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A group of snowboarders has filed notice that they intend to attempt to overturn a federal judge's dismissal of a lawsuit that tried to force the Alta Ski Resort to allow them onto its slopes.
The boarders' attorneys have filed a notice of appeal of U.S. District Judge Dee Benson's decision in October that tossed out their lawsuit against Alta and the U.S. Forest Service.
Individual snowboarders and a group they formed, Wasatch Equality, claimed that they were being irrationally discriminated against and deserved protection under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which historically has been used on cases involving discrimination based on race, gender and sexual orientation.
Benson ruled that federal court was not the right arena for the snowboarders to argue they should be allowed on the Utah resort's famed runs. He also said there was no basis for the lawsuit's claim that the ban was "based on Alta's belief that snowboarders are undesirable people with obnoxious habits and characteristics."
With the filing, the snowboarders have signaled they intend to petition the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver to overturn Benson's ruling.
Alta is only of three ski areas in the nation to ban snowboarders.