After our pals at Curbed NY, Curbed Seattle, and Curbed SF looked into what people were Googling about their cities, we couldn't resist diving into the depths of Google searches on North American ski towns. We typed simple searches about individual ski towns and let autocomplete tell us what people really think about ski country. The results? Age-old divisions between skiers and snowboarders, a general cluelessness about geography, and the discovery that people who ski Vail are really obsessed with Scrabble.
What people Google about skiing and snowboarding:
First up, let's think about the ski industry as a whole, shall we? Some people seem very, very confused about what skiing actually is:
Chairlifts, people. We use chairlifts, gondolas, trams, heck, even chondolas to get to the top of the mountain. Sure, some crazy health nuts may skin up the mountain, but most of us are far too lazy for that. And yes, some skiers do make money, and we have no idea why you are so concerned about "reducing drag" unless you are Lindsey Vonn.
The 'Googling Public' (we are officially coining this term) also seem concerned about whether skiing or snowboarding is difficult. Let's just say this: there are always challenges to learning a new sport.
And then Google users get all philosophical on us, asking a question that has plagued ski country since the world's first Snurfer:
Those gosh-darned, stick-using, sun-burned skiers. But don't worry, Google users might be concerned about why snowboarders are always sitting on their asses, but they also know that there is plenty of hate flowing from one plank to two.
What people Google about specific ski towns:
Apparently dumb Americans have no idea that they need to exchange money before they arrive in Whistler Blackcomb.
Even though Breckenridge, Colorado is one of the busiest ski resorts in the country, Googlers care more about the alcohol.
But that's way better than what poor Crested Butte gets. Maybe it was all the Bud Light Whatever Town, USA publicity, but man, Crested Butte's reputation must have really gone downhill lately.
We're not sure if the Sun Valley searches are better or worse?
Jackson Hole does pretty well in the aggregated world of Google search. But it seems people aren't very familiar with Wyoming geography.
Mammoth Mountain, on the other hand, is the only ski town associated with molten-hot magma. How cool is that? [Note: Mammoth Mountain is in fact a lava dome and produces hazardous volcanic gases from time to time.]
Meanwhile, there must be a whole bunch of Scrabble-loving skiers and snowboarders trying to unload that pesky V. Because this is what happens when you search for Vail.
Does anyone else have hilarious Google autocomplete results to share? Let us know in the comments.
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