For industry bean counters, April brings more than showers: it brings the results of the annual participation surveys, such as those conducted by National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) that tell us whether muzzleloading, dart throwing and, oh yes, alpine skiing and snowboarding have increased or slumped, and the National Skier Opinion Survey, conducted by Leisure Trends. Each provides ample food for thought.
The NSGA survey reveals some juicy bits, like which activity attracts the most loaded clientele—loaded in financial, not muzzleloading, terms. Yes, it’s still alpine skiing, with a scorching hot 55 percent of households enjoying incomes of $75,000 and up. For snowboarding households the figure is 38.7 percent.
NSGA figures show alpine skiing down 3.4 percent in 2002 compared to 2001, with snowboarding up by 3.6 percent. Neither figure is surprising, and thus both are comfortable. It is only when dealing with the actual numbers, rather than the percentage changes, that one gets uncomfortable. This is because the methodology used by NSGA (as well as by its competitor, American Sports Data) tends to overcount participation in all activities.
Still, the NSGA research yields useful trend data, since the questions are asked in a consistent manner over time. Thus we can see that alpine skiing was pretty flat from 1993 to 1996, but then started dropping, ending up at its present plateau in 1998. Snowboarding, by contrast, has enjoyed an almost uninterrupted string of increases.
| Year | Alpine Skiing | Snowboarding |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 10.5 | 1.8 |
| 1994 | 10.6 | 2.1 |
| 1995 | 9.3 | 2.8 |
| 1996 | 10.5 | 3.1 |
| 1997 | 8.9 | 2.8 |
| 1998 | 7.7 | 3.6 |
| 1999 | 7.4 | 3.3 |
| 2000 | 7.4 | 4.3 |
| 2001 | 7.7 | 5.3 |
| 2002 | 7.4 | 5.5 |
Over time, skiers are skiing more frequently: In the mid-90s, it was around 7.2 days per year, going up to around 8.3 in the late 90s and on up to the figure of 9.12 for 2002. The reason is age distribution. The oldest and youngest get to ski the most, and their numbers are increasing. In 1994, male participants in the 55-and-up categories accounted for just 1.8 percent of the total; by 2002, that figure had risen to 4.5—a 250 percent increase. Likewise, between 1995 and 2002, the 7 to 11 age group grew by 228 percent, from 3.2 to 7.3 percent of the market.
Indeed, there is much encouragement to be found in the influx of younger skiers. The under-18 males, for instance, went from 13.5 percent in 1994 to 17.9 percent in 2002.
With snowboarding, the picture is quite different. The age distribution is changing—and aging. The under-18 males in 1999 accounted for 42.5 percent of the total, whereas in 2002 that percentage was 35.5.
The most controversial finding in the NSGA survey concerns snowboarding equipment sales. The folks at SnowSports Industries America (SIA) found it hard last year to correlate the number of riders reported by NSGA with the sales figures SIA tracks of snowboarding equipment. NSGA’s research director, Tom Doyle (coincidentally, the president of the National Ski and Snowboard Retailers Association), answered that an awful lot of low-end snowboarding equipment was being sold through the likes of Wal-Mart, Target and hardware stories. This product, he said, is bought largely by 10- to 14-year-olds who want to be part of the scene but are not showing their stuff at lift-served areas (they don’t have wheels), but in backyards and city parks.
NSGA investigated this hypothesis and its new data will show, *SAM* has been told, that “significant” numbers of boarders are not riding at lift-served areas.
To skeptics, it’s hard to visualize that many individual kids lugging their boards around urban parks to gain a few vertical feet for their personal gravity games. It’s not exactly like skateboarding at the mall. But, we withhold judgment.
NSOS
Off-area snow sliding aside, preliminary data from the 2002/03 National Skier/Rider Opinion Survey both corroborates and complements the NSGA data. For example, NSOS data show growth at both ends of the age spectrum.
NSOS data indicate that the age when skiers and riders (collectively, downhillers) drop out of the sport for family- and career-building has moved from the early 20s to the early and late 30s. But these dropouts often return to the slopes as soon as finances allow. This past season, for example, 20 percent of those on the hill had skipped as many as four years in the last five.
Offsetting the 30-something dropouts, the percentage of visitors aged 16 to 24 increased seven percentage points last season, from 19 percent to 26 percent. Long-term trends show the largest and still-growing segment is the 35 to 55 age group, indicating that older skiers are sticking with the sport longer.
The gender balance remains steady at 56 percent male/44 percent female. However, the percentage of females 16 to 24 continues to fall below the average, at 40 percent. Ten years ago this percentage was 48 percent. This is cause for alarm.
Approximately 34 percent of downhillers ride, while 71 percent ski. That totals more than 100 percent because, on any given day, 5 percent say they do both.
However, snowboarding will soon hold the majority if the youth continues to flock to it. They already are the majority in the 16 to 34 age group: 67 percent of downhillers age 16 to 24 snowboard, and 52 percent of those ages 25 to 34. But most of the 15-and-under set are skiers—61 percent ski, 19 percent snowboard and 11 percent do both. (Nine percent apparently don’t know what they do, or stay at the condo and play video games.)
The median income of the market has increased to $95,000 from $88,000 last season. This growth in average income results from more middle income downhillers staying home; the NSOS shows a steady decline in visits by households earning $25,000 to $75,000.
The advent of the discount season’s pass has made significant inroads into the type of lift ticket used. Twenty-seven percent of this year’s downhillers used a season pass, up from 6 percent 10 years ago.
Look for more in-depth trend spotting in upcoming issues of *SAM*.
