s r e n n i w 4 1 0 2
Best of the Boat goes T
he votes poured in like the near record-setting rain this August in our 2014 Best of the Boat contest. By the time they were all tallied, more than 83,000 votes for 112 questions in six different categories were placed by nearly 4,500 voters, representing the biggest opinion-canvassing campaign our town has ever seen. “It was our best turnout ever,” says contest manager Jenni DeFouw, touting a new survey system by Second Street as integral to the effort. “People are pretty opinionated here, and this let them be heard loudly and clearly.” Indeed, the 4,500 respondents represent nearly a third of the town’s population, comprising a sizable representation of Steamboat. They voted on six categories, including Shopping, Dining, Food Specialties, Home & Garden, Business & Community and Professionals, letting their voices be heard on everything from where to eat, shop and drink to best radio station, artist and ski patroller. While some incumbents retained their coveted titles in this
big!
year’s contest, other categories saw new businesses rise to the top. And while some categories saw clear front-runners from the get-go, others, such as Best Steak, came down to the mouth-watering wire, with as thin of a margin as just four votes (or bites) separating the top two spots. It all shows that people’s opinions about this fair town of ours are as varied as the ski terrain on our mountain. With an entire month to visit the contest site, voters selected a top four in each category, with write-in answers also tabulated to ensure no one went missing. For their efforts, voters were eligible to win one of two local shopping sprees at area businesses. While no survey is perfect, we tried our best to make the survey as fair as possible and ensure that the results truly represent the opinions of you, our illustrious readers, who took the time to make your voices heard. The end result is laid out before you: the collective voice of the community showcasing the best of everything Steamboat has to offer. Winter 2014-15 | Steamboat living
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