Snowboard ridership declining at ski resorts

Snowboarding once was the cool new thing, but as the sport matured over the last two decades so did its ridership.

Snowboarders who cut their teeth on the back trails of Mount Rose during the sport's inception in the 1980s, when snowboards weren't allowed at ski resorts, now are in their late 30s and 40s and cruise well-groomed terrain parks at the area's best resorts.

Snowboarding numbers aren't increasing at Tahoe-area resorts, and the sport suffers from waning interested nationally as well.

In 2003 and 2004, more than 6.3 million people rode at least twice during the season. In 2006 that number was down to 5.2 million, says the National Ski & Snowboard Retailers Association.

The ratio of snowboarders to skiers at Heavenly Mountain Resort leveled off over the past few seasons in the 30 to 35 percent range, says Russ Pecararo, director of communications. As snowboarding became more mainstream and more adults took it up, more kids reverted back to skis.

"People who might be trying snowboarding for the first time in their 20s because it seems to be the cool thing to do in turn are kind of turning off younger kids who want to be counter-culture," Pecararo says. "And skiers amplitude. If you look at the X Games and watch what kids are doing, the skiers are really progressing faster than snowboarders."

Pecararo and others say twin-tip skis skis with tips at the front and back to allow for a wider range of freestyle tricks are catching on with younger kids, as are snow skates and ski bikes.

Kayla Anderson, marketing coordinator at Diamond Peak Resort, says snowboarders comprise around 40 percent of the mountain's customers, a number that hasn't changed much in five years.

"I wouldn't say that the sport has stopped growing, but I do think more kids have gotten into freestyle skiing," Anderson says. "There are just as many kids on twin-tip skis in the terrain park as there are snowboarders, and they're hitting the jumps and rails just as much as the snowboarders."

Mike Pierce, longtime marketing director at Mount Rose Ski Resort, sees a roughly 50-50 split between skiers and snowboarders in the number of beginning riders signing up to take lessons.

"We definitely still see strong interest in both," he says. "It's not like snowboarding is tapering off. Just as many people want to learn, but those who are older and try to learn may not stick with it. You do have to fall a bit when you are learning, and some may get a little beat up and say, 'Heck with this.'

The National Ski and Snowboarding Retailers Association says 75 percent of snowboarders are under the age of 24, while 62 percent of alpine skiers are over 25.

Even so, Pierce adds, "Snowboarding is not as new and novel, and it kind of reached a mainstay point, but it's here to stay and it's not going to be a fad."

Kirsten Cattell, communications manager for Northstar-at-Tahoe, says the resort's snowboarding numbers dipped slightly this season from last 48 percent on snowboards rather than skis, compared to 46 percent but the sport remains popular for children of all ages.

"We have plenty of kids going through our Learn To Snowboard programs, and snowboarding competitions are still very popular with younger riders," Cattell says.