Deer Valley Celebrates 25 Years
Photography: Derek Smith
It was December 26, 1981. Hoping to have opened weeks earlier, but delayed by the horrible condition that makes ski town residents shudder (“NO SNOW”)—Deer Valley Resort staffers were finally going to get their chance. “It started snowing on Christmas Eve,” recalls Resort Founder Edgar Stern. “It snowed and it snowed and it snowed. It was unbelievable. The only problem was, we had promised these groomed runs—the Deer Valley corduroy—and we had so much powder we couldn’t keep up with the grooming! But few seemed to mind.”
Having touted itself as the first ski area to apply hospitality industry standards at a ski operation, Deer Valley opened with much anticipation from the ski world. That first day, the doors of Snow Park and Silver Lake lodges opened, and snow-covered skiers rushed in. Instead of hotdogs and hamburgers on paper plates, uniformed staff in white toques sliced roast barons of beef, offered up a dozen-item fresh salad bar, and delighted guests with homemade cookies and brownies from their own bakery.
It was dumping. Skiers couldn’t get enough of the fresh powder on top of perfectly groomed base on wide-open, skier-friendly cruisers. Each lift corral had tissue boxes available, and ski valets carried guests’ skis from the tops of their cars to complimentary ski racks. Director of Skiing and Olympic legend Stein Eriksen was carving perfect turns down perfectly cut-down-the-fall-line-runs with perfectly coiffed hair and wearing one of his perfect Bogner suits. The rest is history.
Deer Valley was just rated the #1 ski resort in North America in the annual SKI magazine rankings issue. Again. (The resort claimed the honor during our Olympic year in 2001/ 2002, as well). The list of Deer Valley “firsts” in the ski industry is impressive, including being the first to: offer ski valets to carry guests’ ski gear from their cars to the slopes; provide free parking lot shuttles; have a state-licensed child care facility on site; design magnificent lodges in the National Park building style; uniform its employees; provide tissues in the lift lines; refer to customers as “guests” as they would be called at a hotel; provide complimentary ski check; offer pagers to parents with children in the Children’s Center, and more.
In the past 25 years, the Resort has gone from five to 21 chairlifts. From a $20 lift ticket to $74. From 35 to 91 ski runs. From two day lodges to three. From 50 ski instructors to 500 today (Deer Valley boasts one of the largest ski schools in the country.) Total employees have gone from 200 that first season to 2,000 today (45 of whom have worked at the Resort 20 years or more). Well over $100 million in improvements has been spent since the Resort opened in 1981. The resort hosted the 2002 Olympic Winter Games slalom and freestyle and mogul events.
Among all the things that have changed in 25 years, however, the constant has been remaining true to a philosophy. Founders Edgar and Polly Stern came from a background in the luxury hotel and real estate business, and insisted on providing the same fine service and fine food one would experience at one of the world’s best hotels. Now in their 80s, they are still quite involved with management decisions today. Resort President Bob Wheaton, who’s been working at Deer Valley since before it opened, says, “The bottom line at Deer Valley since day one has been a commitment to excellence in everything we do. That’s why Deer Valley has been so successful in its relatively short lifetime.” Deer Valley Resort has also become a loyal and appreciated supporter of many Park City community non-profit organizations, winning a place in our hearts forever.
Check out the Resort Web site at www.deervalley.com to find out what types of anniversary celebrations will be going on this season, and enjoy!
Kristen Gould Case is editor of Park City Magazine and author of the coffee table book, “Deer Valley: The Quest for Excellence.”
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