Diversity is lacking in the ski industry
By Julie Brown, Powder
Of the 9.4 million skiers in the United States, 72 percent are white. More than half earn a salary higher than $100,000. For some context, only 20 percent of American households have a combined income of $100K, and 63 percent of the country is white.
Skiing is a homogenous, insular experience. For the sport to be healthy and robust, it should represent the country as a whole, which includes socioeconomic and racial diversity. To ensure future generations are able to enjoy it, we must reach new participants by lowering the barrier to entry and making the sport more affordable and accessible.
Born between 1982 and 2002, Millennials came of age when technology boomed and the economy tanked. To engage with this group, some resorts have merged skiing with other popular interests, such as technology and music, hosting festivals like SnowGlobe in South Lake Tahoe and MusicFest in Steamboat. The Millennial-powered sharing economy has arrived in ski towns to make access more convenient for an ownership-shy generation.
No one is preventing any person from skiing. Stop this diversity nonsense. Julie why don’t you open a ski area and let’s say offer 10 dollars for a day lift ticket. Julie, do you believe the ski areas would not welcome millions of new skiers. The ski industry has been mired at about 55 million visits a year for decades.
Try deep sea fishing as your next target of lack of diversity or just keep your keyboard silent. Julie you are a racist as that’s how your screed starts out.