US Appeals Court Backs Alta Ban On Snowboarders
US Appeals Court Backs Alta Ban On Snowboarders
Published : 21-Apr-2016 11:09
Alta ski area in Utah has won a case brought by a group of snowboarders who sought to overturn the resort's ban on boarding.
The snowboarders had originally lost their initial case ;last year and the original decision was upheld by the Court Of Appeal this week.
The snowboarders had argued that banning them from the slopes was discriminatory and based on out-of-date stereotypes. They also claimed it was illegal under the US constitution because Alta operates on state controlled land leased from, US forest service rather than privately owned land.
Alta, one of three US resorts that still bans snowboarding (and believed to now be the only three in the world to do so), said that their marketing of a 'snowboarder-free experience' was a business decision. They also argued that the snowboarding stance gave boarders, they said, 'a blind spot' making them more dangerous on the slopes.
The appeals court agreed with the original decision and said that Alta was free to make business decisions.
The court said that allowing one resort to ban boarders from federal land did not mean the government condoned the ban, pointing out that boarding is allowed on federal land at around 120 other US resorts.
"At this point, we can only hope that Alta will one day voluntarily join the vast majority of ski resorts by lifting its snowboarding ban," said the snowboarders' lawyer, Jon Schofield, who has not yet said whether group intend to continue the appeal process to a higher court.
Alta said they welcomed the court's decision.
Deer Valley, also in Utah, and Mad River Glen in Vermont also ban snowboarding.
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