Steamboat Springs — Intrawest, the parent company of Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp., is tightening the rules and increasing awareness about helmet use at its resorts this year.

Intrawest will recommend this ski season that all skiers and snowboarders wear helmets at its resorts, and it will require helmets for children and some teens in ski and snowboard school programs, according to a Thursday news release. All students participating in freestyle terrain parks will be required to wear a helmet.

At Steamboat Ski Area, helmets already were required for terrain park classes. Under the new Intrawest rules, the resort will require students ages 15 and younger to wear helmets, Ski Corp. spokeswoman Loryn Kasten said.

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The annual SKI Magazine readership surveys are in and once again Steamboat claims top honors as the # 1 Family Resort in North America.  The Magazine states “Steamboat treats kids like VIPs, which makes parents feel like VIPs.”

“It’s a real town, not just a resort built for ski tourists,” says one reader. “My sons learned to ski at Steamboat, and we still ski there together 21 years later,” says another.

The report also goes on to note that Steamboat claimed top 10 scores in Lodging (#9) and Dining (#10) would indicate that they’re getting it right. One thing that doesn’t need improvement is Steamboat’s snow (#8) and its authentic Western ambience.

What’s New : Expanded Kids Vacation Center; additional snowmaking; new Ski School Ticket office; new gear rental fleet

Don’t Miss : Watch ski-jumping future Olympians on Howelsen Hill, in downtown Steamboat.

Mandatory Run : The trees between Hurricane and Twister—locally referred to as Twistercane: well-spaced and plenty of snow to plunder days after a storm.

For more information about condo availability and reservations in Steamboat Springs, CO, visit us at www.condosinsteamboat.com

FamilySkiHub.com has named Steamboat Ski Area to the top of its list of 20 Best Family Ski Resorts. The Web site has been putting out the list since 2007 and aims to recognize “those resorts that promise a complete and memorable family skiing experience for families of all skill levels,” according to a news release.

Other Colorado re­sorts on the list were Breckenridge, Vail, Aspen/Snowmass, Winter Park and Keystone.

A panel of ski writers and skiing parents reviews FamilySkiHub’s list before each ski season. Criteria include variety of ski terrain, quality and abundance of family and children’s programming, ski school reputation, activities for non-skiers and positive personal reviews from families, according to a news release.

The full list and commentary about each resort are on the Best Family Ski Resorts page of FamilySkiHub.

For more information about condo availability and reservations in Steamboat Springs, CO, visit us at www.condosinsteamboat.com

Mother Nature got to work on Tuesday and Wednesday nights blanketing the Yampa Valley with 10 inches of snow at mid-mountain from our first storm of the season–and it’s still snowing!

Cold temperatures and low humidity in the air created the perfect recipe for Steamboat’s snowmaking crews to fire up the guns and begin laying the foundation for this season’s base.

Last season was one for the record books with more than 40 feet of Champagne Powder™ snow. With airfares dropping as fast as temperatures, don’t miss out on what is shaping up to be a fantastic season!

For more information about condo availability and reservations in Steamboat Springs, CO, visit us at www.condosinsteamboat.com

In less than 20 days, the mountain is scheduled to open! Hop on the gondola on Wednesday, November 26th for Steamboat’s traditional opening day benefit, Scholarship Day.

For more information about condo availability and reservations in Steamboat Springs, CO, visit us at www.condosinsteamboat.com