If this article was being published in Forbes, it would probably figure out someway to blame millennials for ruining the world. The video above breaks down a bunch of stats and figures that we already know for why millennials don’t ski as much as their predecessors.
Some of the most standout facts, millennials don’t have the economic freedom or spare time that previous generations have enjoyed.
The video also articulates several disturbing trends in the industry. While again not a surprise, the sport significantly lacks in female and minority participation. Perhaps most staggering is the stat that the current rate of return customers for the entire industry is 7%. Reading between the lines a bit, it’s also not a huge surprise. Resorts have been shafting employees and locals for decades trying to polish the ‘ski experience’ into a refined boughie Catalina wine mixer. Apparel and equipment companies certainly haven’t batted an eye at the trend that dictates the coolest riders wear only the newest gear. For all intensive purposes, all efforts cater to the jerry who rides once and proceeds to make the experience a cornerstone of his personality at every bar he visits for the next six months.
It’s no wonder that the only segment of the industry currently growing is backcountry. People are fed up with rising prices and lift lines that get longer and longer each year. They’re figuring out that for the price of a couple day passes they can get all the gear to go out and climb the thang themselves.
“When I was a boy we skied uphill, both ways, and still didn’t complain!”
“Ok boomer…”
Feature Image by Forsaken Fotos