7% Of US Population skis / snowboards / snowshoes?

[Nick]

Saw this on First Tracks!!

Pretty interesting article. THe number they give is much higher than I would have guessed. Thinking of people I know in my office, there are only 2 or 3 skiers. Plus that includes people from across the country (including the south), where the # of skiers is probably close to 0%.

I wasn't clear on whether this meant in the past year, or had ever participated. Also interesting to note: over 50% of skiers have a household income exceeding $100,000.

High-income earners account for large segments of participants with 50% of alpine skiers and 37% of snowboarders, respectively, having annual incomes of $100,000 or more. Snow sports are becoming more diverse, as minority ethnic groups now make up over twenty-five percent (25%) of all participants.

Also regarding minorities, just anecdotally (not that I'm looking for it) I don't really see all that much diversity on the slopes.

 

[Riverskier]

The income statistic doesn't surprise me, but the minority one does. In Maine, that figure has to be well below 5%.

 

[marcski]

Agreed about the income stat. Skiing, has always been and will always be an expensive sport. I also agree about the minority stat. Who are they considering minorities that it would total 1 in 4 skiers??

 

[Puck it]

Also regarding minorities, just anecdotally (not that I'm looking for it) I don't really see all that much diversity on the slopes.

There is a joe there but I will leave it alone!!!!!!!

 

[snowmonster]

Who are they considering minorities that it would total 1 in 4 skiers??

When I started skiing a few years ago, I usually skied with this African American guy from Southern California. On some days, it seemed that we were the only non-Caucasians on the hill. No big deal, really. Everybody in the place knew us because we stood out.

I see more Asians participating in the sport, especially out west where Asians live in larger numbers. Whenever I visit Whistler (not in the US, I know), I get floored by the sheer number of Asians on the hill, mostly on snowboards. As income levels of Asian Americans increase, I expect participation in snowsports to go up. A few years ago, I read an article in SKI where they said that ski areas in California were aggresively marketing to Latino and Asian skiers (e.g., ads in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, etc.). Considering the rise in the population of babies born to Latino or Asian parents, I think this is a wise investment for the future. One barrier that Asian kids used to have is the low priority of sports in Asian families. In my experience, it was seen as a leisure activity which received low priority behind studying (e.g., schoolwork or Asian culture) and helping out with the family (e.g., your dad's shop). If there were any lessons to be had on weekends, it would have been devoted to learning a musical instrument. As second and third generation Asian immigrants get absorbed into the mainstream and take on non-traditional values, sports as an acceptable activity for young people will become more acceptable.

 

[jaja111]

Ahhh, the very common conversation on the slopes that no one speaks of on the record for fear of political incorrectness, "where are the African Americans?" I still don't get it. I've tried my damndest to get black friends to go skiing, especially when they say winter sucks. They actually tell me they're skeeved out by the "white-ness" of the sport. I ask WTF does that mean and they just reply that basically, only white people ski. They say its the same as if I walked into a barber shop in an African American dominated neighborhood here in Rochester. I emphatically tell them its not the same thing at all and they wouldn't get a single cross look from anyone unless it was an inadvertant look caused by someone thinking "finally, something more normal".

Crazy theories of aversions to cold and snow are pure garbage. I have known three black people who ski, only three. All three can ski me under the table any day and they always say the same thing I have here, "I try to get people out, but..........?" Its stupid, absurd, and ridiculous that skiing fails to represent the ethnic diversity of regular society and I have always been stumped by it. The crowd when skiing always feels a bit "off" because of this.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Its stupid, absurd, and ridiculous that skiing fails to represent the ethnic diversity of regular society and I have always been stumped by it. The crowd when skiing always feels a bit "off" because of this.

It's not skiing that is "failing", it's simply cultural, and if people dont want to do something, they dont want to do something. Maybe that will change, maybe that wont.

Not sure what you mean by "off" though. I've never gone skiing and given a rats ass what color(s) the people in the lift-line beside me are.

 

[AdironRider]

It's not skiing that is "failing", it's simply cultural, and if people dont want to do something, they dont want to do something. Maybe that will change, maybe that wont.

Not sure what you mean by "off" though. I've never gone skiing and given a rats ass what color(s) the people in the lift-line beside me are.

Seriously, not everything is some trial and tribulaton of societies impositions upon the color of ones skin.

Maybe, they just don't give a damn about skiing. "The elephant in the room". Uhhh what room exactly, cause noone I know gives two shits either way if there is a perfect percentage of black people on the hill.

What's the next step? Affirmative action in season pass sales?

 

[steamboat1]

They don't play hockey either & that's indoors.

 

[jaja111]

Off doesn't refer to the concept of a perfect percentage it refers to the percentage of Ethnicities other than Caucasian, at least locally, being less than .1%. Its as lilly white as the snow skied upon in the lift line.

I guess I wouldn't expect 30+% (population percentage locally for Rochester) of the people present while skiing to be black, but the fact that its so close to 0% is statistically odd. Golf courses are at least 15-20% African Americans(?) Who couldn't agree with that being "off"? Don't get me wrong, its not getting me upset and having me lose sleep at night... skiing is an individuals sport more or less.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Seriously, not everything is some trial and tribulaton of societies impositions upon the color of ones skin.

I've noticed that some people in America are almost incapable of viewing any issue without injecting race into the matter. It's almost like they're consumed and obsessed by the concept of race. Notably? In almost all these cases of obsessed "some people" that I'm referring to - "some people" are almost always white.

 

[riverc0il]

What a dumb report. Regarding the 7% of the US population and 25% minority numbers... keep in mind that they are lumping all "snowsports" together. Who knows how the reporting was done, but I suspect the questions were posed in such a way that any person having snowshoed once probably counted. Let's not forget that many people might consider themselves skiers or riders even if they only go once every two or three years at best.

SIA is an industry organization and wants to paint a public picture of a dynamic, growing, and inclusive sport. As such, they probably asked the questions in such a way to be inclusive. I like the splitting hairs between skier, rider, telemark, and freestyle... that last one is definitely dubious categorization.

I will echo others that I don't know where that 25% minority statistic comes from. Maybe things are different outside of New England. And then there is the issue of how they acquired their data AND how people classify themselves (assuming they used poling rather than a dart board) e.g. mixed race. Regardless, it is kinda a stupid statistic to even report on any ways. Does it really matter how someone describes their racial identity? Maybe marketer types think that way or something so SIA sees value in it, seems like a silly thing to report on to me.

 

[deadheadskier]

The 7% figure is mind boggling to me. Not because I think it's low or high, I don't know. What I do know is that there is a huge population of people that live in areas of snow and how they can stay inside for 6 months out of the year blows my mind. I'll never get how so many people pretty much spend 5 months of the year indoors except for walking from the indoors to transportation to get to somewhere else indoors. My wife would be one of those people.

 

[ScottySkis]

I'm just happy that anyone goes to the hills, when I use to take the bus from NYC mostly Asian and other races then white to Hunter, just happy too see everyone enjoying our great hobby.

 

[Nick]

The 7% figure is mind boggling to me. Not because I think it's low or high, I don't know. What I do know is that there is a huge population of people that live in areas of snow and how they can stay inside for 6 months out of the year blows my mind. I'll never get how so many people pretty much spend 5 months of the year indoors except for walking from the indoors to transportation to get to somewhere else indoors. My wife would be one of those people.

Exactly.... its like wasting half the year

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[AdironRider]

The 7% figure is mind boggling to me. Not because I think it's low or high, I don't know. What I do know is that there is a huge population of people that live in areas of snow and how they can stay inside for 6 months out of the year blows my mind. I'll never get how so many people pretty much spend 5 months of the year indoors except for walking from the indoors to transportation to get to somewhere else indoors. My wife would be one of those people.

I'd be willing to bet they spend the majority of the other six months indoors as well, and outdoor adventure consists of bushwhacking past the petunias and ficus to get to the grill.

 

[wa-loaf]

The income statistic doesn't surprise me, but the minority one does. In Maine, that figure has to be well below 5%.

I was at Sugarloaf when the National Brotherhood of Skiers came for a visit. It was pretty wild shift.

 

[bigbog]

In more rural states...members of their Think-Tank positions are attained by winning the Chugging contests on Beer Nights...

 

[Warp Daddy]

In the larger order of life this study is laughable on many levels. Those who ski do so for personal pleasure and for the most part give a rats ass about marketer,s demographer,s or pr flacks. Feeble attempts to generate " excitement "

Most times as faras leisure activity is concerned, human beings do things because they want to / PERIOD , not because some tool tells them todo it . Those that CAN Will, those that can,t /------ well they miss out and make the slopes safer and more fun for the ski crazies like us , who represent various colors , stripes and motivations .

we ALL have friends from various ethnicities and cultures that we have "encouraged to give it a shot ". But hey beyond that the ball is and will always be in THEIR court.

 

[Smellytele]

At some of the southern NH ski areas there are tons of Asian that ski. Pats Peak actually has a bus that I believe comes up from China Town in bean town on weekends. The further north you go the less so.

As far as the talk of why people stay in doors during the winter and don't partake in skiing. I think a lot of the people in the north do get out side but there are other things to do besides skiing and snow boarding. A part of them may snow mobile or ice fish or ice climb or winter hike/camp or skate. Skiing is not the only winter sport out there. Is cross country skiing included in this 7% as well?