MrsApostate t1_j8smaxj wrote on February 16, 2023 at 5:45 PM

Reply to comment by Zealousideal-Feed156 in Utah lawmakers say more information on golf course water might lead to ‘uninformed’ conclusions by ghosr

I don't necessarily disagree with you, but Utah relies on ski areas for significant economic reasons. It's not just as easy as "stop skiing" when many people's livelihoods depend on ski tourism.

That said, the water usage isn't a non-issue either. There may need to be changes in Utah's ski economy to deal with the reality of the drought, and that may require tough decisions. I'm not saying "don't change it", I'm just saying it's really complicated.

Zealousideal-Feed156 t1_j8t0vl3 wrote on February 16, 2023 at 7:16 PM

Same thing as golf courses to me. Make them public or have a day or two that’s free so that EVERYBODY in the community can enjoy them.

MrsApostate t1_j8th2sm wrote on February 16, 2023 at 8:56 PM

I grew up near a ski resort in Utah, and this is already a thing they do. Plenty of community programs that make it free to ski on certain days. I even got free ski lessons one year because I was on the honor roll at school.

The ski resorts bring in significant tourism (in a way the golf courses in Utah do not) that benefits lots of people (including plenty of small businesses that cater to ski tourism, everything from fancy lattes to winter gear).

I just don't think it's quite equivalent to golf courses (and now that I live across the country, I don't really have a dog in this fight. I don't even like skiing!)

thepastyprince t1_j8vo66u wrote on February 17, 2023 at 7:27 AM

Yeah but golfing is no were NEAR as popular as snow sports are here. They had the Olympics here because of the ski slopes and because of how good our snow is to ski on. We have celebrities coming to visit the slopes all the time aswell. Shit there is even a skier on the license plate.

I don't ski or snowboard but no skiing would fuck utahs economy.