According to the 2017 edition of the Snow Sports Industry Insights Report from SIA, 11.86 million Americans participated in downhill skiing in the 2016/2017 seasons, up from 11.63 million in the 2015/2016 season.
Growth rates among other activities include:
- Alpine Ski, 9.88 million against 9.27 million;
- Freeski, 5.35 million against 4.64 million;
- Snowboard, 7.56 million versus 7.6 million;
- XC Ski, 5.06 milion against 4.64 million;
- Telemark Ski, 2.53 million versus 2.85 million;
- Snowshoe, 3.71 million versus 3.53 million.
Other core trends identified in the report include:
Estimated Retail Channel Sale
All Channels: $4.3B
Specialty: $2.4B
Online: $975M
Chain: $910M
Direct-to-consumer sales
Direct-to-consumer sales are on the rise among snow sports equipment
Weather
Weather remains the most significant variable in Snow Sports for decades
Independent Retailers
Big box chain stores are losing ground to independent retailers & local stores. Northeast retailers had a better season than 2015/2016.
Destination Resorts
Destination resorts featuring high-end product demos are on the rise Specialty Shops in the West proximal to resorts sold well into the spring.
The Snow Sports Industry Insights Report is a compilation of research from a number of snow sports industry studies, including snow participation data and demographics*, general market trends, equipment sales, crossover activities and more. Published annually at the start of each snow season, this report is aimed to serve as a reference tool for the snow sports industry.
*Participation information is derived from data produced by the Physical Activity Council (PAC), a partnership of six of the major
trade associations in US sports.
The full report is HERE.
Photo courtesy SIA
