﻿It 
  is 
  entirely 
  possible 
  that 
  a 
  large 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  skiers 
  who 
  reported 
  visiting 
  only 
  

   one 
  ski 
  area 
  were 
  first 
  -year 
  skiers 
  who 
  were 
  concentrating 
  more 
  on 
  learning 
  basic 
  

   skiing 
  techniques 
  than 
  on 
  searching 
  for 
  new 
  challenges 
  in 
  ski 
  terrain. 
  Because 
  20 
  per- 
  

   cent 
  of 
  the 
  skier 
  population 
  was 
  skiing 
  for 
  the 
  first 
  time 
  in 
  the 
  1964-65 
  season, 
  it 
  is 
  

   also 
  possible 
  that 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  90 
  percent 
  of 
  skiers 
  who 
  had 
  skied 
  for 
  longer 
  than 
  1 
  year 
  

   actually 
  had 
  visited 
  at 
  least 
  two 
  different 
  areas. 
  The 
  fact 
  that 
  45 
  percent 
  of 
  skiers 
  had 
  

   skied 
  at 
  three 
  or 
  more 
  areas 
  suggests 
  that 
  skiers 
  generally 
  want 
  to 
  try 
  their 
  skills 
  

   under 
  different 
  conditions. 
  

  

  Nearly 
  one 
  out 
  of 
  five 
  skiers 
  took 
  a 
  ski 
  vacation 
  on 
  which 
  he 
  stayed 
  away 
  from 
  

   home 
  four 
  or 
  more 
  nights. 
  These 
  vacation 
  trips 
  almost 
  always 
  are 
  to 
  distant 
  areas. 
  

   Advertising 
  undoubtedly 
  plays 
  a 
  part 
  in 
  determining 
  where 
  the 
  skier 
  vacations. 
  

  

  Greater 
  public 
  motivation-- 
  ^ 
  , 
  .. 
  . 
  , 
  . 
  . 
  , 
  . 
  , 
  , 
  

  

  -; 
  — 
  : 
  The 
  skimg 
  industry 
  and 
  those 
  connected 
  with 
  it 
  have 
  

  

  the 
  key 
  to 
  expansion 
  . 
  , 
  , 
  

  

  — 
  developed 
  an 
  increasingly 
  surefooted 
  sophistication 
  m 
  

  

  lift 
  design 
  and 
  installation, 
  trail 
  construction, 
  parking 
  

  

  lot 
  snow 
  removal, 
  and 
  other 
  details 
  of 
  successful 
  ski 
  area 
  operation. 
  Knowledge 
  of 
  

  

  their 
  customers, 
  however, 
  is 
  far 
  less 
  complete. 
  

  

  Dealing 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  with 
  a 
  luxury 
  service 
  rather 
  than 
  a 
  necessity, 
  ski 
  areas 
  are 
  

   vulnerable 
  to 
  changing 
  interests. 
  Ski 
  areas 
  are 
  more 
  in 
  competition 
  with 
  other 
  recre- 
  

   ation 
  enterprises 
  than 
  they 
  are 
  with 
  one 
  another. 
  With 
  only 
  minor 
  exceptions, 
  each 
  

   family's 
  recreation 
  activities 
  are 
  constrained 
  by 
  funds 
  available 
  for 
  that 
  purpose. 
  

   Neither 
  the 
  money 
  available 
  for 
  recreation 
  nor 
  the 
  motivation 
  of 
  those 
  with 
  a 
  choice 
  

   are 
  constants. 
  A 
  decision 
  made 
  during 
  one 
  season 
  affects 
  what 
  is 
  done 
  during 
  another. 
  

   For 
  example, 
  the 
  family 
  that 
  elects 
  to 
  take 
  a 
  summer 
  vacation 
  may 
  not 
  have 
  either 
  the 
  

   time 
  or 
  the 
  money 
  to 
  ski 
  during 
  the 
  following 
  winter. 
  Even 
  an 
  increase 
  in 
  family 
  in- 
  

   come 
  may 
  not 
  result 
  in 
  more 
  ski 
  visits. 
  The 
  additional 
  funds 
  may 
  be 
  all 
  that 
  is 
  needed 
  

   to 
  make 
  possible 
  a 
  trip 
  to 
  the 
  Virgin 
  Islands 
  or 
  Hawaii. 
  

  

  Despite 
  the 
  glamour 
  of 
  the 
  sport, 
  there 
  are 
  many 
  alternatives 
  competing 
  for 
  the 
  

   public's 
  leisure 
  time. 
  Many 
  forms 
  of 
  recreation 
  are 
  less 
  demanding 
  and 
  less 
  expensive. 
  

  

  If 
  the 
  ski 
  industry 
  is 
  to 
  become 
  fully 
  competitive, 
  it 
  must 
  understand 
  the 
  motiva- 
  

   tions 
  of 
  skiers 
  and 
  would-be 
  skiers 
  far 
  better 
  than 
  it 
  does 
  now. 
  What 
  are 
  skiers 
  look- 
  

   ing 
  for? 
  What 
  does 
  skiing 
  offer 
  that 
  golfing 
  or 
  motorboating 
  doesn't? 
  Why 
  do 
  people 
  

   really 
  stop 
  skiing? 
  Is 
  it 
  because 
  they 
  can't 
  afford 
  skiing, 
  or 
  because 
  they'd 
  rather 
  do 
  

   something 
  else 
  with 
  the 
  money 
  and 
  time 
  ? 
  

  

  These 
  and 
  many 
  other 
  relevant 
  questions 
  aren't 
  easily 
  answered. 
  Nevertheless, 
  

   improved 
  insight 
  would 
  help 
  the 
  ski 
  industry 
  motivate 
  people 
  to 
  become 
  skiers 
  and 
  keep 
  

   them 
  from 
  becoming 
  dropouts 
  . 
  Well-focused 
  market 
  research 
  programs 
  could 
  well 
  

   prove 
  our 
  present 
  vision 
  of 
  the 
  future 
  is 
  too 
  conservative. 
  

  

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