AP Article: Changing Demographics on the Slopes

[JPTracker]

My take on this article is summed up in the third paragraph

Credit advances in artificial hips and knees that make it possible for skiers to continue enjoying the sport; shaped skis, along with better snowmaking and grooming that make skiing easier; and high-speed lifts and luxury touches like ski valets that make it more pleasant

People are staying healthy longer enabling them to keep skiing longer. People over 50 do not start skiing. That is when they stop. The average age for which people stop skiing is rising which is also why ski areas are raising the age on Senior passes.

Even with young people coming into the sport, if the older generations are droping out later than this will raise the average age of skiers.

 

[jack97]

My take on this article is summed up in the third paragraph



People are staying healthy longer enabling them to keep skiing longer. People over 50 do not start skiing. That is when they stop. The average age for which people stop skiing is rising which is also why ski areas are raising the age on Senior passes.

I agree... and I strongly believe shape skis, better snowmaking and grooming has further increase the cost.

 

[steamboat1]

When I worked full time I used to average 20-30 days a season. We skied almost every other weekend & the family would take vacation Presidents week for longer stays. Also took 3 day weekends whenever possible. Now that I don't work full time my average has jumped to 35-45 days. Not working full time is not the only reason for the increase. My wife & daughter gave up skiing about 6 years ago so vacations for just me became more affordable. My daughter stopped skiing when she went away to college but now that she graduated is excited to start again this season. She's limited with time because she works full time now. When we all worked full time we'd leave the city about 5pm & arrive up in VT. about 11pm. We skied both days & usually didn't get home until 10-11pm Sun. I still try to ski every other week but now usually ski 3-5 days in a row instead of just the two weekend days which accounts for the increase in days. I also changed when I drive up preferring to leave early in the morning to avoid both rush hour traffic in the city & the expense of an extra nights lodging. I can ski 3 days with only two nights lodging or 5 days with only 4 nights lodging. I don't understand people complaining when they only have a 2-3 hour drive to get to VT. as opposed to my 5-6 hour drive.

 

[Domeskier]

Many people in the target demographic have careers that do not permit them to go-dark every weekend like clockwork. Unless they live close enough to a mountain where it makes sense to put in a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday and still have sufficient time to deal with work-related demands, they are probably not getting in more than 1 or 2 days a month without scheduling a block of vacation time. I guess you could say that these people are not as committed to skiing as someone getting in 20, 30 or 40 plus days a year, but that seems rather presumptuous.

 

[spring_mountain_high]

my situation is such that wife and i both work full time, 4 year old son...wife is a rarely ever who is game to do more...weekends are when you do the housework that piles up over the week...it's all about time...i live 15-20 minutes from 2 small hills, spring mountain and bear creek, but they are so small it is practically not worth the time, cost and marriage capital...haven't been to either in years and i can't justify to myself spending the dough to ski somewhere that may keep me interested for an hour tops...so if i'm lucky i get sunday mornings, and a week somewhere...this year i plan to try to introduce the boy to the sport in earnest, so if he takes to it that should up my days...the reality is unless you are single, or a family that loves to ski, and live close to a hill that holds your interest, it's tough to do time-wise, assuming you even you have the requisite thousands to invest in the sport...you either have to be in just the right situation or work really hard at it to get out more than 10 days a year

 

[Nick]

Haha. I bet there is some equivalent like that. A bunch of people geeking out over different balls, shoes, etc. talking about technique, debating which are the best lanes to go to, which place has the best wings, beer selection, and animation on the computer screen when you get a strike. Then there's probably a bunch of retro grouches who long for the days of setting up the pins by hand...

Hahahhaa..

http://www.bowlingboards.com/threads/10288-Bowling-Ball-Cleaning-and-Maintenance

So you ask how do I maintain a ball? We'll start with the basic's.

It's really interesting how literally every single thing you can think of has people who are crazy about it.

Sidenote: my cousin in Canada used to be a professional bowler. I remember him telling me that he would drive to all the events because he refused to put his ball on a plane. He would also tell me about how every lane at every bowling alley had different technique and skill because of nuances in the build of the lane. Pretty crazy stuff. I couldn't help but think, how much of a difference do these nuances make for someone who is a pro? 1/2 of 1%? I guess maybe that's the difference between winning and losing.

 

[St. Bear]

I saw some professional bowling event, and at that level to make it interesting, they wax the lanes differently. Each different wax job has it's own name, and special way to bowl it. So they do 3 or 4 rounds, and each round is a different wax job that requires different skills. It was kind of interesting.

 

[Smellytele]

Duck pin, Candle pin or ten pin? Do these kind of bowlers like each other? Or do they make fun of each other?

 

[dlague]

Duck pin, Candle pin or ten pin? Do these kind of bowlers like each other? Or do they make fun of each other?

Who are the knuckle draggers in that list! Ten pin since the balls are so heavy? Wait this is starting to sound weird!

 

[mattchuck2]

you either have to be in just the right situation or work really hard at it to get out more than 10 days a year

I guess I don't really have a frame of reference because I don't have kids and I've been over 60 days a year ever since I joined the ski team in High School when I was 14. But I feel like I could accidentally ski 6 times a year.

The difference is that I would make the drive to ski at the place that entertains me for an hour. It's a question of priorities. I'm not making any value judgements on people or saying that they're not committed enough. I just place more importance on skiing than others do and I do whatever it takes to arrange my life to get more of it.

I'm happiest when I'm making turns on skis. Other things are fun too, but nothing else gives me as much entertainment. If a doctor told me I was going to die in one year, I'd try to get as much skiing in as possible over that year. It's not that I don't want to do other stuff (I get excited to start mountain biking in March), but I just prioritize skiing in a way that few people prioritize anything.

 

[spring_mountain_high]

I guess I don't really have a frame of reference because I don't have kids and I've been over 60 days a year ever since I joined the ski team in High School when I was 14. But I feel like I could accidentally ski 6 times a year.

The difference is that I would make the drive to ski at the place that entertains me for an hour. It's a question of priorities. I'm not making any value judgements on people or saying that they're not committed enough. I just place more importance on skiing than others do and I do whatever it takes to arrange my life to get more of it.

I'm happiest when I'm making turns on skis. Other things are fun too, but nothing else gives me as much entertainment. If a doctor told me I was going to die in one year, I'd try to get as much skiing in as possible over that year. It's not that I don't want to do other stuff (I get excited to start mountain biking in March), but I just prioritize skiing in a way that few people prioritize anything.

word up, and you're probably a better skier than i could ever imagine being...i mountain bike all thru the year...in the dark and snow even...just have to be familiar with the trails in the dark...it's free and i can roll right out my door and do it, and be back in an hour

 

[mattchuck2]

word up, and you're probably a better skier than i could ever imagine being...i mountain bike all thru the year...in the dark and snow even...just have to be familiar with the trails in the dark...it's free and i can roll right out my door and do it, and be back in an hour

Right. If you're motivated by something, you do it, and you don't really question it. Some people are motivated by mountain biking, or bowling, or child rearing, or whatever. I'm a skier. I ski.

 

[abc]

People are staying healthy longer enabling them to keep skiing longer. People over 50 do not start skiing. That is when they stop. The average age for which people stop skiing is rising which is also why ski areas are raising the age on Senior passes.

Even with young people coming into the sport, if the older generations are droping out later than this will raise the average age of skiers.

And, isn't the population getting older on average? People are LIVING longer than before, and not having as many children. So I bet the average age of the entire population is going up!

Add to that, people are healthier than the previous generation at the same age.

The only thing that hasn't changed is the retirement age! So there're more and more people not working and are skiing, biking, hiking... etc.

I'm not surprised skiing average age has gone up. I'd love to see how that compare to say, cycling average age, or kayaking average age!

Retired people has to do SOMETHING! Given the high cost of skiing, I wonder whether it's losing to other activities. So even though there's more older people skiing, it's not the whole story.

 

[mister moose]

Just my $.01, but I think the ski industry would be making a ton more profits by charging skiers by a percentage of their earnings. So many poorer people in poorer states(ie Maine) have to pay the same prices as the Boston crowd does...and I think that simply limits daily visits, especially when the season pass, such as Boyne's, for including weekends...is $600+(at the earliest purchase date) and day lifttickets are above $75. The prices are killers for some and a real bargain for others...but even them out via earnings percentages and I think you'd have more people coming. Those with much higher earnings would maybe whine, but they would pay! If they have problems with those prices....buy a cheaper vehicle. There isn't a true reason why a more expensive vehicle can go through snow better than a less expensive one....it's BS. Just a guess on SL's Opening Day..

Sure, there's a good idea. And you could pay employees differently each day based on how much revenue came in, because money just doesn't fall from the sky. Less revenue from lower ticket prices = lower wages that day. Big weekend = bigger paycheck. How's that sound?

I think one thing that has changed over the last 20 years is the high walk up ticket prices, coupled with all kinds of discounts for those that look. The resorts are trying to maximize revenue. Those that are experienced bargain skiers know how to ski for under $50 a day. The casual skier that decides on a Friday night to go skiing Saturday at a resort is looking at $80 to go for the day. I bet that turns away a lot of casual skiers, regardless of age, but is heaviest in the lean earning years, 20s and 30s.

 

[dlague]

Sure, there's a good idea. And you could pay employees differently each day based on how much revenue came in, because money just doesn't fall from the sky. Less revenue from lower ticket prices = lower wages that day. Big weekend = bigger paycheck. How's that sound?

I think one thing that has changed over the last 20 years is the high walk up ticket prices, coupled with all kinds of discounts for those that look. The resorts are trying to maximize revenue. Those that are experienced bargain skiers know how to ski for under $50 a day. The casual skier that decides on a Friday night to go skiing Saturday at a resort is looking at $80 to go for the day. I bet that turns away a lot of casual skiers, regardless of age, but is heaviest in the lean earning years, 20s and 30s.

I am one of the skiers that ski for less than $40 and am a serious bargain hunter so I get what you are saying!

 

[4aprice]

Skiing for us is a lifestyle. My wife skis and both our kids started at age 3 1/2. We went the quanity over quality route by picking a close home mountain and going a lot. It led to my daughter becoming an instructor (now at Killington) while the boy took the competitive direction and has raced all through his high school years. Add to that an family member who has a place in Cottonwoods Heights UT who gladly lets us vacation there and we've been getting 40-55 days a year. That will all change after this season. My days will probably drop to around 30 but it will be quality over quanity.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[steamboat1]

Just my $.01, but I think the ski industry would be making a ton more profits by charging skiers by a percentage of their earnings. So many poorer people in poorer states(ie Maine) have to pay the same prices as the Boston crowd does...and I think that simply limits daily visits, especially when the season pass, such as Boyne's, for including weekends...is $600+(at the earliest purchase date) and day lifttickets are above $75. The prices are killers for some and a real bargain for others...but even them out via earnings percentages and I think you'd have more people coming. Those with much higher earnings would maybe whine, but they would pay! If they have problems with those prices....buy a cheaper vehicle. There isn't a true reason why a more expensive vehicle can go through snow better than a less expensive one....it's BS. Just a guess on SL's Opening Day..

Drinking the Kool Aid heh.

 

[jimk]

Oldies But Goodies

-In Jan 2012 we followed a couple of approximately age 65 mountain ambassadors named Dexter and Terry for 90 minutes groomer zooming at Beaver Creek with a ski club group from NJ. All the ski clubbers were middle aged or older too. I seriously fantasize about filling Dexter and Terry’s shoes/boots someday.


-73 year old Charlie (left) took us into a black diamond glade at Taos called Lorelei Trees in 2012.


-Also in 2012 we skied a run with Olympian Billy Kidd at Steamboat. He was 68 at the time.


-In Jan 2011 I rode a chair at Solitude with a 79 year man who enjoys skiing with his great grandchildren. When I told him my age (57 at the time) he said, “you’re just starting out.”


-In Mar 2008 I saw a beautiful senior lady skier at Mont Sainte Anne that caught the attention of my entire family as she swept by us moving at a fast clip on a green circle run. Hands clasped behind her back with poles dangling like pony tails, she was bent at the waist and made smooth S turns in a tight parallel. Swooshing within 20 feet of us, the serene smile on her face was framed by deep wrinkles. She was 75 if she was a day, yet moved with the ageless grace of a speed skater.


One very cool thing I’ve noticed about all senior skiers is that their whole look and demeanor seems to shed about 20 years the moment they hit the slopes!

 

[Warp Daddy]

As a 70 yr old who started downhill skiing at 52 , this is a great period of life . Every day is a banquet to be enjoyed with friends ,laff often , play often , relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor .

A. retirement planned well and executed even better ,coupled with an active lifestyle that maximizes your health and an engaging demeanor that doesn,t take oneself seriously anymore is akin to Adolescence with $$ :-D:flag:

 

[witch hobble]

Some of this is all semantics and sort of existential.

I inherited my grandfathers golf clubs when he died. Some years they don't even get used....most they've ever been used by me is 3 times in a year. I certainly don't self identify as a "golfer". But to a reporter trying to be neutral and looking for statistics, or to a neighbor looking in my garage, I must be a "golfer".

There really is no baseline universal quantification on what makes anyone a skier.