Appeals Court Backs Snowboarding Ban at Private Business Ski Resort in Utah

A ski resort in Utah which bans snowboarders can hold into its status after a federal court of appeals backed its ban activity on Monday. The said resort took its stand to its snowboarding ban in a legal challenge brought by a group of local snowboarders.

Utah's Alta Ski resort faced a lawsuit filed by a group of snowboarders, who claimed the ski business "discriminates" and  prevents them from accessing the Alta Ski Area on the massive public land, Yahoo News reported.

The lawsuit has been dismissed by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, in favor of Alta, stating the ban was a decision made by the private business ski resort, not by the government agency, U.S. Forest Service, which leases the land to the resort. However, the said ruling does not mean the federal government enforced the said prohibition.

The long-running legal battle started in 2014, in which the plaintiffs filed the lawsuit against both Alta and the U.S. Forest Service. They argued that the snowboard ban prohibits a type of people from accessing the public land, according to Ski Curbed. The boarders alleged they were being irrationally discriminated and deserve protection.

Though the legal complaint was dismissed, the plaintiffs have urged the court of appeals to hear the said case. In November last year, the court heard the case to determine if it could still go further. However, on the Tuesday's ruling, the snowboarding ban will still stand.

Rick Thaler, the representing attorney for the Alta, said they were pleased with the decision, Salon cited. Jon Schofield, the lawyer representing the plaintiffs, has not commented over the ruling.

Alta, located in the east of Salt Lake City, has prided and marketed itself as a snowboarder-free destination. Its private company, Alta Ski Lifts Company, operates the 2,130-acre ski area which includes 1,800 acres of forest service land.

Tags

Alta ski resort, Snowboarding ban, Discriminate, Lawsuit, Utah, Appeals Court

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