According to Alta Ski Resort, it seems snowboarders and skiers were not created equal. The Utah ski destination has received a lot of coverage recently because of its anti-snowboarding rule. But on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Dee Benson ruled in Alta’s favor and dismissed the lawsuit against Alta and the U.S. Forest Service that was filed in January by a group of disgruntled snowboarders called Wasatch Equality.

Judge Bensen supported his ruling with the fact the plaintiffs could not prove anything against the U.S. Forest Service, and therefore the ban was made by Alta alone, which is privately owned. “The decision was Alta’s, and Alta’s alone, operating as a private business. The Forest Service did not encourage the rule, discourage the rule, agree with the rule, or disagree with the rule; nor was the Forest Service consulted on the appropriateness of the rule,” Bensen told the Deseret News.

Furthermore, the judge went on to detail his annoyance with the claims saying, “There are many forums plaintiffs can resort to in an attempt to accomplish their goal of snowboarding down the Baldy Chutes at Alta. Seeking an injunction from this court is not one of them.”

Reactions are mixed, with the Wasatch Equality snowboarders claiming to seek other avenues in order to right what they view as a major injustice. Their attorney, Jonathan Schofield, argued that the ban was discriminatory because of a third-party YouTube video that shows disdain for snowboarders. “We continue to believe that the case has merit,” Schofield told the press, “We hope Alta and the Forest Service will voluntarily reconsider their policy and allow skiers and snowboarders access to public lands.”

But other Utah attorneys believe the ruling was just. U.S. attorney Carlie Christensen said, “Land management agencies simply could not function if every land-use decision gave rise to an equal protection claim under the Constitution.”

Though it is uncommon, Alta is not alone in its ban of alternative ski equipment. Both Utah’s Deer Valley Resort and Vermont’s Mad River Glen are also strictly open to skiers only.

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