Photo: Ski Utah
The midterm elections are coming up, and that means about two out of every five Americans reading this will actually show up at a polling center to vote. And whether you commit to voting or not, pretty much all Americans will be passing by political yard signs over the next six weeks. Those little Vote for ____ and Yes on Prop ____ are everywhere.
They tell us nothing of use other than a name that will appear on our ballot, or they direct us to vote in favor or against new legislation without any explanation. They seem useless, but boy do those things stick in the back of our minds when we get into a voting booth. The folks at Ski Utah got in the political spirit with their own campaign that nobody in the region is going to be able to ignore, El Niño. Check that, Super El Niño.
Vote for Super El Niño, The Greatest Show on Earth signs are being handed out for free by the organization starting October 2, along with plans for billboards and campaign T-shirts that are being sold now ahead of the midterms and, just as important, what’s expected to be a banger of a winter in Utah. And they deserve a good one. The Wasatch Range endured its lowest snowfall totals on record last winter. Alta Ski Area, for example, recorded less than 60 percent of its seasonal average snow total, and the state’s resorts saw a drop to roughly 4.8 million skier visits. That resulted in skier spending dropping over 17 percent last winter. It’s fair to assume politicians would put more snow on the ballot if they could.
“Every fall, Utahns start watching the forecast and talking snow with their neighbors. This year that conversation has a name: Super El Niño. Election season can feel divisive, but spend five minutes in a lift line and you’ll find plenty of common ground,” Nathan Rafferty, Ski Utah president and CEO told Desert News.
Rafferty also acknowledged the political climate, describing the Ski Utah campaign as an opportunity to “provide a little levity and hope” to those who are over politics.
“This is the one race where all of Utah is on the same ticket. Whatever divides us the rest of the year, we can all agree on hoping for a big winter. Grab a sign, put it in your yard, and let your neighbors know where you stand on powder.”
Amen to that.
