With the exception of the halfpipe chapter, however, I suspect that most of the ideas and concepts contained in the manual have already been tried or implemented by every area operator who has accepted snowboard skiing.
Although most segments of the ski industry have a gut feeling that snowboard skiing is a rapidly growing segment of the winter recreation business, there seems to be little reliable statistical data to define the specifics of this growth. I would have found the manual much more useful had it contained more statistics and facts upon which one could base decisions for capital investments in snowboard-specific improvements.
For the remaining 14 percent of area operators yet to open up to the snowboard skiing, the manual provides a broad coverage of thought provoking ideas and information. I wish it had been available several years ago; it would have saved me time and research effort.
The operation manual addresses the skier/snowboarder conflict and various techniques for managing the contention. I submit that snowboarders are not only customers, they are people. If you treat someone with suspicion and disdain, they will usually live up to your expectations. Conversely, if you welcome someone and treat them with respect, well, what goes around comes around.
One of the advantages for the small business of belonging to a national organization is access to information and ideas that would ordinarily be beyond its normal expertise or resources. There is no point in reinventing the wheel. To this end, the manual is a worthwhile and useful medium for conveying the consolidated information currently available on snowboard skiing.
