Note on Terminology
The mix of pure skiers, pure boarders and crossovers on the slopes this past season showed dynamic change. Most dramatic are the changes in the make-up of those riding, where the crossover from skiing is having a profound effect.
These conclusions come from data collected by the National Skier/Boarder Opinion Survey during the 1996-97 season which, among fields of inquiry, asked customers at the areas, “What type of on-snow activities are you doing today?” The results showed that of those interviewed, 6.7 percent were unadulterated boarders (don’t ski, never skied), and about another 20 percent were crossovers from skiing.
Slightly over one in four adult (over age 16) downhillers interviewed claimed to be snowboarders. This is a huge increase from the 16 percent in 1995-96. Are they telling the truth? Or is snowboarding to the downhill business what mountain biking is to the bicycle business: a trophy sport once tried, but practiced infrequently?
Of the 27 percent who identified themselves as snowboarders, less than one-half were riding on the day we found them on the mountain. Two percent had both skied and boarded that day.
What is clear is that riders are coming from the ranks of skiers in record numbers. Of course, the statistics cannot show the extent to which these crossovers adopt what has been seen as the distinct style and attitude of boarders.
Here are some statistical clues that may throw some light on the puzzle:
- Approximately 60 percent of all snowboarders skied before they boarded and have adopted the neo-schizophrenic attitude of practicing both sports. Of these, 65 percent are over age 25, male and single.
- Another 35 percent of crossovers said they “ain’t going to ski no more.” Of these, over half are over 25, more than two-thirds male and 73 percent single.
The snowboard ranks are filling with males between 25 and 34 years of age. Though numerically fewer, there is also a significant infusion of 35 to 44 year-olds. Forty percent of all boarders have annual household incomes of over $50,000.
Will the trend to crossover continue? The indications are that it will. Of the skier population that has not tried snowboarding, 7 percent said they were going to try it in the current season and another 31 percent said they might give it a try in the next few years. With 27 percent of downhillers already riding, the potential for doubling the rider component is clearly there. Those skiers not interested in boarding tended to be over 34, married and wealthier.
The under-16-year-old children of skiing/boarding parents profile in a very similar way to all downhillers: 72 percent ski only, 6 percent board only and 14 percent do both. The younger and wealthier the parents, the more likely the child is to snowboard.
Self-ranked Ability Levels (Adults)
The number of crossovers has swelled the ranks of novice riders, with a resultant marked change in the profile of the whole riding universe. This past season, 42 percent said they were novices (rode five times or less), 11 percent were beginners and 15 percent were lower intermediates. That makes more than two-thirds of all today’s riders at the lower intermediate or lower level, compared to just 26 percent for people who ski—a statistic that underscores the growth potential of boarding compared to skiing.
Anyone with any doubts about how to increase activity on the hill need look no further than their mix of skiers and boarders. Boarders rode more than twice as often as skiers skied. (Pure boarders rode a median of 26 days, people who both ski and ride averaged 15.5 days and pure skiers averaged 9.7 days last season.)
Conclusions
In recent years, the winter resort industry has been caught in a quandary: Everyone has an eyeball estimate of snowboarder totals, but the changing mix of participants makes it a tough statistic to tie down. As the Marx Brothers line went, “Who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?”
What is clear, based on preliminary numbers taken from the 1996-97 National Skier/Boarder Opinion Survey—and based on 13,000 interviews conducted between December 1996 and March 15, 1997—is that the majority of snowboarders are coming from the ranks of skiers and that the crossover trend will continue for the next few years. The corollary is that boarders who have never skied are not making much of a dent in the total downhiller market.
What is not yet clear is whether or not snowboarding is a trophy sport for skiers—an attempt to co-opt cool—or how many of these crossovers will stick with boarding to the exclusion of skiing. The indications are that the testosterone of males between 25 and 44 encourages switching permanently; and because males in this age group represent a major slice of the skier market, skiing attrition is likely to continue.
The data indicate as well that the core market of downhillers—the total on-mountain sliders on snow—is declining, even though the number of them who ride is increasing.
The number of novices among boarders should drive boarder school sales through the roof, as well as rental numbers, but there again, is there an anti-school mindset to overcome? Early reports from ski/boarding schools does, indeed, suggest a banner year for instruction.
There is still growth in boarding to come. If perception is reality, it doesn’t matter to ski resorts whether participants see themselves as riders or skiers, just as long as it’s fun, they buy lift tickets and create downhiller days.
