Page 35 - NSAA 2017 Fall Journal

specific times of the season. On a national basis, total inches indicator of the overall health of the industry. In an encouraging
of snowfall at US resorts averaged 241 inches per reporting finding of the report, the number of open and operating US ski
ski area in 2016-17, up from 173 inches last season, an areas rose to 479 in the 2016-17 season, up from 464 operating
increase of 40 percent. However, regional snowfall totals ski areas last season. The net number of operating ski areas this
were highly variable in comparison to last winter. season is estimated to have increased by 11 in the Northeast,
Average snowfall per resort increased in four regions: the five in the Midwest and one in the Rocky Mountains, while
Northeast, Pacific Southwest, Rocky Mountains, and Pacific decreasing by one each in the Southeast and Pacific Northwest.
Northwest. In the Northeast, strong snowfall was a welcome In recent seasons, the fluctuation in the number of operating ski
reversal from the record low snowfall experienced in the 2015- areas has been primarily due to cycles of closure and re-opening
16 season. While the two Pacific regions celebrated especially of small resorts, in part as a result of local weather conditions.
abundant snowfall, it sometimes contributed to occasional oper-
ational difficulties (delayed openings or unscheduled closures). Lessons
The remaining two regions exhibited relatively stable The issue of lesson participation, particularly at the entry level,
snowfall year-over-year, with the Midwest down slightly in has been an area of focus for the industry, especially as a key ele-
natural snowfall and Southeast holding relatively steady. ment of the strategy for attracting newcomers to snowsports and
In 26 seasons of available Kottke records (from 1991-92 converting first-timers into committed, long-term participants.
to 2016-17), the 2016-17 season proved very strong for most Aggregate lessons given increased by 3.5 percent nationally
regions. Compared to the 26-year average (shown in the this season, contributing to the rise in the overall lesson
orange bars in figure 3), the Northeast, Pacific Southwest, participation rate (or share of visits that included a lesson). This
Pacific Northwest, and Rocky Mountain were all well above metric increased to 7.6 percent from 7.5 percent last season.
their historic snowfall averages. The Midwest and Southeast Looking at Level 1 lessons only, the average ski area
were both slightly lower than 26-year historic averages. taught 7,301 Level 1 lessons, up 3.8 percent over 2016-17.
The snowfall patterns, among other factors, impacted Continued efforts with Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month
the number of days of operation per ski area (figure 4). On (which 80 percent of ski areas promoted nationally) and the
an overall national basis, ski areas responding to the Kottke Bring A Friend Challenge (42 percent of ski areas partici-
survey were open an average of 119 days this season, up from pated)—along with individual ski area programs to teach
112 days in 2015-16, an increase of 6 percent. The operat- skiing and snowboarding to new participants—are critical to
ing winter season was up in every region of the country with the long-term health of the industry.
the exception of a small dip in the Rocky Mountains. The
lengthened season contributed to the total gain in downhill Capital Improvements
snowsports visits for the 2016-17 season. The level of capital expenditures in the industry is a good indi-
cator of the level of confidence among resort owners about the
Number of Operating Ski Areas future of their business. Altogether, total expenditures on capi-
The number of open and operating US ski resorts is an tal improvements by survey respondents fell by 18.4 percent from

Figure 2: Projected Snowsports Visits by Region 2013/14 to 2016/17

16/17 vs. 15/16 16/17 vs. 14/15 16/17 vs. 13/14
2016/17 2015/16 2014/15 2013/14
% Change % Change % Change
Northeast 11,936,451 9,346,316 27.7% 13,332,252 -10.5% 13,385,941 -10.8%

Southeast 4,184,432 3,956,577 5.8% 5,673,328 -26.2% 5,769,158 -27.5%

Midwest 5,421,272 5,515,741 -1.7% 6,981,766 -22.4% 7,694,705 -29.5%
Rocky Mountain 21,736,268 22,287,491 -2.5% 20,767,721 4.7% 21,099,945 3.0%

Pacific Southwest 7,384,618 7,480,210 -1.3% 4,822,329 53.1% 5,154,112 43.3%
Pacific Northwest 4,098,216 4,205,611 -2.6% 2,000,229 104.9% 3,387,203 21.0%

Total 54,761,258 52,791,946 3.7% 53,577,625 2.2% 56,491,064 -3.1%

FALL 2017 | NSAA JOURNAL | 33