snowboarders sue Alta, discriminating

Nice comment rippy, I agree I ski with lots of good snowboarders (lift opps mostly, with also a few other good ones), but I have seen more of the clueless types. My wife hates them after she got slammed in the low back by a stupid one jumping blind where he should not have - he did actually stop, but she was not in the mood to talk about it.....There are stupid skiers also, skiing from once side of a groomed run to the other side carving their big shaped ski trenches - I find them inconsiderate also. My wife likes Alta just because they still keep snowboarders out. Personally Alta terrain is not snowboarder friendly - I was skiing over post holes at Crystal mt yesterday from snowboarders doing their hiking thing...my impression of Alta it would be a post hole world...Lordy SnowBird is right next door - and I like the fall line there even more. 99.99% of the ski world allows snowboarders...lordy leave one alone, though I expect they will cave at some point - so say. BTW is there any snow down there?

Alta just doesn't want all the snow slideslipped off the mountain by knuckle draggers.

Despite my prejudice, I do have a friend, or maybe two, who are snowboarders.

Snowboarding is just another type of skiing.  One ski is still a ski and two skis is a pair of boards. 

Agreed -- and all skis have shape (as well as rocker).

Alta has the lease and developed the infrastructure, so they should have a say in the type of equipment allowed. Snowboarders are allowed, they just can't bring their snowboards, they have to ski. If snowboards are forced by the court to be allowed (my guess is this will not happen) then should snowshoers be allowed? Should people be allowed to skin up runs? Should sledders, toboggans and saucers be allowed? How about snowmobiles? It's not about people, it's about the type of equipment allowed.

I wonder what exactly is the official reason and rationale to deny snowboard access?

Why ban snowboarders? I am almost certain snowboarding saved the sport of skiing. I remember back in the mid 90s watching snowboarders float on top of pow conditions while I would be sinking in with my skinny planks trying to keep up, but couldn't. I'm sure ski companies then figured, maybe if we make wider skis people would float on top of pow conditions better. I could be wrong on this, but I do remember a time when skiing almost seemed like a dying sport as it seemed like more and more people turned to snowboarding.