The end of Ski Magazine resort rankings

For too many seasons, Ski Magazine had been playing a very dangerous game in ranking the North American ski resorts, creating in the process, more enemies than it could afford to handle.

At the same time, its advertising began to drop (Vail Resorts has deserted the publication for years) and after its sister publication Skiing was jettisoned in 2003, Ski Magazine had to resort to sending free copies to people like ski area season pass-holders like me.

Ski Magazine is suffering the same fate as the majority of periodicals that simply don't get read. In 2006 when advertisers learned that more than half of Ski’s 450,000 circulation was made up of sponsored and partnership subscriptions, it became increasingly harder for the magazine to sell advertising.

Powder, is the only competitor left that might have a paid circulation below 40,000. Today, my guess that between paid subscriptions and newsstand sales, Ski's real circulation might be around 125,000. What is certain is that internet advertising has also killed these fan-based magazines.

Has anyone got any idea what the actual numbers are for Ski and Powder?