Park City Mountain launches 'Larger Than Life' rebrand with Shaun White
New Capabilities Salt Lake City, UT localThird campaign since Vail Resorts' 2014 purchase adds a 22-foot superpipe and The Snow League event to fill the void left by Sundance's move to Boulder.
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Overview
Updated 1 hour agoPark City Mountain launched its third rebrand since Vail Resorts bought it in 2014. The 'Larger Than Life' campaign makes Shaun White its face and adds a 22-foot halfpipe plus remote avalanche controls that open terrain earlier.
The timing tracks two shifts. Sundance Film Festival leaves Park City for Boulder this winter, and The Snow League — White's new professional competition — takes over that January weekend. The resort is a venue for the 2034 Winter Olympics in Utah, and the new superpipe is built to train athletes for those Games.
Why it matters
If the bet works, Park City replaces Sundance with a winter-sports identity and turns the 2034 Olympic Games into a multi-year anchor.
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People Involved
Organizations Involved
7,300-acre resort owned by Vail Resorts, formed by connecting two ski areas with the Quicksilver Gondola.
Broomfield, Colorado-based operator anchored by the Epic Pass subscription season pass.
Combines halfpipe and freeski competition with festival-style events and live music.
Timeline
May 2013 January 2027
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The Snow League competition begins at Park City
Upcoming EventThree-day event bringing top halfpipe snowboarders and freeskiers to the resort, alongside live music.
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Park City Mountain unveils 'Larger Than Life' rebrand
Latest AnnouncementShaun White becomes the face and voice of the resort's third major campaign since 2014; remote avalanche controls and 3D-modeled superpipe foundation debut.
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Snow League names Park City as Season Two host
AnnouncementShaun White announces the league's first US host site, set for January 21–23, 2027, with a new 22-foot halfpipe.
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Park City hosts FIS World Championships
CompetitionThe resort debuts a 22-foot superpipe for the event, a size not seen there again until 2026.
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Quicksilver Gondola connects the resorts
InfrastructureThe gondola links Park City Mountain and Canyons, creating the largest US ski resort at 7,300 acres.
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Vail closes purchase of Park City Mountain
AcquisitionVail Resorts closes an $182.5 million purchase of Park City Mountain Resort, setting up a merger with Canyons.
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Vail buys Canyons Resort
AcquisitionVail Resorts acquires Canyons for $182 million, its first foothold in Park City.
Historical Context
3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.
2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics (February 2002)
Utah hosted its first Winter Olympics. Park City Mountain hosted snowboarding and alpine events, and the adjacent Utah Olympic Park hosted bobsled, luge, and ski jumping. Snowboarding debuted as a medal sport that year; Shaun White was 15 and too young to compete.
The Games built venues like Utah Olympic Park that still train athletes today and put Park City on the global winter-sports map.
The 2002 infrastructure and reputation are central to why Utah won the 2034 bid, and why Park City is a venue again.
The rebrand is built on this legacy — the resort frames itself as a place 'rooted in greatness' and the new halfpipe is explicitly designed for the 2034 Games.
Vail Resorts Merges Park City and Canyons (2013–2015)
Vail Resorts bought Canyons for $182 million in 2013 and Park City Mountain for $182.5 million in 2014, then connected them with the Quicksilver Gondola in December 2015. The merger created the largest ski resort in the United States at 7,300 acres.
The resort doubled its terrain and unified operations under one pass system, becoming a flagship of the Epic Pass network.
Vail Resorts has invested more than $144 million in the combined resort since, and 'Larger Than Life' is the third attempt to define its identity.
This consolidation is the starting point of the current era. The rebrand is the latest chapter in Vail's effort to position Park City as a global destination.
Sundance Film Festival's Move to Boulder (announced January 2025)
The Sundance Institute chose Boulder, Colorado, over Cincinnati and Park City as the festival's new home, ending a 40-year run in Park City. The move takes effect with the 2027 festival.
Park City loses its biggest January economic engine, typically drawing tens of thousands of visitors each year.
The departure creates a calendar gap in Park City's winter season that a new event must fill.
The Snow League event on January 21–23, 2027 occupies the same weekend Sundance vacated. The timing of the rebrand is a direct response to that void.
