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Typical January crowds at North American resorts include core skiers and riders representing the usual demographics: predominantly white, wealthy, long-time enthusiasts. But another group also hits many slopes after the New Year: beginners. 

January has long been a month when school and youth groups get bused to mountains, and resorts and regional organizations bundle affordable beginner packages. These programs aim to support the idea that first-time skiers and riders—particularly young ones and those from population demographics that typically don’t ski or ride—represent the future growth of snowsports.

Numbers in the NSAA 2022-23 Kottke  report, however, raise questions about whether these initiatives are achieving the goal. While visitation numbers hit an all-time high in 2022-23 (a number bolstered by record snow depths and length of season in the West), other statistics raised concerns. In particular, the season saw a smaller share of skiers and riders under 25 years old, fewer lessons taken than pre-pandemic, and an aging skiing and riding population.

 A LITTLE LEARN-TO HISTORY

The U.S. ski business is now five years post-Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month (LSSM), perhaps the most visible and large-scale marketing campaign ever for beginners. LSSM was a state association-led program conceived in 2009 by Raelene Davis of Ski Utah and Mary Jo Tarallo, then of Snowsports Industries America, over coffee one morning. 

Their idea to declare January as Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month didn’t lead to the presidential proclamation they considered trying for, but it did garner good media attention and turn into a national program in which resorts offered free or discounted lift tickets, lessons, and rentals to pre-registered beginners during the month of January. There were many different versions of the programming, depending on what made the most sense for participating resorts. 

Momentum. Over the course of a decade, LSSM tallied one million beginner lessons. NSAA threw its weight behind the initiative as it began to gain momentum, hiring Tarallo on a consultant basis to direct the program. At its peak, LSSM involved more than 75 partners including state associations, equipment manufacturers, media outlets, and other key snowsports players. But NSAA discontinued its support for a national LSSM program in 2019, shifting to a broader growth strategy. 

Although LSSM has been shelved, beginners are still giving snowsports a whirl, and many learn-to promotions do still exist (although some folks, including Tarallo, wish the promotion remained a national initiative). Some of the regionally run promotions mirror LSSM, and many consider the efforts successful. Still, questions about the state of learn-to and the industry-wide plans for future-focused growth remain. 

WHY NO MORE LSSM?

There are several reasons NSAA discontinued LSSM, says NSAA director of marketing and communications Adrienne Saia Isaac, despite the success stories. 

For one, static numbers—the promotion started with about 22,000 participants the first year and then grew to more than 150,000 in 2016, before dropping back to around 100,000, where it hovered in its final years. Secondly, January can be a challenging month if you’re new to snowsports. The days can be dark and the weather is often colder. Further, says Isaac, ski areas attract different markets and have different operating strategies, so a nationwide initiative wasn’t a fit for some member resorts (participation in LSSM was optional, of course).

Broader target. Mostly, though, NSAA questioned whether targeting beginners went far enough. Ultimately, it was decided that beginners were one of a few target demographics in the growth equation. Others include lapsed and revival participants, and populations who traditionally haven’t participated, like Black, Brown, and Indigenous people, many of whom would also fall under the “beginner” umbrella. 

A broader approach to fostering inclusivity can encapsulate both snowsports newcomers and other skier segments. And inclusivity has become a central component of NSAA’s growth strategy. “Members of our growth committee did a year-long professional development training on inclusion,” says Isaac. “That thread is now woven into everything we talk about.” 

The strategy also includes a consumer-facing website, DiscoverSnow.org, which launched in 2019 but lacks the brand recognition and support of LSSM, its development perhaps stunted by the pandemic-led shift from a growth focus to a crowd management one. 

QUEBEC’S COMMITMENT, AND SUCCESS

The Quebec Ski Areas Association (ASSQ) and many of its member ski areas have long focused on trial and retention, offering and supporting affordable programs—and tracking participation in various ways. 

This winter, 43 member areas offered the CA$30 beginner package, Never Ever Days: beginners get two visits, the first includes a lesson, and both include lift ticket and rental. “The third step is that resorts reach out to them after the second visit to welcome them back,” says ASSQ CEO Yves Juneau. 

That third step is unique, as is the way Never Ever Days is managed. “We [ASSQ] do all the promotion and marketing” for Never Ever Days, says Juneau. 

Tracking participants. Perhaps most importantly, all newcomers must register for their Never Ever Days package on ASSQ’s website, where they choose the date, time, and which of the 40-plus participating member resorts they’ll go for each visit, allowing ASSQ to collect data on participation and the rate in which newcomers return for another day.

Juneau reports that Never Ever Days introduced 6,351 new skiers or snowboarders this past winter, with 34 percent of them returning for a second day.

ASSQ also supports new skiers and riders with resources, including extensive information on its website about how to dress, how to navigate resort parking lots and rental shops, as well as other related promotions.

Collective effort. Juneau is proud that the Quebec programs are quite well-known throughout the province—a testament to how well Quebec resorts work collectively, he says. 

There are several factors that make cooperation easier in Quebec. Winter sports form part of the national (and provincial) identity, and the beginner programs contribute to that. Even the fact that the Quebecois speak their own language helps. “There is a level of cooperation here,” Juneau says. “The more solidarity you have, the stronger your results will be.”

ELEMENTS OF LSSM CARRY ON

Regional tourism organizations often recognize the importance of resorts as economic drivers, and some have taken up the mantle of LSSM. 

Help from a CVB. Berkshire East, Mass., participates in regional promotions by Explore Western Massachusetts (aka the Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau), which advertises January as Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month—evidence of LSSM’s lasting recognition. 

Berkshire East, Mass. Credit: Katie Lozancich.

“Explore Western Massachusetts reached out to us about the Learn to Ski and Ride Month,” says Luke Toritto, director of instructional programs at Berkshire East.

Berkshire East doesn’t limit its beginner packages to January, says Toritto, but the resort willingly jumped on the regional LSSM bandwagon, taking advantage of the additional reach that Explore Western Massachusetts offered in promoting info about Berkshire East’s and other participating ski areas’ learn-to offerings. 

Promotional partnership. In the Midwest, the Michigan Snowsports Industry Association (MSIA) brought its membership together on a January learn-to promotion, in partnership with the state’s McDonald’s restaurants. About 40 ski areas offered a $60 beginner lift ticket, lesson, and rental package.

Michigan’s learn-to promotion is offered at roughly 40 ski areas, including Shanty Creek (pictured).

Part of the magic in both Quebec and Michigan is the simplicity of the offerings. “To buy à la carte is complicated,” says Steve Kershner, chairman of the MSIA board of directors and director of snowsports at northern Michigan’s Shanty Creek. Bundling everything into one price is important in any package geared toward beginners; a confusing purchase-to-slope process will make it easy for them to choose not to visit. 

Unlike Quebec, MSIA’s package doesn’t address a follow-up visit. But MSIA does encourage resorts to pursue first timers. “Shame on any of us who don’t reach back out after we’ve set them up with rentals and collected their names and contact information,” Kershner says, while acknowledging that MSIA could keep better data on whether beginners return for subsequent visits.

CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS

So, how successful are these and other programs at converting new participants to the sport? The data are scant. NSAA stopped collecting national aggregate beginner conversion data in 2019 when it sunsetted its beginner conversion study. Collecting conversion data can be difficult, says Isaac, noting that the variety of learn-to programs, privacy laws, and voluntary guest opt-ins all present challenges. Robust data sets also depend largely on resort tracking and sharing. 

For example: The beginner conversion study, which was based on 3,000 guest survey results from nearly 30 ski areas, found 23-25 percent of adult and child first timers intended to return. For the same period, though, NSAA’s “Model for Growth,” which calculated conversion based on ability progression, found a 19 percent conversion rate.

Matters of metrics. The difference in figures—both accurate but calculated using different models—highlights another challenge to tracking new participant growth: what is the right metric?

Leaders on NSAA’s growth committee gathered in February to determine how best to define and measure ideas like “success” and “growth.” Are total skier visits the right goal? Total participants? Net Promoter Scores? Loyalty? One member of the committee likes to ask, “how much fun was had?” says Isaac. “It makes sense to reevaluate the data and to refine the questions we ask people,” she adds. 

Outcomes of that discussion, says Isaac, will be shared in a session at NSAA’s 2024 National Convention. 

Resort participation will be critical to building any new growth benchmarks. “Sharing your data makes the whole industry stronger,” says Isaac, noting that “a broader data set is more helpful.” 

And what about those concerning figures in the 2022-23 Kottke/Demographic report? Eric Lipton of SNOW Operating, which has done much research and development relating to the beginner experience, is well aware of the declining share represented by skiers and riders under 25 years old evidenced in the report. However, he points out that they still represent the largest share (37 percent) of all age groups. “Twenty-five percent of participants are millennials,” he adds. “Sixty-two percent of the skiing and riding public are under age 43.”

With regard to the declining lesson numbers, he points out that lesson numbers have yet to rebound to pre-pandemic levels, while lesson revenues are up. That combination begs the question of whether businesses are truly motivated to pursue more lessons. 

Lipton also suggests staffing challenges since the onset of the pandemic could be influencing the number of total lessons, not a lack of interest from beginners or by resorts. 

BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS TO ENTRY

“I think the next iteration in learn-to will be for resorts to lean into self-guided learning and focus on ‘terrain that teaches,’” Lipton says. 

Self-guided learning also caters to the guest that was never going to take a lesson anyway. “Recognizing that some guests simply will not hire a pro,” says Lipton, “we still have to find ways to serve that resort guest.” 

When people need to fix drywall in their homes, agrees Isaac, they search YouTube for do-it-yourself reference. Resort managers may be able to tap into that DIY gusto to expand learn-to opportunities.

Widen the funnel. Learn-to lessons and the promotions supporting them are interwoven in the fabric of the snowsports business. The happy chaos of a school group under January lights is as integral to snowsports as core skiers and riders enjoying après gatherings at destination resorts in February and March.

And one thing is certain, says Lipton: we need to welcome and include new population demographics. “The barriers to entry for the sport are still formidable for many, and we have to keep up efforts to widen the funnel,” he says. “It would be ill-advised for our industry to sit smugly and rely solely on our core participants to drive all future growth.”

WINTER’S FOR KIDS!

Schone Malliet is president, CEO, and founder of Winter4Kids, a nonprofit that is active in introducing new participants to snowsports with the understanding that snowsports change lives. The organization uses the former Hidden Valley Resort in Vernon, N.J., and its amenities as a dedicated winter campus. Its clientele: youth groups. A quarter of the participants come from New York City, and most are from non-traditional snowsports populations.

Winter4Kids’ groups commit to six visits, says Malliet. Kids participate in alpine skiing, snowboarding, and cross-country skiing, and 79 percent of them achieve an intermediate level. Forty-one percent of participants return for subsequent visits; a whopping 91 percent say they want to continue participating in snowsports.

The program strives to remove  obstacles for inner city kids, who may come from limited income family situations and who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity. “Access involves more than just economics,” says Malliet, noting that, “For many, transportation is the biggest challenge.”

Although Malliet runs a model learn-to program (everyone gets lessons, visits multiple times, and comes from non-traditional snowsports families, situations, and populations), his focus isn’t primarily on growing snowsports. Instead, he uses snowsports to positively impact society and improve lives. And the program has shown some impressive results. “Sixty-seven percent of schools report increased attendance,” says Malliet. “We build confidence and give participants pathways to make better decisions.”

The tenets of the Winter4Kids curriculum—building on-snow skills, building life skills, eating healthy food, learning the equipment and proper clothing, and taking advantage of mentoring—apply to any learn-to program. Even if Malliet's motives (that is, to promote healthy life choices) don’t exactly line up with other resort operators (that is, to grow snowsports), it is worth noting that the Winter4Kids approach achieves both. —M.A.