Fall 2004 The Official Publication of the Professional Ski Instructors of America Eastern/Education Foundation
The Growth Initiative - Where Do We Go from Here? by Sherm White Smugglers’ Notch, VT
With all of the discussions going on about the NSAA Growth Initiative, and what it means for the future of Snowsports, this seems like a good time to think about how we can position ourselves as Snowsport Schools to take the best advantage of the increased participation expected from the Initiative.
Where Have We Come From? Before we look to the future, let’s see what we can learn from the past. In the early years of skiing in the US, ski instruction played a prominent role in most skiers’ experience, primarily because most skiers were new to the sport. Instructors were instrumental in hooking people on the sport. When we look back on the equipment, snow conditions and lack of lifts in those early years, we can really appreciate the role instructors played in growing the sport. This role continued past the beginner stage. The ski vacation became popular, and, with it, the 5 day ski week. Going skiing with your favorite instructor and a group of like-minded people was as much a social experience as it was a learning experience. There was risk and there was fun, but this was all part of the Mountain Experience. Starting in the 70’s, the prominence of ski instruction in the overall skiing experience began to fade, particularly as people became better skiers. Some people point to improved equipment and better terrain preparation as being part of the cause for the drop in ski school participation by upper level skiers, but I feel the root cause may have had more to do with liability concerns that took hold during that time. The legal concept of assuming risk began to change, and the ski industry, in dealing with this threat, began to downplay the excitement and challenge of skiing in favor of ease and convenience. The idea of challenging students with exciting experiences took a back seat to keeping them safe. For whatever reason, the growth of skiing began to slow down,
and with it the participation in ski school. Once someone learned how to get down the hill without undue fear or harm, they didn’t need lessons anymore. The content of lessons was usually dictated and scripted by the instructor and the ski school, without much input from the student, which led to frustration and boredom. The ski school experience was perceived by many students as having little value. Talk to any number of experienced skiers and you will know that this perception continues to the present. We took the exciting experience of skiing, and tried to make it boring. The result was no growth.
Where Are We Now? Recognizing that participation in snowsports was treading water at best, and that demographic trends were working against increased participation, NSAA embarked on the Growth Initiative to examine the state of the industry and what we needed to do to grow the future. Attention was focused on the experience of the new participants in Snowsports (we now had snowboarding), and what parts of the experience were likely to cause that participant to either stick with the sport, or run screaming away to other recreational pursuits. About the time that NSAA began looking at these issues I was exposed to a book entitled, “The Experience Economy”, by B. Joseph Pine ll and James A. Gilmore (HBS Press, 1999). The authors define experience as “events that engage individuals in a personal way”, and suggest that successful businesses in the future will have to move beyond just providing goods and services, and will “learn to stage a rich, compelling experience” for their customers. PSIA and AASI recognized the important role of relationships and experiences in the Core Concepts Manual in the Introduction. “Building and fostering meaningful relationships with students and guests, combined with living up to the standards of professionalism, form the
SnowPro ◆ Fall 2004 ◆ Page 1
cornerstone of our success as individuals and as an industry.” The Growth Initiative The Wizard is has created a huge opback!... portunity for Snowsport see me in the Schools as a result of the recognition. It also centerfold. presents us with a huge challenge. How we meet that challenge will have a big impact on how committed our new core skiers and riders are to the sport. With the results in from the past season, it appears the Growth Initiative is working. This past season, snowsport participation held its own across the country, despite the multiple challenges of the economy, world politics and weather. There is some debate going on about interpreting statistics, but I think the debate misses the point. I’m optimistic that we will see the industry grow, because the ideas behind the Initiative have taken hold, and we are focusing on the experience our guests have. Rental Shops, Snowsport Schools, and other departments are talking to each other, and examining the experience guests have at their resort. There is recognition that there is no one formula for success. Each resort is continued on page 3
on the inside
Editor’s Desk 2 Executive Tracks 4 Around the Regions 10 "15 Below" Club 17 Wizard's Words Centerfold 2004-05 Event Schedule 20 Region 5 & 6 Election Info 38