Utah Ski and Snowboard Industry Announces 5.4 Percent Increase in Skier Days

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - The Utah ski and snowboard industry closed the 2012-13 winter season Memorial Day weekend with a total of 4,031,621 million skier day visits, up over 5 percent from the previous season’s 3,826,130. The 5.4 percent increase marks a great success for the industry, ending above four million for the sixth time in the last eight years, and a significant increase after the lackluster 2011-12 season, which was down 9.4 percent from the 2010-11 season.

Early season storms helped meet the pent-up demand for snow sport enthusiasts and started the season out strong. Although the season snowfall was below average, the total snowfall exceeded the pervious seasons low totals, and in-conjunction with resort snowmaking, provided excellent conditions throughout the season. 

Ski Utah is confident that awareness and demand for the Utah wintersport product is continuing on a positive trajectory. Utah skier day visits for 2012-13 performed better than the Rocky Mountain (Colo., Idaho, Mont., N.M., Utah, Wyo.) average increase of 1.9 percent.

 “Utah ski and snowboard resorts did an outstanding job getting the word out on early season snow,” noted Ski Utah President Nathan Rafferty. “Even when the storms slowed, new and upgraded snowmaking systems ensured that all of the resorts had exceptional snow all winter.”

Nationally, skier day visits were up to 56.6 million, up 11 percent from 51 million the previous season. This is the biggest rebound in 30 years with visits up in all regions.

Total Utah statewide skier days for the past 10 years are as follows:

                                    Season      *Skier Days     Rank

                                    2012-13         4,031,621      6
                                    2011-12         3,826,130      9**
                                    2010-11         4,223,064      2
                                    2009-10         4,048,153      5        
                                    2008-09         3,972,984      7
                                    2007-08         4,249,190      1
                                    2006-07         4,082,094      3        
                                    2005-06         4,062,188      4
                                    2004-05          3,895,578     8
                                    2003-04         3, 429,190     10
                                   

*The National Ski Areas Association defines ‘skier days’ as one person visiting a ski area for all or any part of a day or night for the purpose of skiing/snowboarding. 

**The 2011-12 number has been adjusted slightly due to a reporting error, adding an additional 23,594 skier day visits.

For a complete history of Utah’s skier days visit http://www.skiutah.com/media/story_starters/utah-skier-days-table.

For media information or interviews, contact Ski Utah Director of Communications susie@skiutah.com.

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Ski Utah is the marketing firm owned and operated by the 14 statewide ski resorts that make up the Utah Ski and Snowboard Association. The organization has been creating brand awareness of and demand for the Utah wintersports product since its inception in 1978. Ski Utah’s primary functions are concentrated in marketing, public policy and public relations. Information about Ski Utah and its members can be found at skiutah.com, on Twitter @SkiUtahYeti and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/skiutahyeti. This release and other press information can be found in the online press room at http://www.skiutah.com/media/press_room.