With the global economy still in turmoil, amazing pieces of land are continually popping up in the real estate market. Case in point: AIG, which owns Stowe Mountain Resort in Vermont, has put it up for sale. And with three resorts in the U.S. still ski-only, here's a chance for a savvy investor to even the score.
The decision by Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico to allow snowboarders last year was a monumental one. For all the talk from skiers about how discrimination is a thing of the past, until last year there were still four resorts in the U.S. that completely banned snowboarding from their peaks. Taos, after years of pressure, finally opened the gates for boarders to enjoy their world-class resort. However, the evil empire still stands.
In the Mormon country of Utah, Deer Valley Resort and Alta Resort are still ski-only. These bourgeois affairs are the epitome of why snowboarders still hold resentment towards skiers. Yes skiers, we see the look you give us when we're on the mountain. "Stay away from those pot heads!" shouted a ski-bitch one time towards her kids, upon smelling the sweet waft of the kind. The bitch sneered and gave us the stink eye, until she realized that it was actually a pair of skiers who were lighting up a jointola. Ah, the sweet joy of giving a condescending laugh to a bitch who is undoubtedly used to turning her head at anyone who is not deemed worthy of her standards.
Mad River Glen in Vermont is the third and final resort not allowing snowboarders. Theirs is a tough call; they used to allow snowboarders, but because they only run single chairlifts (which are only safe for skiers), they opted not to replace their lift system and made the resort ski-only. And this is where a snowboarder with a shitload of money comes into play.
Jake Burton Carpenter, we're calling you out. You're worth hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars. Carpenter started a contest a couple of years ago challenging snowboarders to invade ski-only resorts, shooting video to prove it. The first snowboarder to invade all four resorts (this was when Taos was still ski-only) would receive $10,000. Although Taos denies it, some feel this contest was the straw that broke Taos' back, thus allowing snowboarders onto their prestigious runs.
AIG has reportedly already received a huge number of unsolicited bids from qualified buyers. We can only hope Jake Burton is one of them. Can you picture it? A mountain without any skiers? No moguls? No patronizing comments and looks? Far less crowds? We can only imagine.
