Well, this is interesting (NYT article)

http://travel.nytimes.com/2013/01/20/travel/has-snowboarding-lost-its-edge.html?hpw&_r=0

Somehow, in trying to find the cause for less snowboarders out there, the writer of the article (who sounds like he may have only tried it once or twice) forgot about the worst recession since the thirties (which I think we're still halfway in).

One stat that shocked me - people who ski barely ski. Only an average of 5.5 days a year.

He did fail to mention the recession but he did use skier visits as a comparison which apparently have remained flat during the recession according to the article. If this is the case at least the conclusion that boarding has lost some interest when compared to skiing is valid. However I think the comment from Kapuscinski should be really concerning.

In general I think the trend is for more back/side country adventure which is harder to do on a board than on skis. I bet you will find that if you combine the market for telemark and AT that is where the growth is and I would also bet that the AT and telemark numbers get added to the skier visits versus the boarder visits so you would not see a decline in alpine only.
I have found no numbers to support this, but lots of articles on the "boom" in BC and conversations with shop owners and retailers.

younger kids now a days are just as apt to get a pair of twin tips as they are a snowboard.  I think that the where there numbers went.    Its all good.

DackerDan wrote

In general I think the trend is for more back/side country adventure which is harder to do on a board than on skis.

Well, for me, I was one of the original old guys who learned to board in '93, and, I thought it would be my powder tool, since I didn't see much deep powder outside of a few days, if i was lucky, on a western trip to get that good at it. But, then they developed fat skis, and I never looked back.Try traversing a western bowl on a board. There are many places on western mountains that you simply cannot get to on a board. Hell, even Gore is a pain with all of the flats.
 Haven't been on a board in maybe eight years - i don't get enough days on skis to be bored enough.

But, then they developed fat skis, and I never looked back.


I know a few people who wnet to a snowboard because they were getting bored with skiing, but when shaped and fat skis came out they came back.

Isn't that liberal rag just an echo chamber for the latte-sipping, masters degree having, Volvo driving, climate change believers?

Snowboarding has been losing its edge, for a number of reasons, for a while now.  Its rapid growth period paralleled the tech boom.  It got too popular, nobody does it anymore....or something like that.

witch hobble wrote

Isn't that liberal rag just an echo chamber for the latte-sipping, masters degree having, Volvo driving, climate change believers?

Snowboarding has been losing its edge, for a number of reasons, for a while now.  Its rapid growth period paralleled the tech boom.  It got too popular, nobody does it anymore....or something like that.

So are you saying that if Apple started making the iBoard5 it would change the market?

DackerDan wrote

So are you saying that if Apple started making the iBoard5 it would change the market?

It might need a killer app or two to start driving the market again.  Maybe some synergy or a seamless interface or some other buzzword might help too.

Benny Profane wrote

One stat that shocked me - people who ski barely ski. Only an average of 5.5 days a year.

This is why "we" (NYS Forum Members) are not a good proxy for the industry.  Assuming that Plattekill is popular because some of us love it... doesn't mean much.  Where do those 5.5 days get spent?

Killington, Hunter...? Probably not Plattekill.

Sorry for the drift, thanks for the article Benny.

Look at the Ski Magazine Top Resorts...there are your 5.5ers

Definitely believe the 5.5.    Most skiers I talk to do one east trip for two days and one long weekend out west.    



As for snow boarding.....it was cool when no one did it.   Now that 14 yo girls and 6 yr olds are doing it, twins and fats are the new cool.    That's what I see.     Tattoos will be out of style soon enough too.    More women are getting them....which is cool I guess.   But what rebel thinks that copying mom is rebelous?

As a kid skiing in the eighties, snowboarders were the anti ski establishment crowd...the ones who did not want to wear uncomfortable boots...wear expensive CB Sports skiwear...compete in alpine race events....

In my mind, twin tips are today's snowboards.

ADKarver wrote

As a kid skiing in the eighties, snowboarders were the anti ski establishment crowd...the ones who did not want to wear uncomfortable boots...wear expensive CB Sports skiwear...compete in alpine race events....

In my mind, twin tips are today's snowboards.

so pretty much all powder skis

Snowboarding captured the lite anti-establishment zeitgeist of the '90s pretty well.  Along with grunge taking on heavy metal power ballads, microbrews vs. megabrewed pilseners, start up tech firms vs. the Dow Jones Industrial Average, independent cinema vs. big studio productions.

The core of the sport is still there, and it has evolved to include toddlers and geezers who ride.  Some converts have switched over (or back) to skiing.  But there is a large segment that might have jumped on the bandwagon back in the day who have found other things to spend money and time on, and self identify with.  Probably around the same time they decided to let their tongue-ring hole close up.

And in the mean time, the core skiers ski around with what are basically two skinny snowboards attached to their boots (hopefully not while bashing snowboarding!)

i think snowboarding is taking hit because of the twin tip trick ski..

CONTENTS DELETED

who cares.  

ScottyJack wrote

who cares.

WORD

ScottyJack wrote

who cares.

As long as I'm replaying the 90s for us all-

Message: I care.

JasonWx wrote

i think snowboarding is taking hit because of the twin tip trick ski..

I think it's because every time gore opens a new peak, there is a long traverse to access it.

Tom