Organizers of the 13th annual Winter Trails Day held Jan. 12, 2008 estimate that the program attracted more than 10,250 people
at nearly 80 locations in the U.S. The largest event took place at Estes Park, Colo. Feb. 16, 2008.
SnowSports Industries America (SIA) in collaboration with the American
Hiking Society (AHS) and the Cross Country Ski Areas Association (CCSAA).
“Winter Trails is one of the largest “Learn-A-Snow Sport” programs in the country and it attracts a wide array of people interested in a winter activity following the lazy day holidays,” said Mary Jo Tarallo, director of education for SIA. “Parents and kids can easily learn the sports together. If you can walk, you can learn to snowshoe or cross country ski while burning calories. Another aspect is that there is a definite role for suppliers, retailers and venues to play in an event that has a proven track record for attracting new participants to snow sports.”
Organizers report that good snow cover in many parts of the country, a grass roots outreach campaign and an extensive local and national public relations effort contributed to a substantial turn out not just from individual consumers of all ages but also from groups such as the Boy Scouts of America, the Special Olympics and other community organizations. Not all benefited from the active day; in New England, a warm weather trend forced postponement or cancellation of a few Winter Trails events.
Presenters of Winter Trails include Alpina, Atlas Snow-Shoes, Atomic,
Columbia, Exel, Fischer, Grabber, Kahtoola, Karhu, Mountain Safety Research (MSR), Nature Valley, PEPSICO, Redfeather, Rossignol, Salomon, Sorel, SWIX, Tubbs, Turtle Fur, Whitewoods, W.L. Gore and Associates, and Yukon Charlie's with media partners Cross Country Skier magazine, OnTheSnow.com, Snowshoemagazine.com, Trax and XCSkiresorts.com.
