The paper seeks to determine the relative importance of motivational forces in the decision to go skiing, their influence on the “needs” of skiers and subsequently their role in the choice of resorts. The skiing population studied is that of Grenoble in the French Alps. The analysis indicated that motivations are reflected in certain skier “needs” and have a spatial expression in the choice of resorts. The results illustrate the potential usefulness of studying recreationists' motives as an antecedent to a better understanding of what sorts of experience recreationists look for and where.