STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Sun Valley’s three-peat as SKI Magazine’s No. 1 ski resort in the West is a testament to what the Holding family has done in Sun Valley, and what they continue to do.

That’s the analysis of Sun Valley historian John Lundin, who has written numerous books on skiing, including the 2020 book “Skiing Sun Valley: A History from Union Pacific to the Holdings.”

Earl and Carol Holding bought the resort in 1977 and the Holdings immediately went to work planting 7,000 trees around Sun Valley and the golf course, installing high-speed chairlifts, investing in state-of-the-art snowmaking and building the ultimate on-hill Sun Valley-style lodges that elevated the resort’s status, said Lundin.

And they continue to elevate the resort, with plans for a new six-passenger high-speed chairlift to improve circulation on the Warm Springs side of the mountain, as well as a new lift linking the Warm Springs base with the top of Picabo Street that will provide access to both sides of the mountain.

The resort also plans to expand the patio area of Warm Springs Lodge to make an already dynamic apres ski scene even better.

And a forward-looking management team has nabbed the National Alpine Ski Championships for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons building on the buzz Sun Valley got from hosting them in 2016 and 2018.

SKI Magazine’s readers ranked Sun Valley Resort the No. 1 ski resort in North America in the magazine’s annual reader survey. They ranked No. 1 in a handful of categories: Overall Satisfaction, Lifts, Dining and Local Flavor. The resort also got high marks in Grooming, Guest Services, Lodging, Apres, Nightlife and being Family Friendly.

“Sun Valley is just magical,” wrote one reader. “The village and the lodge can’t be topped. The mountain is perfectly maintained and has perfect pitch on every run. The history makes it fun to be a part of. The Holding family are supreme stewards of this jewel.”

SKI Magazine noted that Sun Valley is the birthplace of the modern ski vacation, having installed the first chairlifts in the world in 1936.

“It’s something this elegant well-coiffed resort remains proud of to this day. And rightfully so,” the magazine said.

Hemingway finished “For Whom the Bell Tolls” in Suite 206 of the lodge, the write-up continues, and dozens of Hollywood stars rubbed elbows with international royalty in the 1940s and ‘50s. “And it’s still a place with a sense of glamour—off the slopes and on.”

Dollar Mountain is a beginner’s paradise and the village a convenient and luxurious place to bed down, the review continued. “But the action is in nearby Ketchum, possibly the perfect iteration of a ski town—swathed in Western authenticity with a serving of rustic chic on the side. A special place, indeed.”

It’s weaknesses? Snow and access—but, then, playing hard to get is one of the things locals love about it.

Sun Valley hopes to introduce itself to a new audience this winter, having switched form the Epic Pass to the Ikon and Mountain Collective passes. It’s opening 79 new acres of glade skiing, thanks to the harvesting done to promote forest health and mitigate wildfire risk. That’s in addition to 380 acres of advanced, gladed backcountry-esque terrain it opened a year earlier.

Sun Valley’s sister resort Snowbasin, which sits outside Ogden, Utah, came in eighth in the reader survey.

“They work hard for opening day and maintain the mountain so well during the ski season,” one reader wrote. “It can be super busy on Saturday but that’s because the secret is out.”

Runners up to Sun Valley were Deer Valley Resort, which came in No. 2. Following it: Aspen Snowmass in Colorado, Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Banff Sunshine in Alberta, Telluride in Colorado, Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico, Snowbasin Resort in Utah, Whitefish Mountain Resort in Montana and Steamboat Resort in Colorado.

“We’re thrilled to have captured the hearts of so many skiers, riders and visitors to the resort, and to be honored with this incredible award three years running,” said Pete Sonntag, general manager and vice president of Sun Valley Resort. “It’s truly a testament to our team’s dedication to the guest experience, and to our wider community for making Sun Valley a place everyone feels welcome.”

Season passes for the 2022-23 winter season are currently on sale at https://www.sunvalley.com.

IT’S PARTY TIME!

As a thank you to the community for helping to make Sun Valley so special, Sun Valley Resort will host a Pray for Snow Party from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday Nov. 12, at the River Run Lodge and Plaza. Bust out your vintage duds and get ready to boogie.

Dust off your ski parka and stay tuned!

The resort hopes to open on Thanksgiving Day, on Nov. 24—if locals have done a good enough job with that snow dancing.