Snowboarders banned from runs at Granite Peak

super stupid. I sent them a nice little email with my 2 cents! Why would you discriminate against a large majority of your patrons? This is the mid-west, not Deer Valley
 
Wow so dumb. Those runs they have highlighted do suck FYI. The one on the far right (if looking on the map) is rarely, if ever open.

I'm willing to bet this is coming from the major divide they have at GP. It's been the same way since I started going there as a little kid, except for maybe additional snowboarders coming to hit the parks. There is a large number of elderly skiers, and a large number of little kids and families that ski and stick to the bunny hill. Then there is also a large percentage of young teenage snowboarders that hit the parks. There really is not a free ski scene there, always just an occasional visiting skier on the weekends, and about 6 regulars I can think of.

At least it gives me something to do if I snowboard at all this winter I suppose :D
 
As a local skier at GP I would like to say that there is no reason for the runs they have put in question to be snowboard-free. There is more than enough room for both forms to carve those runs and still be safe....Hate to say it but I blame the FIBs that pack intermediate to expert runs that they have no buisness being on. They are the ones that make those runs unsafe.
 
I think the real issue is is that as much as they like to say elsewise...Granite Peak is not that big. There is not a lot of variable terrain for beginners so you have a lot of people going on runs above their ability level. This becomes a problem with snowboarders who just slide down the steep parts of these runs and create drifts. Consequently this is a problem for skiers who have two boards instead of one and can catch edges easier when conditions are not optimal. The snow can get really icy up there and it sucks to fall in those conditions. I don't really think it's fair either but I understand why they are doing it. Since it's become Granite Peak they have really been pushing to market to a Chicago demographic versus local. The days of $5 night skiing are long gone. All in all though...I doubt that people will abide by the skier only signs. It's not like they're going to have people stationed at these runs.
 
press release i got in an email from granite...
Dear Roy:

Listed below is the press release from the owner:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information:
November 17, 1009 715-845-2845
New Terrain Park Features and
New Skier-Only Runs at Granite Peak Ski Area
Wausau, WI — Granite Peak Ski Area is pleased to announce enhancements for the upcoming
season that will benefit both skiers and snowboarders.
“We are a customer-oriented business,” says owner Charles Skinner, “And the satisfaction of
our customers is the touchstone for all of our decisions. We believe in the value of experimenting
with new terrain concepts and will continue to do so with the goal of providing increasingly
enjoyable experiences to our customers.”
In response to requests from skiers, who indicated that having a few ski-only runs would be a
great addition to Granite Peak’s offerings, two runs will be designated as “Skier-Only” runs this
year.
“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,” says Skinner.
“This particular change is an experiment and will be evaluated at the end of the season based
on customer feedback.”
In response to requests from snowboarders, Granite Peak will offer the addition of a half dozen
new features to the terrain parks.
“Over the past few years, we have, in response to requests, continuously upgraded and improved
the features favored by our snowboard customers,” explains Skinner. “Our snowboard
customers are important to us and we will continue to enhance and improve our terrain parks.”
After this change, 72 runs will be open to both skiers and snowboarders, two runs will be
“skier-only,” and five of the 72 runs will be covered with terrain parks that offer specialized
features used predominantly by snowboarders.

 
I wonder how they will attempt to enforce this...pull passes of little cocky snowboarders who want to ride on those runs just to cause a rukus...you either ban snowboarding entirely from a resort or allow them the same rights as everyone else...you cant have your cake and eat it too...What next some random snowboarders who are out of touch with reality want skiers out of the "snowboard park"...snowboard only parks?...this has already been done in the past and GP decision seems to be going in the wrong direction...we now have terrain parks not snowboard parks...Lets live in the present and not in the past
 
They're not going to pull passes, they can't afford to. I highly doubt that this will turn out to be such a big deal. No one is going to follow the "rules." It will probably just turn out to be a marketing stint.
 
Some people hate it but I think Granite is really fun. A lot of their runs are pretty steep on the top halves at least and at least since last year they do a really sick job with their parks.

I wouldn't be surprised it they clip every pass that snowboards on that run. Granite clips passes for everything I've seen a kid lose his pass cause he threw a snowball at a kid from the lift. There are not a lot of hills in Central Wisconsin, and they can count on the business returning for awhile. Especially if its a season pass, they will clip it for the season.
 
I don't know...I think there's a difference between clipping someone's pass for doing something to endanger themselves or others and doing something against the bureaucracy of the resort. I know a lot of the parents of these "little punk snowboarder" kids...and trust me....no way in hell are these people going to let that happen if their kid goes down a run that they weren't supposed to...because in reality, it's not a big deal. They're really just doing this for their image...and it's really just Charles Skinner. If he had it his way I'm sure that Lutsen would be the Alta of the Midwest...but that wouldn't be profitable so it isn't. Truth is that they are not going to do anything that will jeopardize their profits and they will find out quickly that having a few "skier only" runs will not do anything to bolster their profits either.
 
i'm going to have to make it out there with some guys this winter, the pictures from the parks look insane, when do they usually have them all set up by? christmas break?
 
Great business strategy. Eliminate part of your market. Really doubt this will turn out how it sounds. If anything the old farts complaining about 'dem darn boarders' will feel justified. Looking forward to hitting up granites park this season.
 
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