SKI Magazine Releases Highly-Anticipated 2005 'Top 60 Resort Guide'; Lifestyle Rankings Add...

BOULDER, Colo. -- SKI Magazine's annual "Top 60 Resort Guide," the definitive ranking of North American ski resorts, names Vail, Colorado as the No. 1 ski resort in its October issue, on newsstands tomorrow. The 2005 survey also marks the first year that SKI Magazine features lifestyle

SKI's readers named six Colorado resorts to the top ten places this year, including Vail in the coveted No.1 spot for the third consecutive year. They've also provided plenty of other news within the top ten rankings: both Deer Valley, Utah and Snowmass, Colorado move up a notch in this year's poll to the No. 2. and No. 3 spots, respectively. Beaver Creek, Colorado makes a huge jump from their No. 8 ranking last year to No. 4 in the 2005 poll while Aspen Mountain, Colorado breaks into the Top Ten. In the East, Tremblant, Quebec continues to impress SKI's readers and was voted No. 1 in their region for an impressive eighth consecutive year.

This year, SKI adds a new feature to their annual survey - Lifestyle Rankings that will help skiers plan specific trips and vacations. Where's the best place to head for a Guys Trip? Jackson Hole, Wyoming. A Family Vacation? Snowmass, Colorado. A Romantic Getaway? Aspen, Colorado. The magazine also names the Best Weekend Escape Resort: Alta, Utah; Best Girl's Trip: Deer Valley, Utah: and the Best Singles Adventure Resort Whistler/Blackcomb.

"SKI's 'Top 60 Resort Guide' is the perfect forum for skiers to share their best ski experiences," says editor-in-chief Kendall Hamilton. "So it's not surprising that our readers named Vail No. 1. They offer a terrific across-the-board resort experience--as close as you can get to a can't-miss ski vacation. Of course, it's also a heck of a ski hill, and our readers appreciate that, too."

The top 10 resorts according to SKI Magazine's readers are:

1.  Vail, Colo.                       6.  Breckenridge, Colo.
2.  Deer Valley, Utah                 7.  Aspen Mountain, Colo.
3.  Snowmass, Colo.                   8.  Park City, Utah
4.  Beaver Creek, Colo.               9.  Mammoth Mountain, Calif.
5.  Whistler/Blackcomb, B.C.          10. Steamboat, Colo.

The top 10 resorts in the East according to SKI Magazine's
readers are:

1.  Tremblant, Que.                    6. Loon Mountain, N.H.
2.  Stowe, Vt.                         7. Whiteface Mountain, N.Y.
3.  Holiday Valley, N.Y.               8. Stratton, Vt.
4.  Killington, Vt.                    9. Bretton Woods, N.H.
5.  Sugarloaf, Maine                  10. Sunday River, Maine

(For a complete write-up of the top 60 resorts, pick up a copy of SKI Magazine or visit skimag.com/top60resorts on September 28)

More than 20,000 SKI Magazine subscribers of two or more years are surveyed by an independent research firm for the "Top 60 Resort Guide." It is the most comprehensive and longest-running ski resort survey in the winter sports industry. Resorts are ranked in seventeen categories: Region, Snow, Grooming, Terrain, Challenge, Value, Lifts, Service, Weather, Access, On-Mountain Food, Lodging, Dining, Apres Ski, Off-Hill Activities, Family Programs, Scenery and Terrain Parks by SKI subscribers who have skied the resorts for the past two seasons.

SKI Magazine is published by Mountain Sports Media, a Boulder-based division of Time4(TM) Media. Time4 Media is a subsidiary of Time Inc., which is a subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. (NYSE:TWX).

For more information, artwork, or to arrange an interview with a SKI Magazine editor or contributor, please contact Allison Falkenberry at allison.falkenberry@time4.com/212.779.5066.