BOULDER, Colorado ??” SKI Magazine’s annual “Top 50 Resort Guide,” the definitive ranking of North American ski resorts, names Deer Valley, Utah as the No. 1 ski resort in its October issue, on newsstands mid-September. Deer Valley takes the top spot after being ranked second in last year’s survey. Perennial favorite Tremblant, Que. is ranked No. 1 on the East Coast for a record-setting ninth consecutive year.

SKI’s readers move Deer Valley to the No. 1 spot on the 2006 survey, awarding the resort top marks for service, on-mountain dining, grooming and access. The resort, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this season, is described by one SKI reader as, “posh and wonderful,” while another claims, “the service is so outstanding that you may be able to pay someone to wipe out for you.”

Vail, Colo. ranks No. 2 on the list, heading a total of five Colorado resorts in the top ten, more than any other state. Whistler/Blackcomb, B.C. moves up two notches on the list from No. 5 last year to No. 3 in the 2006 poll. Park City, Utah displays the largest increase on the list, jumping three spots from No. 8 last year to No. 5 this year, while Sun Valley, Idaho breaks into the top ten following a No. 12 ranking last year.

“SKI’s ‘Top 50 Resort Guide’ is the perfect forum for skiers to share their best ski experiences,” says SKI Magazine’s executive editor Greg Ditrinco. “It’s no wonder why our readers named Deer Valley as their favorite resort. Their dedication to service is unmatched in the industry; last year’s snow was one for the record books; and the mountain serves up skiing for all tastes.”

In the East, in addition to SKI readers placing Tremblant, Que. at No. 1 for an unprecedented ninth consecutive year, there is plenty of news among other resorts in the region, with three previously unranked destinations rising to top ten spots, including Smugglers Notch, Vt. with a No. 2 ranking, Okemo, Vt. with a No. 8 ranking and Sugarbush, Vt. at No. 9. A total of six Vermont resorts were named in the top ten on the East Coast, up from four last year.

The top 10 resorts according to SKI Magazine’s readers are:

1. Deer Valley, Utah
2. Vail, Colo.
3. Whistler/Blackcomb, B.C.
4. Snowmass, Colo.
5. Park City, Utah
6. Beaver Creek, Colo.
7. Breckenridge, Colo.
8. Aspen, Colo.
9. Mammoth Mountain, Calif.
10. Sun Valley, Idaho

The top 10 resorts in the East according to SKI Magazine’s readers are:

1. Tremblant, Que.
2. Smugglers Notch, Vt.
3. Killington, Vt.
4. Sugarloaf, Maine
5. Holiday Valley, N.Y.
6. Whiteface Mountain, N.Y.
7. Stowe, Vt.
8. Okemo, Vt.
9. Sugarbush, Vt.
10. Stratton, Vt.

(For a complete look at the Top 50 Resort Guide, pick up a copy of SKI Magazine or visit skimag.com)

More than 20,000 SKI Magazine subscribers of two or more years are surveyed by an independent research firm for the “Top 50 Resort Guide.” It is the most comprehensive and longest-running ski resort survey in the winter sports industry. Resorts are ranked in 17 categories: Region, Snow, Grooming, Terrain, Challenge, Value, Lifts, Service, Weather, Access, On-Mountain Food, Lodging, Dining, Apres Ski, Off-Hill Activities, Family Programs, Scenery and Terrain Parks by SKI subscribers who have skied the resorts for the past two seasons, skiing an average of 23 days a year.

SKI Magazine is published by Mountain Sports Media, a Boulder-based division of Time4(TM) Media. Time4 Media is a subsidiary of Time Inc., which is a subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. (NYSE:TWX).