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Kottke END OF SEASON

SURVEY

PRELIMINARY RESULTS: 2017-18 SEASON

BY DAVE BELIN
DIRECTOR OF CONSULTING SERVICES, RRC ASSOCIATES

The 2017–18 winter season was a roller coaster in many In historical context, five of the six geographic regions
parts of the country—but when, where, and by how much? and the nation overall performed behind their recent 10-season
Conversations and anecdotes can describe the first part of averages (figure 2). Over the last 10 seasons, the average number
the sentence, but the data presented in the Kottke End of of visits recorded nationally was 55.6 million visits. The 2017-
Season Study documents the latter part. 18 season, at a preliminary 53.3 million visits, was down 4.3
A total of 161 ski areas submitted surveys for inclusion percent from the 10-year average.
in the preliminary Kottke report, presented at the NSAA Only the Pacific Northwest was up from its 10-sea-
National Convention and Trade Show at Marco Island, Fla., son average (+1.6 percent); the other five regions were down
in early May. Thanks to the contributions of those ski areas, compared to their 10-season average. Results included the
NSAA can accurately measure and characterize key metrics Rocky Mountain (-0.1 percent below its 10-year average),
of the season in each region of the country, in each month of Northeast (-5.6 percent), Pacific Southwest (-6.9 percent),
the season, and at ski areas of different sizes. Midwest (-7.3 percent), and Southeast (-14.9 percent).
The preliminary report for the Kottke study doc- The average number of operating days was generally
umented total US downhill snowsports visits, which up in most regions of the country. On an overall national
declined to 53.3 million, down by 2.8 percent from 2016- basis, resorts responding to the survey were open an aver-
17, or down 1.5 million visits (figure 1). Visits were variable age of 126 days this season, up from 123 days in 2016-17, an
by region, with a strong rebound in visits in the Midwest increase of 2 percent (figure 3). This figure is also above the
(up 17 percent) and a more moderate increase in the 27-year average of days open nationally of 115 days. The oper-
Southeast (up 3.6 percent), while visits decreased slightly ating winter season was up in the three eastern regions of
in the Northeast (-0.9 percent). Somewhat larger declines the country (Northeast, Southeast, Midwest), was flat in the
were noted in the Rocky Mountain (-5 percent), Pacific Rocky Mountains, and was down in the two Pacific regions.
Northwest (-7.8 percent) and Pacific Southwest (-14.3 per- Nevertheless, the average ski area in the Pacific Northwest
cent) regions. region had the longest season, at 145 days of skiing operations.

18 | NSAA JOURNAL | SUMMER 2018