Industry News
Snowbasin awarded Best #RideAnotherDay Program and Best Overall Safety Program
Snowbasin Resort is honored to receive awards from the National Ski Area Association (NSAA) for its safety initiatives this winter. They are winners of the Best #RideAnotherDay Program and Best Overall Safety Program.
“The safety of our guests and staff is in every decision we make at Snowbasin. Being recognized on the national level amongst the best ski resorts in the country by the NSAA is humbling and reaffirming to the work. Our Health and Safety Director, Ryan Woolsey is committed every day to this cause. I thank him and his team for their tireless effort in the building of Snowbasin’s safety culture. We haven’t had a lot to celebrate these days but this, I’m over the moon
about.”– General Manager Davy Ratchford
The Safety Awards are given to ski resorts with exceptional initiatives to educate guests and employees about skiing and snowboarding responsibility. The #RideAnotherDay Program award was bestowed to Snowbasin for its expanded Family Zone. The Family Zone is an area on the mountain where many beginner skiers and families learning to ski merge with more advanced skiers and riders as they come to the base area. Snowbasin’s team added baffling, signage, and staff to help educate skiers about space and speed and to shift the culture to promote a safe atmosphere for all abilities. In the 19-20 season, the Family Zone was implemented at the start of the season and was expanded to 777 feet of trails in the high traffic area. Year over year data has shown that there is a decrease in incidents despite an increase in skier visitation. Snowbasin is grateful for the staff support from the Safety Ambassador Team, Ski Patrol, and Guest Service Team who take the time to be in the Family Zone on those busier days.
Snowbasin received the Best Overall Safety Program for its SAFERmtn brand where guests and employees received messaging related to the pillars – Smart, Alert, Focused, Educated, and Respectful. The program featured season-long engagement with the new branded SAFERmtn branded gondolas in the base area and on the line of Needles Gondola on popular days. The new Safety Ambassadors were in the specialty gondola and interacted with guests as they rode up Needles Express. The twelve-minute ride was filled with different safety messages, guest interaction, swag giveaways, and more. Another branded gondola sat in the base area to create curiosity and in the mornings the Safety Team was placed there as well. During Safety Month, Snowbasin hosted their first SAFERmtn Basecamp MLK weekend mid-mountain in a very visible space for most skiers and riders to see. Snowbasin had a beacon park, avalanche dog demonstrations, Know the Code activities, a sign garden, chairlift safety, cool prizes, free “Safety Dogs” while supplies last, and more. The atmosphere was extremely inviting, and guests enjoyed the array of activities with Ski Patrol and Safety Ambassadors. Snowbasin had over 600 visitors their opening weekend at #SAFERmtn Base Camp. The overarching campaign was extremely successful with over 600 branded buffs and 500 lip balms handed out, and more than 21,000 views across email, earned media, video, and social media outreach. Snowbasin is pleased to continue to grow its safety culture in years to come.
Snowbasin Resort is located in Huntsville, Utah, less than 40 minutes from the Salt Lake International Airport and only 50 minutes from Park City. Snowbasin Resort is regularly top-rated by SKI Magazine in the categories of Accessibility, Service, On-Mountain Food, Lifts, and Grooming. Snowbasin Resort offers families and outdoor enthusiasts a variety of activities and features championship-level skiing and riding, with nearly 3,000 skiable acres, an average snowfall of 300 inches, and 3,000 vertical feet. Consistently recognized as one of the best family resorts in North America, Snowbasin Resort is one of the oldest continuously operating ski resorts in the nation. Snowbasin Resort is a member of the Grand America Hotels and Resorts family. Sister properties include Sun Valley Resort, The Grand America Hotel, Little America Hotel (all Salt Lake City, Utah); The Westgate Hotel, San Diego, Calif.; Little America Flagstaff, Ariz.; Little America, Wyo., and Little America, Cheyenne, Wyo.
