East Coast Ski Resorts vs. West Coast Ski Resorts

East Coast ski resorts have long been known for their down to earth, family minded atmosphere. Many east coast resorts have legions of die hard, loyal skiers who have been skiing there for decades. Locals who live within driving proximity of their favorite resort flock to it, giving many east coast resorts a very welcoming, unpretentious vibe. This is one of the main differences between east coast resorts and west coast resorts. East coast resorts are much more locally centric and place much more an emphasis on attracting locals. This is probably due to the fact that east coast resorts are much smaller in terms of overall mountain size which entails that fewer skiers end up going to east coast resorts. Because east coast resorts attract fewer skiers every year than there west coast counterparts, local skiers make up a much larger portion of their skier totals which means a greater portion of their profits as well. West coast resorts on the other hand don't need to place such a high emphasis on attracting locals because they make up a much smaller percentage of their skier totals and thus a much smaller percentage of their revenue. Due to the decreased local presence and vibe at west coast resorts, the atmosphere at most west coast resorts is much different. The atmosphere at most west coast resorts is much more tourist oriented and profit driven. This makes perfect sense as west coast resorts have much more to offer which means more tourists will go to those resorts. The biggest draw for west coast resorts is the skiable in bounds and backcountry terrain, as well as the snow quality and quantity. Another attractive feature of most west coast resorts are the mountain towns that surround them. Many of these mountain towns feature high end shopping, luxury accommodations, and fine dining which appeal to the affluent clientele who go to these resorts. These additional attractions are part of what people in the ski industry refer to as apres ski. East coast resorts have almost no apres ski, while west coast resorts tout it.