Is Snowboarding Protected by the Constitution?
Does a ski resort's ban on snowboarding violate the 14th Amendment?
A group of snowboarders believes so. They have sued the Alta Ski Lifts Company, which operates the Alta ski resort in Utah, for banning snowboarders and only allowing skiers on the slopes.
The snowboarders' lawsuit (attached below) claims Alta, which operates on federally owned land, violates the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution.
"Discrimination without any rational basis perpetuates inequality by creating, fostering, and encouraging skier-versus-snowboarder attitudes that are hostile and divisive," argues the complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City.
The lawsuit asks for Alta's snowboard ban to be lifted, and for skiers to be forced to share the mountain. Only a handful of ski resorts ban snowboarders, including Deer Valley in Utah and Mad River Glen in Vermont.