Making consumerism work
With the proliferation of questionable products and services heaped upon the public today, small wonder John Q. has pulled a Mr. Hyde. What is cause for wonderment is why so many in the ski industry cling to the laissez-faire notion that “We’ve given them a hill, what else do they want?”
For one, the skier wants accurate snow reports. For another, reliable lifts and manageable trails. Finally, he wants an occasional smile and a little help on the hill when he needs it. Several areas have already sniffed out the trend and are now rebuiding their business on a “It pays to play” approach. Take Mt. Snow’s Mark Fleischman. Here’s a youngster for whom success comes as naturally as Bugaboo snowcover. Fleischman has taken his hotelier instincts and put them to work on the mountain. Does it work? I. William Berry tells you about it beginning on page 22.
Ski thefts? The skiless skier, as we know, can be a mighty vocal consumer. However, several ski areas, as reported in “The Great Ski Rip-Off” on page 28, have done something about it. What these areas and Mt. Snow point up is that it’s all a matter of making consumerism work for you.
There’s another side to the coin. Making skiers comfortable doesn’t mean sacrificing the fun and challenge of the sport. Sad to say, however, this is the direction that many operators, over-awed by consumerism’s mystique, are taking. No one can claim that our industry isn’t interested in safety. In terms of both research and practical application, in fact, it ranks among our leading concerns.
In recent years, however, there’s been an outcropping of questionable safety gadgets seen increasingly on our slopes. Case in point: mandatory padding of lift towers. With the number of natural obstacles the skier has to avoid—trees, rocks, other skiers, ledges—it’s odd that the lift tower should be singled out as “hazardous.” What about those rock outcroppings—should we be draping them with mattresses? The last thing ski areas need is to be turned into turnpikes with guard rails, flashing lights, horns on runaway skis and individual lift-evacuation kits. More gadgets are not the answer. Sound lift construction and careful operation, well-groomed trails, binding check facilities and a qualified ski patrol are.
