ðə pɹˈoʊɡɹæm stˈɑːɹɾᵻd wɪð ˈeɪt pɑːɹtˈɪsᵻpˌeɪɾɪŋ ɹᵻzˈɔːɹts ænd tˈuː,tˈuːhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti sˈɛvən skˈiːɚz ɪnðə fˈɜːst jˈɪɹ, bˌʌt kwˈɪkli ɡˈeɪnd ɪn pˌɑːpjʊlˈæɹᵻɾi, ˌʌndɚ ðə pˈaʊɚfəl dᵻɹˈɛkʃən ʌv fˈɔːɹmɚ jˈuː.ˈɛs. skˈiː tˈiːm kˈoʊtʃ ænd pɹˈoʊ skˈiːɪŋ ˌɪmpɹɪsˈæɹɪˌoʊ bˈɑːb bˈiːɾi, ɡɹˈoʊɪŋ tə mˈoːɹ ðɐn wˈʌnhˈʌndɹɪd ɹᵻzˈɔːɹts ænd sˈɪks mˈɪliən skˈiːɚz ænd snˈoʊboːɹdɚz hˌævɪŋ pɑːɹtˈɪsᵻpˌeɪɾᵻd baɪ tˈuː θˈaʊzənd sˈɪks.
The program started with 8 participating resorts and 2,297 skiers in the first year, but quickly gained in popularity, under the powerful direction of former U.S. Ski Team coach and pro skiing impresario Bob Beattie, growing to more than 100 resorts and 6 million skiers and snowboarders having participated by 2006.