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lead them to the next important piece of information. Ask your brochures, and in the rental shop is important to their
yourself some questions, such as: success and enjoyment of the trails.
Having a lesson program is the best way to help new rid-
For new or inexperienced riders… ers develop the necessary skills. Hire great personalities to
• Will someone who is unfamiliar with downhill bik- teach these lessons, familiarize riders with the bikes, and
ing or a ski area understand the terms and language take them on trails appropriate for their level of skill. Your
used here? rental techs are also a great point of communication that can
• Does this material answer questions they are help guide new riders toward lessons as they are talking with
likely to have? them and setting up their equipment.
• Are we clearly setting forth realistic expectations for When you evaluate your imagery, use the same lenses
the experience? of new rider versus experienced rider. Consider the general
• Does this material, including any videos we show makeup of your summer customer and how the images
new riders, project a clear picture of what to expect? may or may not appeal to new riders or parents being asked
• Is it clear that downhill biking is not the same as by their child to try downhill biking. When you have rid-
paved trail or road biking? ers coming through the base area decked out in armor and
• Are we promoting lessons early and often, and full-face helmets, parents can be forgiven for asking if the
explaining why they are a good idea in terms of skill sport is safe—for them or their kids. Ask yourself questions
development, safety, and fun? such as these:
• Are our rental, ticket, and lesson packages prominent
and easy to find? • Is this a family with a variety of generations present?
• Does pre-arrival information align/not align with • Are they younger and more adventurous?
the information the guests will see once they arrive • Are they locals or visiting from out of town?
at the area? • How much of our biking images show families,
• Is there a prominent offer to return in the follow-up kids, and women?
communication? • Are the riders actually smiling and looking like they
• Does the follow-up communication reinforce are having fun?
the experience, so guests remember how much • What images and videos are on the pages most
fun they had? likely viewed by new riders?
• What’s the balance between images of tires on the
For experienced riders… ground, trails with views, families/kids/women ver-
• Are we making it harder than necessary for sus jumping, drops, and wall rides?
experienced riders to find the information they • Do the images and videos reflect who the resort is
need or want? and the brand of the bike park?
• Are we making the expectations clear for the type of
trails we have and what these guests can expect from In addition, audit and evaluate the scripts or talking points
riding here? that employees are armed with to help them in their conver-
• Is information about our rental bikes prominent and sations with guests. If you don’t have these talking points,
easy to find? consider putting together frequently asked questions (FAQ)
• Are the bike retail and bike service offerings sheets for staff in different departments who may not be
easy to find? familiar with the bike park and downhill biking. This will
encourage consistent answers from employees across the
One of the perceptions that many new riders have is that resort and help ensure the guest gets accurate informa-
lift-accessed downhill biking will be the same as riding their tion rather than assumptions—or someone’s perception of
“regular” bike on a paved trail or road. While balance and the experience. FAQs may include the location of the rental
pedaling are essential skills for riding any bike, the down- shop, hours of operation, packages available and recom-
hill environment requires additional skills that most new rid- mended for new riders, recommended clothing, importance
ers just won’t have, including standing on the pedals and of lessons to a new rider, and events in the bike park.
tipping the bike to turn—not just turning the handlebars, Ultimately, each area will determine the images, video,
un-weighting the bike, pumping, etc. Educating new down- and messaging that work best for their needs. It is important
hill riders about these differences through your website, in not to lose sight of how powerful imagery and words can be

30 | NSAA JOURNAL | SUMMER 2018