In its annual marketing report, released last week, the聽nonprofit trade association聽Snowsports Industries America (SIA) states聽that the snow聽sports聽industry made $2.5 billion in the 2014-15 season, with overall participation up but a drop in the average days of participation, . Data for the report聽was collected from May聽2014 until August聽2015聽and took into account participation in snow sports, attendance to resorts, and equipment sales.聽
鈥淭he story the data told all season was [of] drought in the Sierras and a lack of snow at lower altitudes and聽late in the season in the Pacific Northwest,鈥� Kelly Davis, the research director for SIA, told 国产吃瓜黑料 on Wednesday. 鈥淭hat really hurt us.鈥�
Cross-country skiing was hit particularly hard in both sales and participation. Sales of hard聽goods, such as skis and snowboards, also decreased, though Davis said that this was easily explained by the lack of snow in some regions. And millennials聽aged 18 to 24 continued to pose a challenge to retailers, who saw a partition slump.聽Hardest hit in the resort category was the Pacific Northwest, which experienced a 32聽percent drop in visits. 鈥淎nd the Sierras, I can鈥檛 say they were down that much because it鈥檚 been shitty there for four seasons,鈥� Davis said.聽
The big winners, however, were clear: Alpine tour (AT)聽skiing saw its partition and gear sales increase鈥攄espite a lackluster season in聽the Pacific Northwest.聽
鈥淭hat was a surprise, considering what happened [with the weather],鈥� Davis said. 鈥淭o see that continue to rise told me that there鈥檚 still plenty of life in the Rockies, in terms of AT.鈥�
Snowboarding also saw a boost. Despite聽being lamented as in its death throes, the sport saw an increase聽of 17 percent in the under-17 crowd. 鈥淭o see it being picked up by the children of Gen X is just awesome,鈥� Davis said.