Dear sport of skiing...

In a follow-up article about a stagnating US ski population in Skiing History magazine, John Fry is telling us that 70% of skier-days are logged in by season pass holders.

In other words, committed skiers are buying season passes, which doesn't leave much room for newcomers or day-skiers and clearly shows that the snow industry is “milking” the existing ski population without doing much to attract new folks into the sport.

If and when, occasional or accidental skiers happen, these are very likely to be “sticker-shocked” if they find themselves at a destination resort and have no choice but buy a day pass at their current exorbitant prices.

So, if the weather, the conditions or their on-slope experience is less than perfect, they won't probably repeat their costly experience. Also, to be likable, skiing requires a minimum amount of technique. Yet, it's hard to learn and the process takes time, especially for impatient adults. Further, instruction is an extra cost many winter visitors tend to minimize or skip altogether.

What is certain, is that ski resorts should offer more kid skiing and instruction at no or discounted cost, but this is a step hard to expect when a resort's share of revenue instruction from kids remains enormous.

It's also true that our American culture leaves little room for portraying skiing as a desirable sporting activity (unlike Europe, there's little room for skiing in songs, movies, TV shows and general folklore).

When all is said and done, the snow industry's focus is woefully unable to grow itself as it seems unwilling to put itself into wannabe skiers' boots and adding to this the uncertainties of global warming, it is setting itself to fail, by ignoring its challenges and refusing to take the steps needed to growing its audience.