BURLINGTON, Vt.—Burton Snowboards is challenging snowboarders to go where they're not wanted, offering a $5,000 bounty for the best video of those who take to the slopes at "elitist, fascist" ski resorts that don't allow snowboarding, including Mad River Glen.
"Poaching isn't simply a peaceful form of protest. It's truly your patriotic duty," the snowboard maker says on its Web site.
Company founder Jake Burton said Friday that it's a last resort for the company which has tried everything else to get equal access to the terrain. The final holdouts are Alta and Deer Valley in Utah, and Mad River Glen in Fayston after Taos in New Mexico announced Thursday that it would open its slopes to riders.
"For 25 years we've been working to open resorts and we couldn't have done it without the involvement of local riders," said Burton. "I don't think that our job is done, so you can snowboard everywhere."
The tongue-in-cheek stunt is not meant as any animosity toward skiers. It's aimed at the resorts.
"Mountains can be brutally cruel but they're not discriminatory," Burton said. "I don't think any resort is entitled to be discriminatory based on what's on your feet."
Ten years ago, Burton launched an "open minds, open mountains" campaign which Burton credited with helping to get snowboarding at Aspen and Park City.
Whether the poachers are breaking any rules is open to interpretation, said Nate Bosshard, Burton's associate brand manager. Besides some of the resorts are on public land, such as national forest, funded by taxpayers, Burton said.
Poachers must buy a lift ticket, be respectful, stay in bounds, wear safety equipment and keep it peaceful or their videos will disqualified, Bosshard said.
The latest stunt may only aggravate the ski resorts, but Burton hopes it sways public opinion.
The cooperatively owned Mad River Glen welcomes the attention and has sold two shares as a result, said spokesman Eric Friedman.
"We are absolutely thrilled about all the free publicity and we couldn't be happier," he said.
The downside is "this whole stunt is really getting our shareholders to dig in their heels," he said.
Mad River was one of the first resorts to allow snowboarding until safety concerns for riders arose on its single person chair lift, said Friedman. The former owner banned snowboarding after several run-ins with snowboarders and members have continued to support the ban.
A few times a year, snowboarders ride the trails after hiking in from the back.
Like Mad River, Deer Valley said its guest are looking for a ski-only experience.
Snowboarders have options at other resorts, said Coleen Reardon, director of marketing.
"They (skiers) feel that snowboarders ride the mountain differently than skiers ski it, and that they'd feel a little safer," she said.
The few times that snowboarders do poach: "we tell them snowboarders aren't allowed and help them off the mountain," she said.
But that's discriminatory, says Burton.
"Just like you want to be able to walk into any restaurant and eat. You want to go to any resort and ride," he said.
Burton is no stranger to poaching. He and his wife were hele-boarding in Utah a few years ago when they were dropped off at the top of Alta.
"We were screamed at," he said of the ride down.
Taos said it decided to welcome snowboarders long before the Burton bounty was announced. The resort believes the adventure skier now also boards, or has people in the family who do, said Adriana Blake, Taos' marketing manager.
"Taos is a mountain for big mountain athletes, no matter what they wear on their feet," she said.
Alta could be next, said Bosshard.
"We're just happy there's one down, three to go," he said.
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On the Net:
Burton: http://www.burton.com/default.aspx
Alta Ski Area: http://www.alta.com
Deer Valley Resort: http://www.deervalley.com
Mad River Glen: http://www.madriverglen.com
