Claim: resort’s ban on snowboards violates constitutional rights

“A group of snowboarders is suing Alta ski resort, claiming its no-snowboards policy violates their constitutional rights. ‘Alta’s snowboarding prohibition was initiated as a result of animus … towards the type of people they believed to be “snowboarders,”‘ claims the lawsuit, filed Wednesday in federal court.” Alta, unlike other ski resorts to ban snowboarding, is on public land. [Salt Lake Tribune, AP]

6 Comments

  • I’m going to sue because they won’t let me snowmobile there.

  • Interesting lawsuit since the resort operates on public land. Can a litigants choices (e.g. preference for snowboards) be protected under anti-discrimination statutes? What if nudists wish to ski at the resort (count me out because of the shrinkage factor)?

  • because they should be allowed on public land. wait, aren’t military bases[ even area 51] government building, the white house etc on public lands? let’s not have any restrictions, after we all have paid for htese and all need eqaul access.

  • “is on public land”

    Understood, but does it then matter whether Alta is a government business or a private business?

  • I must have missed the Con Law class which covered the subject that people who use the word “gnarly” are a suspect category.

  • Heck, I want to sled, disc or tube down the slopes. How DARE they ban the “type” of people that like to sled or tube ( lower economic class folks with chewing tobacco hats on) or gasp…..families with small children. /snark

    Or perhaps, could it be an incompatible style of usage of the slopes e.g. on AVERAGE the very nature of snowboards encourage a style of sliding down the hill that is dangerous to other users. As the too many people who engage in this encouraged dangerous style of sliding down the hill can’t be discerned from the responsible boarders, those that don’t fall for the lure of dangerous sliding down the hill, the only way to make the slopes less dangerous is to ban all boards. Hmmmm…. the same reason that discs, tubes and sleds aren’t allowed on the ski slopes. Go figure.

    Just because you want to use something your particular way, doesn’t mean its your right to do so. I would suggest those snowboarders get skis if they want to enjoy Alta.