Sun Valley and four other Ski Idaho resorts earned high praise from SKI magazine in its 2019 "Resorts of the Year" issue this October. (Photo courtesy of Sun Valley Resort)

Idaho earns top marks in annual SKI magazine poll

BOULDER, Colo. (Oct. 9, 2018) — SKI magazine rated Sun Valley first in western North America for charm and lift service last week in its annual "Resorts of the Year" issue for 2019 and third place for "overall satisfaction" among readers.

However, Sun Valley — which SKI describes as "the birthplace of the modern ski vacation, having installed the first chairlifts in the world in 1936 — wasn't the only Idaho resort earning high praise from the magazine. Overall, it gave five of Ski Idaho's 18 resorts big nods.

Although across the border in Alta, Wyo., Grand Targhee — which affiliates with the Idaho Ski Areas Association because the resort is only accessible via Driggs, Idaho — earned first place in the west for snow plus props for affordability. It also garnered fifth place among western resorts for "overall satisfaction" among SKI magazine readers.

Meanwhile, Brundage Mountain in McCall earned an Editor's Choice-Next Best Places award for up-and-coming areas.

The report also named Bogus Basin in Boise and Schweitzer Mountain in Sandpoint among resorts of the year for Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. SKI magazine singled out Schweitzer as "an up and coming four-season resort" whose "views of sparkling Lake Pend Oreille give the Tahoe areas a reason to be nervous."

Visit www.skimag.com/ski-resort-life/resorts-of-the-year for more details.

Founded in 1982, the Idaho Ski Areas Association, a.k.a. Ski Idaho, is a nonprofit association funded by the Idaho Travel Council via the state's 2 percent lodging tax paid by travelers and collected by hotel, motel, and private campground owners. Boasting 28,000 vertical feet of terrain spanning more than 20,000 acres, Idaho is the birthplace of lift-assisted skiing, home to America's first destination ski resort, and often considered the soul of skiing. Its 18 family friendly Alpine ski resorts offer trails and backcountry for skiers and snowboarders of all ages and skill levels, breathtaking views, hundreds of inches of fresh powder, and short lift lines. Visit skiidaho.us for more details.