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Photo Credit: Snow Snow via Flickr
According to a survey conducted by SIA that started in the 2008/2009 winter and continued until this past season, snow sports participation of all kinds (with the exception of cross-country skiing) is on the rise (even snowshoeing). Such numbers represent a burgeoning ski industry that continues to grow into new markets during the climate change era. 

Photo Credit: Snowsports Industries America (SIA)
Photo Credit: Snowsports Industries America (SIA)
Here is our summary on gains and losses… 

Alpine Skiing

Since the recession hit during the 2008/2009 season, alpine skiing (the biggest demographic in skiing) dropped off significantly. Although the numbers indicate that alpine skiing’s popularity has not returned to its pre-recession status, the sport experienced a 12% increase in participation during the last two years.

Freestyle Skiing

Whether it’s rails or big booters, freestyle is the fastest growing discipline in skiing. Since 2008/2009, jibbers saw a 39% increase with 12% of that coming in the past two years.

Tele-Mark Skiing

The biggest surprise was the increase in Telemark skiing over the past few years. Since 2008, the sport has increased 44%. However, the amount of knee-droppers on the hill fell 7.6% over the last two years.

Snowboarding

Snowboarding has stayed relatively the same since 2008/2009 with this past year sporting a 3.6% increase from the year prior.

Other Winter Sports

Cross-country skiing saw a 3.5% decline from the previous year, while Snowshoeing saw a 7.2% increase.

 

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