Every winter, I like to take a ski trip with the guys. I love it. Half a dozen of us tear up on the slopes and just have a great time. And all of us are skiers, which is why we love Deer Valley in Park City, Utah.
The resort bans snowboarders, and there’s no indication they’ll change that rule anytime soon! “It is not something that we will be changing in the foreseeable future. Last year was our sixth record year in a row, so not allowing snowboarders does not seem to be affecting us financially at this point,” confirms Erin Grady, Communications Manager for the resort. This makes it one of just a few resorts in the country with that rule.
Deer Valley Resort boasts 2,000 acres of excellent skiing, three luxurious day lodges and a fine group of world-class athletes to ski with and learn from. The resort was host to the 2002 Winter Olympics, and it still attracts a lot of top skiers. We would often stop to watch a race clinic and then, on the next run, find that same skier zipping down past us. Sometimes it would be a 12 year old girl schooling us.
It was named the number one ski resort in North America by readers of SKI magazine in 2008 and again in 2009. It was an easy sell for a group of guys who want a central location to converge upon from various points in the West Coast and Hawaii.
Utah has a worldwide reputation for great skiing, but while some ski resorts strive to be “bigger,” Deer Valley Resort seeks a reputation as a boutique ski resort, which keeps an open, inviting and uncrowded – almost intimate- environment. They have a skier cap of 6,500 tickets sold per day, giving more room to fewer skiers.
“This place is absolutely service oriented from top to bottom,” agrees one of the guys from the group, Paul Lemcke. “A mountain host greets you at the parking lot and takes your skis so you don't have to carry them. They happily store your skis each night for no charge. They are posted at the top of every lift where there's a map so they can tell you how to get to the runs that suit you best, or advise you on conditions or point you to a good restaurant. I have skied all over the West and I have never seen such a consistently high level of service as I've seen at Deer Valley.” Paul grew up skiing in Montana, so when he says he’s been all over the West, he means it.
Add in 350 annual inches of famous Utah dry powder, 100 trails, six bowls, 22 chairlifts and a limited number of skiers allowed on the mountain each day; three day lodges with fine dining; a renowned Ski School and Children’s Center; and amenities such as parking lot shuttles and free ski valets, and you have a stress-free ski vacation.
Just 36 miles from the Salt Lake City International Airport via mostly Interstate Highway, getting to Deer Valley’s mountains is convenient. With hundreds of daily flights in and out of Salt Lake City International Airport, skiers can arrive at the airport by late morning, and be on the slopes at Deer Valley by early afternoon.
Any guest flying into the airport will receive one free lift ticket at Deer Valley Resort for their day of arrival. Guests must simply show a same-day boarding pass, along with a required, completed redemption coupon and photo identification at any Deer Valley ticket window. The completed coupon and airline boarding pass will be redeemed for a same-day lift ticket.
The resort is strict about the “same day arrival” rule. We flew in on a red eye which means the flight left Hawaii the day before. Therefore we couldn’t get a free lift ticket, even though it would seem the general idea of the promotion is to reward travelers who go straight from the plane to the resort. Anyhow, minor point- I just mention it so you aren’t disappointed if you come in via a red eye as well.
Fantastic snow, stellar service, and skiers-only slopes. Now that’s the Deer Valley difference.
For complete information on Deer Valley Resort, visit deervalley.com.
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Konishiki Yasokichi, entertainer and former sumo ozeki Founder Konishiki Yasokichi started Konishiki Kids Foundation tp broaden the horizons of the Leeward Coast children to make a difference in their community. He says the purpose of his non-profit is "to push education. That's my thing. People, through hardships, understand how important education is to get to the next level. I help them understand that to get a good job it takes education."
http://www.konishikikids.com/
