SALT LAKE CITY – Uber ride share now has cars equipped with ski racks. Riders who want to get to one of Utah's major resorts can request an Uber Ski driver to pick them up. Utah is the first state they’re testing it in.
In collaboration with Backcountry.com, Uber launched Uber Ski. It gives skiers rides to all the major resorts along the Wasatch Front, including Park City, Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons and Ogden.
“It’s an offering in the app that allows people to request an all-wheel vehicle,” said Taylor Patterson, spokeswoman for Uber. “And allows them to take that vehicle up to the ski resorts or around Salt Lake, but most importantly, it can carry all their equipment.”
Uber representatives in Utah knew they needed to equip their cars with ski racks, as their drivers had a difficult time transporting people and their gear to the mountains. They say this is the perfect solution.
“I think customers will say ‘about time, finally, this is fantastic,’” said Eric Schroeder, general manager of Uber Utah.
Uber driver Joe Brewer said the fare will be the same as a regular ride, but with a $4 surcharge to cover the transportation of ski and snowboard equipment.
“Park City, Alta, Snowbird, Sundance, just about anywhere where they want to go skiing, we’ll take them,” Brewer said.
Patterson explained how the app works. The ski option is built into the original Uber app.
“I’ll slide it over to Uber ski, right there, and I’ll set my pickup location, I’ll request my Uber ski and a vehicle will come to me and I can load all my stuff up,” she said.
Uber is a ride-sharing program people can use as an alternative to taxis or other public transportation. “They can get dropped off slopeside, don’t have to deal with parking and then at the end of the day, they don’t have to wait around or try to find their car, they can just get back in the Uber and come back down,” Schroeder said.
To request an Uber Ski driver you can download the app and select “Uber Ski,” then type in your destination. Within minutes, an Uber driver will pick you up. For more information, visit https://www.uber.com.
