The "explanation", which many here didn't want to admit, is the ski demographic is pretty well off.
So not impacted by recession, period.
Yet there are quite a few of us who are
not well off and will be altering our behavior accordingly.
I'm one of them.
As I've often said: if I wasn't working in the industry I likely wouldn't be able to afford to ski
at all. The sport is pricing itself out of existence, to be blunt - at least in North America it is. The cost of entry is a high barrier, and once you're into the sport the maintenance costs are high.
The altered behavior for me will likely include:
- Fewer big trips outside of coaching duties
- No new skis (other than coaching skis which fall into different pricing strata) for at least another 2-3 seasons
- No new boots (and I
desperately need a new set of boots but even at pro rate they're out of my price range)
- Using the same shells, pants, parkas, etc. for another year (which is good practice, anyway)
Let's face it: even though I'm in the industry the sponsors aren't there. Many brands are cutting back, and they want influencers who are in ski country. It is what it is and I accept that.
I think the long and short of it all boils down to the
want vs. need equation. We all
want new skis, boots, or ski clothes. We all
want to go on those awesome trips to Utah, Colorado, British Columbia, the Alps, Dolomites, or some far-off heli ski paradise. And everyone would love to be able to do this with the full assortment of unrestricted season passes.
But tough financial times will distill this down to what we
need to participate in the sport. And really that means having a good basic ski equipment setup and access to a mountain by any means possible. That may mean earning all your turns (easily done in areas with real winters and some topography). It may mean taking a seasonal job at your local ski area to get a discounted or free pass. And it may mean sitting out a season to save up for the future.
So please remember that there are many skiers in the world (and some who are "lifers" on this site) who are facing some tough decisions for this coming season and possibly for many seasons to come. A recession will affect them and, in turn, will probably affect quite a bit of the crew here.
Just my $0.02. YMMV.