In the wake of two seasons of bad press stemming from the 1998 deaths of Michael Kennedy and Sonny Bono, the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) has kicked off its Safety Initiative 2000 to help ski areas educate guests about skiing safety. The new initiative, created in partnership with the National Ski Patrol, Professional Ski Instructors of America, American Association of Snowboard Instructors and Willis Corroon and AIG insurance companies, is highlighted by the first annual National Safety Awareness Week to take place January 15 to 21.
The new initiative, which uses an attention-grabbing icon in the form of an arrow pointing up to a circle above the words “Heads Up,” is intended to dovetail with the efforts already taking place at resorts around the country. Though aimed primarily at guests, the effort will also be directed toward resort employees as well as local and national media.
“We need to rebuild the image that we’re an industry that cares about its guests,” says NSAA Director of Education Tim White. White suggests that while past efforts were successful, it is time to once again bring safety before the skiing public and be “more proactive” in educating that public.
To provide resorts with a comprehensive guide to this renewed focus on safety, NSAA has published “The Safety Initiative 2000 Source Book,” which includes suggestions for bringing the Heads Up theme into play around the resort and getting the public involved. The source book also includes photo-ready artwork to reproduce the Heads Up signs in a variety of formats.
Rob Linde, NSAA director of marketing, notes that this is a fresh approach to conveying an industry-wide safety message. He added that repackaging the message using the new Heads Up theme and the new safety icon should help individual resorts customize safety messages to help build momentum for a successful campaign. The new graphic is available for resorts to use on posters, drink cups, cafeteria tray liners, signs and other displays to remind guests about various aspects of the updated “Your Responsibility Code.” The messages are brief, clear, use modern language, make people take notice and appeal to snowboarders and skiers regardless of age.
Despite the fact fatality rates on the slopes have remained relatively low for decades, the public perception of downhill sliding as danger-plagued persists. According to White, who points to recent automobile advertising as an example, the public is more receptive than ever to safety messages.
“We have a real opportunity here to make a big impact,” says White of the industry’s potential for educating snowboarders, skiers and non-participants about safety on the slopes. “But we need to do it collectively.”
