Taos, New Mexico — Following a tough snow year, Taos has made a shocking decision.
Today, Taos Ski Valley has announced that it has decided to reinstate its snowboarding ban. This ban will be effective starting during the 2026-27 season. Receiving only 76 inches of natural snow this winter, Taos realized that snowboarders were pushing the snow they had off the slopes.
The ban, which was lifted back in 2008, was intended to make Taos a more welcoming place. However, the world has changed, as the true cost of snowboarding has been revealed.
A decision like this isn’t done lightly. Taos Ski Valley conducted guest surveys, which revealed a longing for the days when snowboarders weren’t allowed on the mountain. They said they took too much space, didn’t pay attention, ate up all the good snow, and made the jumps in the terrain park too big.
To ensure it was making the right decision, Taos Ski Valley collaborated with the University of New Mexico on a research study to determine whether the claim that riders were using up the good snow was accurate. The study documented two nearly identical trails at Taos. One was used by both skiers and snowboarders, while the other was ridden solely by skiers.
Researchers found that the trail ridden by both groups became icier 69% faster than the one used solely by skiers. Given it was a low-snow year, they hypothesized that snowboarders likely contributed to deteriorating snow conditions, which led to Taos closing one week earlier than expected.
Snowboarders are reportedly furious at the decision and plan to sue Taos Ski Valley and the U.S. Forest Service, alleging violation of their rights protected by the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. Hopefully, they check the date this article was published before doing that.
Image/Video Credits: Taos Ski Valley, KOAT
