Is Skiing a dying sport?

[ksampson3]

One of the sailors that I work with came up to me Thursday and said, "Hey, you ski. Where should I take my kids?". I asked him if he needed equipment and lessons for them and he said yes. I told him to take them to Whitetail (our local hill) as they have a really good beginner's area. He asked me how much it would cost. I said that I didn't know, so we got online to look it up. For 2 kids, a 2 hour group lesson with lift ticket and rentals was going to cost him $346. That was a hard no. There was no way that he could afford that. He asked me, "Since when did it become so expensive to ski?". I just laughed and told him that was a complicated question.

When I got home, I was still thinking about his cost question. As a lot of people on here know, Vail bought Whitetail/Liberty/Roundtop a couple of years ago. To compare before and after prices, I got out a brochure from when those hills were owned by the Snowtime folks (pre Vail buyout). A "Learn to Ski Package" back then was $102 - so a 60% price increase since Vail bought them. What's my point? I don't know. I guess that skiing has always been expensive but now it's REALLY expensive? He might have been able to swing $204 bucks for the day for 2 kids but there was no way he was going to pay $346 for the day.

 

[ThomasD]

I am taking donations. PM for details

I'll take what Ken doesn't want.

Just finished a week at Park City. Locals all complaining of long lift lines and workers saying it was busiest season in forever.

Lines, to me, were orderly and moving well, with only an occasional wait time greater than 15 minutes, and only then at that critical 3-4 pm slot. But I've been an easy coast skier for the last 15 years so anything under 20 minutes is gravy.

My concern is that all the consolidation is putting a very limited number of people in control of what the ski experience will be.

 

[BLiP]

Sunday mornings are still usually not too bad most places.. But, by about noon fuggettabouttitt.

I find that noon on Sunday is when it starts to clear out and become manageable again in NH. All the weekenders pack up around lunch and head back to Boston. Friday through noon on Sunday? Not worth your time. At least not at an Epic.

 

[crgildart]

I find that noon on Sunday is when it starts to clear out and become manageable again in NH. All the weekenders pack up around lunch and head back to Boston. Friday through noon on Sunday? Not worth your time. At least not at an Epic.

The places near me aren't on any mega pass. The twilight 12-4:30 tickets are more popular than the morning session tickets

 

[ThomasD]

The places near me aren't on any mega pass. The twilight 12-4:30 tickets are more popular than the morning session tickets

Similar at Sugar Mountain, where the afternoon & night pass appears to be more popular than the full day pass.

 

[BS Slarver]

No one told these dudes……

 

[teejaywhy]

The Cheddar produced features I've watched always seemed sort of... lightweight. Not too in depth, Pop News if you will.

 

[skifishbum]

more like yuppie hipster lifestyle blurbs
i love skiing and flyfishing so much
i wish they would die
weed out the lifestylers
and the lifers remain

 

[cantunamunch]

That was a hard no. There was no way that he could afford that. He asked me, "Since when did it become so expensive to ski?". I just laughed and told him that was a complicated question.

When I got home, I was still thinking about his cost question. As a lot of people on here know, Vail bought Whitetail/Liberty/Roundtop a couple of years ago.

Meh.

Every hunter who visits Indian Spring WMA down the road from Whitetail spent more on kit, training, ammo than an average Whitetail skier needs to . And yet they hold up skiing as being expensive .

I'm with Fish on this. The only problem with skiing costs is the lifestyle marketing.

 

[justplanesteve]

As a lot of people on here know, Vail bought Whitetail/Liberty/Roundtop a couple of years ago. To compare before and after prices,

This i can comment on.
When i learned to ski at Liberty, Wed nite ticket was $2. As long at Sr. Ambose Marie signed your voucher at school. Was trying to remember recently if that included rentals or not.
Somehow, i remember the package deal might have been $4, because it inspired me to work baling hay for more farmers over the summer to buy my own equipment within the first couple seasons. We might have gotten one intro lesson free from the Luis Sanchez ski school.

That was quite recent, it seems.
Early Spring, 1965, 5th grade.
Ski Liberty was named Charnita when it opened that January.
My parents would only drop us off Wednesdays. When us kids got old enough to cadge our own transportation, we would re-use a ticket as many other nights as possible, no sense wasting them. In HS and later, we often knew the lifties anyway.

At some point in the future, some of the 1 billion Indians and 1 billion Chinese will become rich and pick up the hobby

China already has a middle/uppermiddle class larger than the entire US population

 

[VS_Power]

I hope skiing dies, it would mean shorter lift lines for me.

On the contrary, the lines seem to be getting longer at the Tahoe resorts (Palisades aka Squaw Valley, Northstar, Heavenly, etc)

 

[Wasatchman]

At some point in the future, some of the 1 billion Indians and 1 billion Chinese will become rich and pick up the hobby as an upper class pursuit. I mean the Chinese already do, but was just interrupted by the pandemic. But the winter Olympic should have given their population the push to become skiers and snowboarders.

The law of big numbers suggests this is just getting started. Pretty soon those Indians and Chinese will compete for a spot in Japanese and European and Aspen lodges against the usual fare of Aussie and American skiers and snowboarders.

You're actually light on both country's populations. How about around 1.4b people each these days. Global population of 8b and growing. Fun fact: it took from the start of humanity until 1800 to reach 1b global population. And since 1800 we have added another 7b.

Something's gotta give because unfortunately the earth cannot sustainably come close for the world's population to live even close to the way we do here in the USA. So get out there and enjoy it while we can .

 

[Raymond Slarver]

I'll take what Ken doesn't want.

Just finished a week at Park City. Locals all complaining of long lift lines and workers saying it was busiest season in forever.

Lines, to me, were orderly and moving well, with only an occasional wait time greater than 15 minutes, and only then at that critical 3-4 pm slot. But I've been an easy coast skier for the last 15 years so anything under 20 minutes is gravy.

My concern is that all the consolidation is putting a very limited number of people in control of what the ski experience will be.

Likewise (right down to the "oh, this is supposed to be terribly crowded?" feelings I also had last week at PC. I mean, come with me to Hunter or Mt Snow sometime.)

 

[James]

It must be dying now because people are arguing over who says they’re a terrible skier, but are actually good, and what’s an intermediate to expert is.

 

[crgildart]

Similar at Sugar Mountain, where the afternoon & night pass appears to be more popular than the full day pass.

That is "the places near me" for sure.

Last chance this weekend for most places near me.

I'm sitting here considering driving 3 hours to pay $70 to ski Hapoy Appy 2-3 hours mid day Saturday then drive 3 hours home... If others are like minded, skiing isn't a dying sport.

 

[Scotty I.]

So get out there and enjoy it while we can

Yah but why are so many companies getting into the heated glove business?

 

[x10003q]

This video is a joke. They mispronounced the 4th word - Nevele - (NEV-uh-lee). I did not watch much past this. The Nevele was never a ski resort, it was a Catskill Borscht Belt Resort that had 150 ft vertical ski slope. The failure of the Nevele had zero to do with skiing or the ski business.

Nevele Grand Hotel - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

41°41'45.0"N 74°23'49.0"W · Wawarsing, NY

Wawarsing, NY

www.google.com

 

[dbostedo]

It must be dying now because people are arguing over who says they’re a terrible skier, but are actually good, and what’s an intermediate to expert is.

So you're saying your life is flashing before your eyes?

 

[ThomasD]

That is "the places near me" for sure.

Last chance this weekend for most places near me.

I'm sitting here considering driving 3 hours to pay $70 to ski Hapoy Appy 2-3 hours mid day Saturday then drive 3 hours home... If others are like minded, skiing isn't a dying sport.

We are planning on Sugar Sunday. Probably our last day too.

 

[crgildart]

We are planning on Sugar Sunday. Probably our last day too.

I've shifted to App Sunday now that it looks cooler that day... Arriving mid day.. Figure it will be less crowded and a little less travel time for me round trip. I do better with short laps these days anyway.