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E ach time a new generation transitions from adolescence changing consumer market. Major league sports, golf, the
We are certainly not alone in this need to adapt to a
into adulthood, the other generations often strug-
gle to understand why they do what they do and like what outdoor industry, and virtually every other business is going
they like. For ski areas trying to connect with the enigmatic through the same challenges of finding the marketing sweet
Millennial generation, the disconnect has been particularly spot that will connect with the Millennial generation, and
frustrating. A huge demographic, Millennials will be a sig- backing that up with the type of experience they’re seeking.
nificant sustaining factor for the ski industry for years to What can the ski industry do to remain current and attrac-
come. What can we do to convince more of them to give ski- tive to them? What, exactly, do they want?
ing and snowboarding a try?
We’ve already done a pretty good job of learning about I t’s well worth the effort to answer that question, because
them. Countless studies, articles, lectures, and even TV Millennials now make up not only the largest demo-
shows focus on how to better understand the characteristics, graphic by participation for snowsports but also the single
behaviors, and motivations of those born in the 1980s and largest purchasing demographic in the market at large.
90s. Too, we’ve used much of what we’ve learned to inform And they aren’t all lazy, over-entitled, jobless college
important adaptations in how we communicate with the dropouts that some stereotypes would have you believe.
public, using a variety of social media and other technology Many Millennials do, in fact, hold down fulltime jobs or
to showcase our experiential “products.” careers, and many have families of their own. In short, they
The question is, do the products we offer really appeal have many things in common with every other generation
to this generation? If they perceive the traditional skiing or in this age group that has come before them, with a few
snowboarding experience as having little or no relevance in important distinctions. Not surprisingly, these generational
their life, then we won’t be very successful in bringing more differences confound us more than we care to admit, but we
of this elusive demographic into the fold, regardless of how can also leverage our understanding of those characteristics
stringently we promote the experience. and motivations to adapt our product to today’s market.
We know the challenges Millennials pose to our indus- The following chart lists some of the things we do
try. The task for us now is to figure out how we can use what know, thanks to the NSAA and RRC Millennial Study
we know about them to help grow skiing and snowboarding and others like it:
in a changing marketplace.

T here’s no arguing that the ski industry is currently MILLENNIALS...
going through the growing pains that all maturing
Are currently aged 21 to 36.
industries eventually face. Gross participation numbers have
been in a relative decline since our high water mark of a Are seekers of authentic experiences.
decade ago, our core customer base that brought us to those Are far more health conscious than the generations
record participation highs is now aging out of the sport at that came before them.
an increasingly rapid rate, and our younger customers are
behaving unlike any generation that has come before them Have an affinity for high-quality “crafted” items
(see “Number of Active Snowsports Participants by Age (e.g., food, beer, axes).
Cohort,” Pg. 40). Have a strong desire to feel connected to greater
The good news is that our industry is nothing if not causes or communities.
resilient, and reinvention is not new to us. In fact, we seem
to go through a cycle like this every 20 to 30 years. First, it Tend to be much more spontaneous in their travel
purchase decisions.
was the birth of freestyle skiing in the 1970s and 80s, then
the rise of snowboarding and the X Games culture in the Like to travel in social groups.
90s and 2000s, and now, it’s the impact of an entire genera-
tion of young adults who appear to be largely disinterested in Like to be independent but in a group environment
(think Starbucks lounge).
snowsports altogether. While we’re still not certain what this
will look like long term, it is clear that the market is shifting, Are highly emotionally connected to their technology.
and we will have to shift with it if we want to stay relevant to
our new customer base and keep advancing. Value convenience and technology over
personal interaction.

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