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Growing the Sport

CHILD’S PLAY: SNOWBOARDING/SKIING OUTREACH

PROGRAMS HOOK NEW GENERATIONS OF CUSTOMERS

BY MIKE SMITH

MY SON AND I WERE SHARING a lift ride with another father Snowboard’s Riglet program or create your own version, taking
and son this past season when the dad mentioned that his skiing and snowboarding to the schools is one of the most
son had ditched the afternoon part of his all-day ski lesson. effective ways to get kids excited about snowsports.
Since I’m a schoolteacher, and I love working with kids, I
asked the boy why he didn’t want to finish the lesson (even TEACHING THE EXPERIENCE
though I already knew the answer, having spent the last 20 While resorts have sent their patrollers to give safety pre-
years in the classroom and also having witnessed similar sentations at schools for many years, skiing/snowboarding
occurrences at other resorts). instructional outreach is often an untapped opportunity to
“I was sitting on my butt too much and didn’t get to ride engage younger generations in snowsports. From my experi-
enough,” he said. “I was bored.” ence as a PE teacher, the sky is the limit on how many kids
By the time he got all of his equipment together and you can reach. I know, because I have helped a lot of kids get
actually went out on the mountain, it had taken more than an hooked on many different skills such as this over the years.
hour, he said. Once he was finally out there, his class skied one When kids come to their elementary PE class they
at a time in a single file line. (We assume that all kids love relay are ready to move just as they are when they come to your
lines, but what they don’t always tell us is that they really only mountain or resort. The difference is, in PE class you can have
like relay lines when it’s their turn.) He was not having a good maximum participation with maximum equipment. The envi-
time, and so he asked for his dad to come pick him up. He ronment is safe, comfortable, and shared with people that they
concluded that they were going to have a lot more fun on their know and trust. And, it is FUN.
own and, although I didn’t say it, he was probably right. Burton Snowboards was among the first to realize the
If the first day of skiing or snowboarding isn’t fun… really potential of outreach to school-age kids with its Riglet program.
fun… for a kid, that’s a missed opportunity for resorts to Jeff Boliba, Burton’s vice president of global resorts, devel-
imprint great things about the sport from the very beginning. oped the program in 2012 as part of his son’s middle school
And that reduces the likelihood that the kid will beg mom and community project to give more people access to the fun of
dad to go back for more of the same anytime soon, if ever. snowboarding. Since then he and Shaun Cattanach, Burton’s
That’s why skiing and snowboarding outreach programs global experience manager, have been taking Riglet into schools,
at schools are such a great option for introducing kids to snow- outdoor festivals, and other community events. All told, they’ve
sports. These programs are designed to maximize the fun used it to introduce thousands of kids to snowboarding.
factor for kids when they’re learning basic skills—with little Using specially designed Riglet Boards with a Hover Cover
standing around or waiting for a turn—all in a warm, con- that slides on gym and indoor surfaces; balance boards; dual
trolled environment with their buddies. They think they’re just pull handles; foam blocks; and grab game activity mats, the
having a blast in physical education class, but they’re also expe- program focuses on teaching the fundamental movements
riencing success at that initial, crucial introduction to the sport. and stances used in snowboarding. (Burton’s Learn To Ride
That means they’ll be more likely to go home and tell their & Riglet Partner Resorts can purchase the kit, which contains
parents all about it, and start bugging mom and dad to take the equipment, games, videos, curriculum manual, stickers,
them to the ski area for the real thing. and posters, directly through Burton for $1,999.) Riglet has
Fortunately, most schools are highly receptive to these been so successful that Burton has convinced administrators
types of programs. PE teachers are always looking for new ways in Vermont to work the program into the state’s school PE cur-
to incentivize kids to get some exercise and take a break from riculum, and the company has demonstrated it in California,
technology. Is your resort making the most of this opportu- Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania,
nity to help develop new generations of customers year after Michigan, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Canada, Italy,
year? Whether you adopt existing curriculum such as Burton Germany, France, and even China and South Korea.

16 | NSAA JOURNAL | CONVENTION 2017