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Many of you are already probably aware of this, but last year the list of skier-only resorts in the US shrunk by just a little bit. After 52 years of operation, Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico finally opened its lifts to snowboarders in March of 2008. The decision, partly inspired by decreasing skier visits thanks to families who have at least one snowboarder, was a smart one as the resort has already reaped the benefits.

After one full year, Taos has seen a resurgence and posted gains in every single business category other than retail. They had a record Christmas followed by a record MLK weekend and ended the season about 15 percent better than last year. The resort town has also benefited from the inclusion of the younger boarding crowd, now boasting a nightlife that actually exists during the night. They claim the crowd is about 18-22% snowboarder right now so expect those numbers to increase even more as more boarders flock to the sunny slopes of New Mexico.

Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, there have been no reports of skier/snowboarder friction.

With the success of Taos’ snowboarding campaign, we may now start to see the tide turning for those 3 remaining resorts who have yet to embrace the knuckle-dragger, although some say it’s had the opposite effect…

1) Alta, Utah

Alta has benefited from the resurgence of skiing among the younger crowd, and claims some of the best snow in the world. They haven’t seen the drop-off in business that led to Taos’ change in policy and probably won’t any time soon. Try not to be fooled by April Fools jokes that claim otherwise.

2) Deer Valley, Utah

Like Alta, Deer Valley is right smack in the middle of Utah and gets tons of the fluffy white stuff. They’re also benefiting from the resurgence of skiing and actually doing quite well in regards to the number of skier visits every season. Until that changes, don’t expect much.

3) Mad River Glen, Vermont

The only co-op ski area in the United States, the decision to allow snowboarding here is less about convincing the policy-makers, and more about a change in culture for the shareholders. Unfortunately, Burton’s poaching stunt only provided Mad River Glen with some nice publicity and a stronger resolve to maintain their stance against snowboarders. Plus, there are so many other options nearby including Stratton Mountain, the birthplace of snowboarding.