Woodward Park City opened two days earlier than expected on Wednesday for all-access and mountain park members, thanks to favorable snow-making conditions. The resort opened to the public on Thanksgiving morning with lift tickets priced as low as $45 for a full day.
Woodward’s kickoff celebration festivities were held Friday, the original opening date, with music and a community barbeque.
“We’ve been counting down the days,” said Kelly Cowley, who has been coming to Woodward since the resort opened in 2019. “These two were pretty much raised here and we all just love it so much.”
Kelly has been bringing her son and daughter to Woodward for the last five seasons, fostering their love for park snowboarding. Kelly’s daughter is on the Park City Snowboard Team, which trains at Woodward every Tuesday and Thursday.
“She just did her first jump, she took a fall, got a little too much speed,” said Cowley about her daughter who insisted she was ready to go again. Kelly and her kids were eager for Woodward’s opening, ready to get their first 360s on a big jump.
The first rider down the hill was awarded a GoPro 12 from the Woodward team. The GoPro went to a freshman at South Summit High School.
“I’m stoked. I got the first run down and a GoPro,” he said while his friends cheered beside him. “I’ve been coming here since 2019. I want to get a backflip this season.”
The high schooler’s learning method of choice: “Send it and hope for the best! I’ll find a good powder field and just rip as many jumps as I can,” he said.
Woodward’s Mountain Park services only one lift with access to terrain fit for learning new skills and tricks on the hill.
“We’re not trying to be a big mountain,” said Senior Marketing Manager Sarah Sherman. “Our whole programming is based on teaching and learning, no matter what level you’re at.”
The Hot Laps Lift was running for opening day, a fitting name for folks at Woodward on Wednesday looking to get in as many attempts on new features as possible.
Avery Higgins-Lopez has been coming to Woodward since its opening in 2019.
“I love Woodward because its so close to Salt Lake and they always have such a consistent jump line,” he said. “You can just get hot laps on this lift (pun not intended), so it’s such a good training ground.”
Wyatt is a snowboarder at Hunter High School and he is riding his first season at Woodward this year, working on “a super clean 360, maybe I’ll throw a grab in too,” he said. “It’s going to be a great season, I really can’t wait.”
Wednesday saw sunny, blue skies and warm temperatures, which had many skiing and boarding in nothing more than a T-shirt.
“It’s all-time conditions today. I didn’t wax my skis, but that’s OK. It’s sunny and warm, blue skies. Best day I could have asked for,” said Higgins-Lopez.
Woodward’s audience tends toward family fun and a space for athletes to train. Families can enjoy activities like tubing, trampolining, and learning to ski or snowboard on mellow terrain without the intimidation of a large resort space, said Sherman. Meanwhile, athletes can take advantage of terrain parks designed for progression, finding comfort first with indoor training on trampolines and foam pits.
Woodward members are not only there for the park setup, but also to make use of a bit of a quieter mountain with minimal lift lines, said Jennifer Peters, who has been coming to Woodward since 2019, as well.
“Just here today trying to shake the rust off really. It’s the least crowded of all the resorts for sure. I’m mostly here just to ski,” said Peters.
Woodward stands out in the ski industry by offering affordable pricing, with their biggest emphasis on growth and progression in any skills participants are willing to try out with Woodward’s terrain.
“If this is the place that makes you comfortable to go ski larger resorts in the area, that’s amazing,” said Sherman. “And if you want to keep hitting the jumps and rails, this is the place for that, too.”
