In an attempt to scientifically answer that question, I supervised a class of students from the University of Denver in a study to determine specifically which factors influence a skier’s selection of a ski area and the relative importance of those factors. The management of Copper Mountain, Colorado, cooperated and supported our work which was conducted in December of 1973.
To obtain the information as efficiently as possible, a unique data gathering technique was employed. Of primary importance was good cooperation from the skiers, and this required that they be minimally inconvenienced by the survey. Therefore, personal interviews of skiers was eliminated as a possibility. Distribution of questionnaires in the lodge or parking lot was also rejected, not only because of inconvenience to the respondents, but also because of the possibility of drawing invalid conclusions based on non-skier information.
The method finally adopted was a questionnaire which was distributed to skiers as they approached the chair lift. This technique not only limited the sample to skiers, but also provided an easy method of distribution and collection. The questionnaire, with a pencil and a loop of string attached, was hung around the skier’s neck. In this way, the skier was not required to carry anything except ski poles as he or she entered the lift loading area. An important factor in the design of the questionnaire was the time limit, and to be sure that the questions could be answered in the allotted time (even while wearing gloves), the questionnaire was extensively pretested. The questionnaire was printed on one side of brightly colored card stock so that it could be written upon without the need for a clipboard. Collection was done at the end of the lift.
Questionnaires were distributed to every sixth person entering the lift areas with the exception of skiers under 18 years of age, Copper Mountain employees, and members of the Ski Patrol. The survey took three days and produced 437 completed questionnaires.
The questionnaire contained nine factors, each with a five-point scale. The respondent simply circled a number indicating the importance of that factor to him or her in selecting a ski area in general. On the five-point scale, one indicates low importance, three indicates moderate importance, and five indicates high importance.
In an attempt to classify skiers, a question was asked of each respondent concerning the Colorado ski area at which he or she skied more than any other. Those skiers listing one of the major Colorado ski areas were classified as “vacation” type skiers (123 did so). Those skiers listing one of the other day or weekend ski areas in Colorado were classified as “day” type skiers (199 were so classified). Since Copper Mountain was the site of the study and since many skiers listed it as the area skied most often, a separate category was established for it (69 respondents).
The mean responses by type are shown in the table below. The variability in response by skier type does not appear to be great. However, closer analysis does reveal several differences which are statistically significant. (A statistical significance level of 10 per cent was used, meaning that differences as large as those judged to be significant would occur by chance no more than 10 per cent of the time.)
| Factor | Vacation Area Skier | Copper Mtn. Skier | Day Area Skier | Total All Skier Types |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Quality and variety of skiing | 4.63 | 4.81 | 4.53 | 4.60 |
| 2. Overall costs | 3.79 | 4.17 | 4.03 | 3.98 |
| 3. Accessibility and travel time | 3.54 | 4.00 | 3.76 | 3.74 |
| 4. Facilities and services | 3.03 | 2.95 | 2.85 | 2.92 |
| 5. Entertainment and apres ski | 2.87 | 2.59 | 2.65 | 2.70 |
| 6. Overnight accommodations | 2.73 | 2.48 | 2.65 | 2.65 |
| 7. Quality of ski school | 2.26 | 2.67 | 2.44 | 2.42 |
| 8. Availability of ski touring | 1.98 | 2.49 | 1.99 | 2.07 |
| 9. Nursery facility and quality | 1.86 | 1.72 | 1.72 | 1.76 |
- Quality and variety of skiing are rated higher by Copper Mountain regulars than by either of the other two types.
- Overall costs are more important to Copper Mountain and day-type skiers than they are to vacation-type skiers.
- Accessibility is likewise more important to both Copper Mountain regulars and day-type skiers than it is to those who usually ski at a vacation area.
- Quality of the ski school is more important to Copper Mountain loyalists than to those who usually ski at a vacation area.
- Availability of ski touring is rated significantly higher by Copper Mountain regulars than by either of the other two types.
There were no significant differences by type of skier concerning the importance of facilities and services, the importance of entertainment and apres ski activities (although vacation-types rated it highest), importance of overnight accommodations, and importance of nursery facility and quality.
Respondents were also given an opportunity to list a factor of importance to them (in addition to those choices given on the questionnaire). The factors listed most frequently were:
- Good snow and powder
- Small crowds
- Good slopes and trails
- Politeness and courtesy of ski area personnel
ANALYSIS BY SEX OF SKIER
It was believed that it might be useful to ski area managers to know whether males and females attach different importance to the factors in question. However, the differences in most cases appear to be insignificant, except for two factors which do show statistically significant differences:
- Entertainment and apres ski activities are more important to the males than to the females in this study.
- The quality of the ski school is more important to the females than to the males in this study.
The other differences are so slight as to be indistinguishable from chance variation.
RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS
This study shows what kind of information about skier attitudes can be obtained quite readily and with good skier cooperation. Skiers at other ski areas in different parts of the country may attach different importance to the factors studied, although it appears that useful information might be obtained by asking questions about how the ski area being studied compares to the area where the respondent skis most often. This was another part of our study at Copper Mountain and led to several recommendations concerning advertising and promotional efforts:
- Of high importance are quality and variety of skiing, overall costs, and accessibility and travel time.
- Of moderate importance are facilities and services, entertainment and apres ski activities, overnight accommodations, and quality of the ski school.
- Of low importance are availability of ski touring and nursery facility and quality.
This study thus provided some communication between skiers and the ski area management: factors of importance to Copper Mountain skiers were specifically identified.
