Snowboarders fight ban at Utah ski resort in appeals court

Does a snowboarder’s blind spot give a ski resort the right to ban him from public land?

It’s a question under federal review in the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, which heard arguments Tuesday from a group of snowboarders arguing for the right to rip and shred on the slopes of a Utah ski resort.

Lawyers for the Alta Ski Area told the court that they’re not biased against snowboarders – just their equipment. They say snowboarders are welcome, if they use skis.

Alta is one of only three U.S. resorts nationwide that ban snowboarding.

One judge asked if snowboarders could prove that they don’t have a blind spot. The snowboarders’ lawyer didn’t say, but he argued that snowboarding doesn’t endanger skiers.