaping the benefits.
Park City Mountain Resort has just announced that they are extending their 2008-09 ski season by one week through April 19 thanks to eight feet of new snow over the past two weeks. Beginning on Monday, April 12, PCMR will remain open with limited lifts running including First Time, Three Kings, PayDay, Bonanza, Silverlode, Thaynes and Jupiter.