Popularity of Downhill Skiing (watch, sport, price, cheap)

[lentzr]

I heard from an old teacher (That I bumped into recently) that Recreational Downhill Skiing is not as popular in the United States as it used to be. He told me that in the 1970's they would need two buses at my local high school to drive the students to a nearby resort. Now, they have difficulty filling one. He told me that it does not appear to be as popular as it used to be in the United States. First question...Why? Are there any statistics available on this activity? Secondly, is this trend as apparent in Canada and Europe or anyother part of the world where it snows? Please explain.

[decafdave]

Snowboarding has seen an increase in popularity especially for younger people. And some of this is naturally at the expense of skiing. I enjoy both but it's quite expensive. I can imagine that the parents are wary of paying for their kids lift tickets, ski rentals, and any other costs associated. There's also the fact that in general kids now are less into outdoor activities and more into video games.

[jaxart]

Whether downhill skiing or snowboarding, it's not something one can do without buying lift tickets at a ski area. I suspect that the economic hard times have had an impact on the sport since it is very expensive - especially if a large family of skiers/snowboarders is involved.

One thing that impacts the more popular ski areas is crowding on busy days. Paying lift fees to stand in line most of the day rather than actually skiing is not conducive to a lot of return business, IMO. And because the sport is so popular, overcrowding is a serious problem on busy weekends and holidays.

[harry chickpea]

I used to take advantage of the school bus trips to a local ski area for night skiing. Great fun, good chances to make-out on the bus, and fairly cheap.

The world has changed. Back then you could be reasonably good at the sport and not be compared negatively to superstars. There was Jean-Claude Killy, Sepp Ruschp, and a few others, but no pressure. It was about the only sport where you weren't herded onto a team or in some sort of competition.

Today, entertainment opportunities are much more diverse. The cost of skiing has gone up. Priorities have changed.

[tdna]

Here's some info from the National Ski Areas Association. This goes back to 1978/1979, and skier days have actually increased since then.

http://www.nsaa.org/nsaa/press/historical-visits.pdf

[yellowsnow]

Snowboarding has taken over for a lot of the younger crowd. I love skiing but for me it's money. The lift tickets are expensive then there's equipment rental if you don't own your stuff. Food and drinks aren't cheap either. It's not a sport for poor people. I can only afford to go a few times a year. I wish I could go often enough to really improve but I don't see that happening.

[momof2dfw]

I don't see a decrease in downhill skiing. We ski just about every year and it is always busy. Flights are full. Accomodations are sold out and the INCREASE in the number of lodging options has gone up dramatically in the last 10 years and places are still sold out. If you have kids in ski school you have to register ahead of time or else they can't get in as it is already full. More lifts have been added that are high speed and that has helped a LOT with the long lines. I hated standing in long lines but times have changed in that area for the better.

I have not witnessed a decrease in the populairty of the sport at all.

[nuala]

I solved the price problem by becoming a Ski Patroller. You ski watching out for anyone needing help, but you ski! As often as you volunteered for. Learning advanced first aid is an added bonus.

[jaxart]

Originally Posted by nuala

I solved the price problem by becoming a Ski Patroller.

Not sure how that works where you patrol, but in the areas I've skied in the USA, Ski Patrol is not for novice skiers. It takes an experienced skier to perform the required duties. But if you qualify, it is indeed a good way to get in lots of skiing at little to no cost. Ski areas also sometimes hire part-time instructors for peak weekend crowds. Instructors can often ski for free when not actually conducting a class.

[nuala]

Originally Posted by jaxart

Not sure how that works where you patrol, but in the areas I've skied in the USA, Ski Patrol is not for novice skiers. It takes an experienced skier to perform the required duties.

Well, I am not a novice skier You are being tested on all terrains, - you have to be at least an upper intermediate skier. Plus, you have to be able to man a rescue toboggan if needed.

This is rather a solution for a single person. My kids are small, but when they grow up, I will still need a family pass and all that.