What if Pugski ranked resorts?

[Started at 53]

OK then, I have a request....

Because I am trying to convince @Mrs. 53 to go to Sun Valley how about a detailed “trip report”

Please DO NOT mention it is cold there, for some reason she thinks it is a lot colder there than Park City


And bonus points if it can be compared to Deer Valley

 

[AmyPJ]

That's what a resort guide is for, more so than a "ranking" or review.

Then I guess I'm not a fan of rankings, in general, really. Reviews are good and seem to be more objective.

ETA it seems that snow quality at any given time is ultimately what makes a resort great or just OK to me.

 

[Tricia]

Then I guess I'm not a fan of rankings, in general, really. Reviews are good and seem to be more objective.

ETA it seems that snow quality at any given time is ultimately what makes a resort great or just OK to me.

A review is what you did, which included your thoughts,
Who is it for
Who is it not for
Insider tip.

A ranking is a list of what resort is best for...

 

[Tricia]

OK then, I have a request....

Because I am trying to convince @Mrs. 53 to go to Sun Valley how about a detailed “trip report”

Please DO NOT mention it is cold there, for some reason she thinks it is a lot colder there than Park City


And bonus points if it can be compared to Deer Valley

Here is @Bill Miles Unofficial Guide.
https://forum.pugski.com/threads/unofficial-guide-sun-valley-id.5779/
I bet he could be tons of help.


Oh and if you/she wants warm, then Tahoe is your place.

 

[Started at 53]

Here is @Bill Miles Unofficial Guide.
https://forum.pugski.com/threads/unofficial-guide-sun-valley-id.5779/
I bet he could be tons of help.


Oh and if you/she wants warm, then Tahoe is your place.

Thanks @Tricia

 

[Sibhusky]

In regard to ranking, I think you'd have people ranking things they skied once over five years ago. I think an objective evaluation of a resort's strengths and weaknesses will produce better results. Sure, people will compare A to B sometimes in their mental scoring, but I'd like to think they'd compare it to their ideal. I would hope there's no grade inflation just because they want a resort to "win". I get aggravated with my car dealer who only wants 5's as an answer in their surveys, even if it's about the waiting area. Sorry, to be "truly stupendous", I want a butler, not just a lot of magazines.

 

[KingGrump]

OK then, I have a request....

Because I am trying to convince @Mrs. 53 to go to Sun Valley how about a detailed “trip report”

Please DO NOT mention it is cold there, for some reason she thinks it is a lot colder there than Park City


And bonus points if it can be compared to Deer Valley

Full Disclosure: I like DV. I really like DV. I've been skiing DV since 1981. Second year in operation. It's #2 for me interm of SLC resorts. My favorite in SLC currently is the Bird.

I skied SV for a week couple seasons back when we were spending the season at Snowbird. It was a road trip combining JH, SV and Mammoth.
Spent a good part of a season at JH back in 1988. My current feeling for JH is more along the line of Garth Brooke's Unanswered Prayers.

Found a new love on that road trip - Sun Valley.
Skiing wise, lots of groomers. Some bowls. Bring your race skis. The groomers are relentless. DV have a bit more variety off piste.
Food wise, SV is one of the very few places outside Europe where the food is better than DV. Slightly less expensive also. DV is by no mean expensive for on hill food.

DV makes you feel like a well pampered guest. SV makes you feel like you own the place. To put it bluntly, SV makes DV feel Nouveau.

 

[Started at 53]

Awesome @KingGrump

Thanks

 

[Blue Streak]

ABasin would rank No. 1.

 

[Muleski]

To put it bluntly, SV makes DV feel Nouveau.

Yep. VERY well said.

And spot on with the skiing. We like to rip big groomers, and a lot of vertical, at speed. We like groomers. Probably because home is that block of big grantite<<<<.

We love Sun Valley. We have a number of ski friends who have become early retirees there. Old time, life long skiers. We have about four friends who are DV homeowners. Two Private Equity guys, two Hedge Fund managers. We really like to be their guests at DV. Three of the four came to the sport as adults, and own there because I guess they can. They like the pampered guest thing. Like KG, we really do like the place, though I would ski Snowbird 9 out of 10 days when in UT.

But SV, we LOVE. More than Aspen, Vail, Steamboat and Jackson where we have family and are not strangers.

It has been a special place for a LONG time. My parents, who would be 100 and 99 if still alive, skied for eight decades, and they loved it. They owned a home in Stowe, and SV was their Western destination.

Will have to read Bill's guide.

 

[AmyPJ]

A review is what you did, which included your thoughts,
Who is it for
Who is it not for
Insider tip.

A ranking is a list of what resort is best for...

Cool. I like this idea. Sorry if I missed it earlier.

 

[Bill Miles]

I am still formulating my thoughts.

I am wondering if rankings, especially overall rankings, are too ambitious and controversial.

If it is possible within the forum format, how about an editable sortable table in which users could put in their ratings for various categories and brief pro and con comments.It could also contain some statistics and links.

The idea is that it could contain essential elements of a review for those that don't want to take the time and trouble to write a full review.

The user could then refer to the table to see what others rated resorts in their areas of interest such as snow, lifts, crowds, etc.

After enough input is obtained, it could be used for more general rankings.

I will try to come up with an example of what I have in mind and post it.

 

[Started at 53]

I am still formulating my thoughts.

I am wondering if rankings, especially overall rankings, are too ambitious and controversial.

If it is possible within the forum format, how about an editable sortable table in which users could put in their ratings for various categories and brief pro and con comments.It could also contain some statistics and links.

The idea is that it could contain essential elements of a review for those that don't want to take the time and trouble to write a full review.

The user could then refer to the table to see what others rated resorts in their areas of interest such as snow, lifts, crowds, etc.

After enough input is obtained, it could be used for more general rankings.

I will try to come up with an example of what I have in mind and post it.

Sounds kinda like a Wikipedia type editable “post” for registered users

 

[RuleMiHa]

I'd love to see categories no one else ranks, such as "Best for Arthritic Skiers!"

 

[Viking9]

Hey muleski the wife and I both feel the same about Sun Valley, I'm not sure it has the best terrain , been there only a couple times, it definitely doesn't get the best snow or snow pak but there is a vibe there that makes you want to stay there and soak it up.
It has a beautiful layout and look with just the right amount of tree line and open runs and even though I'm not a coffee guy it has ONE HELLUVA Starbucks.

 

[tromano]

How about power rankings that tell us what resorts are hot and skiing well right now?

I think the magazine rankings may help the one big trip a year skiers focus their planning. That's not the pugski reader.

I found articles like those written by @TonyC about which areas ski well in each month much more helpful over all. And @Muleski idea is good since a quick simple review really cuts through the noise to the heart of the issue.

 

[Bigtinnie]

Maybe the results should just focus on different categories with no attempt to determine an overall ranking, due to controversies about algorithms and weighting.
Tony says Ski magazine's categories are weighted equally, but I have never seen this published.
Z-rankings algorithms are unpublished and unknown.
Epicski had rankings apparently based on resort reviews and some Huddler scoring criteria which nobody knew anything about.

I totally agree the catalogues should have different weightings. Sure snow quality and quantity and terrain diversity are more important than say 'on mountain dining' to skiiers.

 

[Philpug]

A lot of great ideas here, now how about solutions to ideas you are coming up with Is there technology to so it, can in integrate with this platform and is it financially fea$ible.

 

[Bigtinnie]

Hey muleski the wife and I both feel the same about Sun Valley, I'm not sure it has the best terrain , been there only a couple times, it definitely doesn't get the best snow or snow pak but there is a vibe there that makes you want to stay there and soak it up.
It has a beautiful layout and look with just the right amount of tree line and open runs and even though I'm not a coffee guy it has ONE HELLUVA Starbucks.

We had a great time at Sun Valley last year. The hill itself is fantastic but the town is the best I've been too. Seems organic yet classy.

 

[Bad Bob]

A lot of great ideas here, now how about solutions to ideas you are coming up with Is there technology to so it, can in integrate with this platform and is it financially fea$ible.

Get a real geek (and there seem to be a fair number around this place) to do up an interactive Excel spreadsheet. The columns would be the regions that have already been devised, the rows would be the ski areas within the regions placed alphabetically. Head into Word and make your questions all the same for each region. Only allow 1 vote per question per region. As they are accumulated they can graph out for nearly instant results.

I have no clue what programs this platform uses, and it would not matter if I did; but from the polls that have been on here so far it should not be THAT difficult to do. Time consuming,yes; but not that tough for a real guru. Give some kid a free pair of skis to do the typing after the guru sets up the spreadsheets.

Okay, I am checking out of this thread now but will respond to the poll when you have it up. See ya.