SIA Changes Dates—Again, and Again?
To recap: until a few months ago, SIA was negotiating with the Outdoor Retailer (OR) show to arrange a long-dreamed-about joint SIA/OR supershow. But in March, OR abruptly broke off discussions. That prompted SIA to declare it would host its show January 24-27—but at a surprise location: the spanking-new Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Then SIA learned that the Mandalay Bay dates were not available and reconsidered its options. At a meeting in New Orleans, amid calls for a return to the show’s traditional early March dates, the SIA board compromised: January 27-30 for 2003, late February or early March for 2004 and beyond.
That settled very little. Many SIA members continue to lobby for late-January dates, while retailers—especially those at ski areas—argue for early March. So the board could change its decision for 2004 and beyond again: it’s expected that show dates will be on the agenda once more at a board meeting in August.
Squaw Cleared in EPA Investigation
Squaw Valley, Calif., just can’t seem to convince environmentalists that the ski resort is a good corporate citizen. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is ending its two-year investigation of alleged Clean Water Act violations by Squaw Valley due to “insufficient evidence” of wrongdoing, but the alligators—the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board—have taken their battle to the county court.
The board raised allegations in 2000 that Squaw’s construction activities had led to excessive sedimentation of Squaw Creek. In response, armed EPA agents raided the Squaw offices and seized 80,000 pages of documents. But the investigation revealed that the amount of dirt in Squaw Creek was nearly identical to the levels in nearby creeks in undisturbed wilderness areas, according to a Squaw Valley spokesperson. “The EPA’s decision proves that we have done nothing to harm Squaw Creek as a result of our activities,” said Squaw president Nancy Wendt.
Still, the battle continues. In addition to the county court action, Squaw has filed a harassment suit against the Lahontan board.
Big Verdict in Snowboarder Lawsuit
It’s too early to say what, if any, impact will result from the recent $4.44 million verdict in favor of a snowboarder injured on a tabletop jump at Bear Valley in April 2000. The jury determined that responsibility for the injury, which resulted in paraplegia, was divided almost evenly between the rider and the area. So, they lopped off about $2.4 million calling it the rider’s responsibility, leaving the area to pay just more than $2 million, on top of medical bills. But the case is being appealed and is unlikely to be resolved for another 18 to 24 months, according to Peter Koenig, attorney for the defense.
If it stands, the case could change the way resorts design terrain features. Degree of liability for manmade jumps may be determined according to their “fall height equivalency,” which is a measure of impact upon landing a jump. In the case of Charlene Vine v. Bear Valley, the fall height equivalency was determined to be 12 feet; as a comparison, landing off a 90-meter ski jump or a freestyle aerials ramp is like falling from 3 to 5 feet. According to testimony at the trial, fall height equivalency above 8 feet makes injury likely.
What does Koenig expect will be the long-term implications of this case? “Nothing,” he says. “It’s an aberration.”
Numbers, Numbers Everywhere, but What Is One to Think?
No, this is not another SAM-bashing of skier/rider research. That would be too easy. If we were so inclined, we could point out that the latest figures for the number of snowboarders offered by the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA)—a 23 percent increase in 2001, following a 31 percent increase in 2000—don’t jibe with any other stats: SIA’s report of a seven percent increase in retail sales, or the Kottke Report’s seven percent increase in rider visits (29.5% of all visits in 2001-02, up from 27.7% in 2000-01).
Instead, we’d like to zero in on the news that the snowboarding population has tripled in size in the past decade, while the ski population has shrunk by a third. And we’re impressed with some other NSGA statistics quoted by Brad Edmondson at the NSAA convention: core skiers and riders have increased over the past decade, from about 2 million to 3 million, while infrequent skiers decreased by a similar amount, from 11 million to 10 million.
It matters not whether these numbers are exactly correct. What matters are the trends they reveal. This shift in participation—more core players, fewer dabblers—is similar to what has been happening in sports generally. It demonstrates the importance of getting skiers and riders to make skiing and riding part of who they are. Because that will determine what happens with the numbers (whatever they may be) during the next decade.
Obesity in Young Adults on the Rise
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources is calling on families, communities and businesses to do their part in the war against the battle of the bulge in kids. According to a study released this past spring by the Centers for Disease Control, annual hospital costs for obesity-related conditions in youths aged 6 to 17 increased from $35 million to $127 million (in 2001 dollars) over the past 20 years. Education Secretary Ron Paige said, “…I’m issuing a challenge to the boys and girls all across America: Get up and get outdoors…Do whatever. Just move your body.” Anybody have any suggestions?
Close Call
Avalanche prediction is an inexact science, as three members of the ski industry were reminded last April in Alaska. K2 vice president Tim Petrick was hosting K2’s annual Chugach product intro trip, skiing with Vail’s Carl Pecciarelli, Ski Magazine online coordinator Doug Sabanosh and K2 rep Mark Lee. At 4:30 p.m., the group was still cutting up three feet of fresh. Pecciarelli was the last to ski a 45-degree pitch; three turns in, it suddenly fractured. Pecciarelli quickly got clear; the others, led by guide Dave Swanwick, sped downhill for safety.
Swanwick made it; Petrick, one ski length behind, got swept away—along with Lee and Sabanosh. The trio slid and tumbled, went over a cliff of 25 to 100 feet, and tumbled some more before the half-mile ride ended. Amazingly, all three were on top of the slide when it stopped, and all three have largely recovered from their injuries (broken ribs, broken pelvis, dislocated shoulder and numerous muscle bruises). And all are planning to be in the Chugach again next spring.
Necessity Is the Mother of Change
The Mountain Travel Symposium in Whistler, B.C., during mid-April reviewed how the resort business held up to the challenges of recession, 9/11 and changing consumers. One result might be a new way of doing business.
In the wake of 9/11, resorts made the types of changes they have resisted in less dire times. Many areas cut staff or postponed hiring plans to reduce costs—and discovered this didn’t hurt operations. Since some skiers were reluctant to fly, destination resorts offered deals. Often, these were made possible because lodging properties abandoned or modified longstanding policies such as minimum stay requirements and cancellation fees. Even so, many visitors booked at the last moment, a practice that is probably here to stay, because it worked.
In addition, since the air travel business did not recover quickly from 9/11—and may not recover sufficiently for next season—last season’s adjustments may be necessary to entice destination visitors again.
White River Plan Favors I-70 Areas
A few years ago, the White River National Forest Plan seemed likely to favor environmental concerns over all others. But when unveiled in early June, the plan valued recreation and conservation equally. Resorts in the I-70 corridor, from Arapahoe Basin to Beaver Creek, received ample room for expansion to accommodate Front Range visitors. The plan also envisions additional backcountry huts. Mountain biking is restricted to established trails and roads, but many illegally-created trails will be closed to protect environmentally sensitive areas.
Environmentalists were unhappy that minimum stream flow requirements were dropped, and were disappointed that only three new wilderness areas are included. But the plan could still change: it is subject to a 90-day comment period and possible appeals.
