We are in deep, skiing just outside Jackson Hole’s boundary, in over two feet of Wyoming’s finest——which is rapidly closing in on three feet as the storm gathers intensity. A buddy scores a massive face shot before vanishing over the horizon into the maelstrom.

The area is called Four Pines, and it’s considered out-of-bounds. It’s easy to understand why Jackson’s more adventurous guests would want to ski here. The snow is untracked, the terrain magical, and the experience unforgettable.

But fortunately, out of bounds doesn’t mean out of reach. Jackson’s guests can ski and ride here. Jackson and others are tapping into the growing “sidecountry” market—terrain that’s just outside the ropes, but has the allure of being wild and untouched. It’s a market that’s being fueled by skiers and riders looking for adventure, and by innovations in gear, especially skis, that make the adventure accessible.


GEARED UP
“Skiers are looking at the mountain differently than they were even five years ago,” says Jeff Mechura, global brand director for K2. “Fatter skis, sidecut and rocker have made varying terrain and snow conditions easier for everyone, making the mountain that much bigger. Gone are the days of just skiing on piste at the local resort.

“Additionally, more skiers are going farther out, seeking new experiences and adventures both close to the resort—sidecountry—and in the backcountry.”

In the winter sports hardgoods market, sidecountry and backcountry gear have been one of the few bright spots. According to the Outdoor Industry Association, backcountry equipment (climbing skins, probes, shovels, beacons and accessories) tallied $6.8 million in 2008, up about 20 percent. Bruce Edgerly, vice president of marketing and sales for Backcountry Access, a manufacturer of avalanche beacons, packs and backcountry accessories, adds, “we have seen steady growth in North America of 10 to 20 percent a year for the past five years.”

And, according to Kris Versteegan, Sports One Source’s director of specialty business, the category grew again this past winter. “The 2009-2010 holiday season held steady in a down year,” says Versteegan of Alpine touring gear retail sales. “But the latest numbers from the end of the 2010 season show double digit gains.” The growth of the category is promising by any standard.

Marker is another company that has tapped that promise. According to the brand’s Geoff Curtis, the venerable binding manufacturer took a risk when it introduced the Duke Alpine touring binding three years ago. The gamble has paid off. Duke bindings sold out the first season they were available, and their success engendered a complete line of Marker Alpine touring bindings, including lighter versions of the Duke, for 2011.

“We’re on fire,” adds Dynafit’s Chris Sword. The company, which manufacturers lightweight Alpine touring bindings and Alpine boots, posted its “best year ever” in sales last season. Sword is bullish on the prospects for growth. He sees strong interest among resorts in the company’s demo programs and even stronger retail sales. “Once people try it, they’re hooked,” he says. He predicts more record sales for the brand next season.


LEADING THE WAY
Retail sales are only one part of the equation. Customers who buy this gear want to use it. And Jackson is one of several resorts that are profiting from that desire. Jackson’s Backcountry Guide tours cost $695 per day for a group of three. Guides such as Eric Henderson, a level III certified PSIA telemark instructor and heli-ski guide at Valdez Heli-Ski Guides, and Theo Meiners, a PSIA examiner and National Ski Patrol avalanche advisor, lead the tours. They access terrain both within and outside the ski area’s boundary, including the steep and deep off of 10,118-foot Cody Peak and in the Four Pines area—where, on good days, the skiing is superlative, as we discovered.

“From a business perspective, the guiding program represents a very small, yet critical, portion of the overall ski school business,” says Jackson Hole communications manager Zahan Billimoria. “It is a specialty product for guests who are attracted by the challenge of big-mountain skiing out of bounds. These clients tend to develop long-lasting relationships with their guides, which drives significant return business.

“Another aspect of the program is the opportunity to maximize a day of skiing, both in and out of bounds, with direct access to the front of the tram line,” she says. That allows adventurers a range of options, from the inbounds but capacity-controlled Hobacks to the unguided backcountry gates, as well as all the gnarly terrain inside the boundaries.

Jackson isn’t the only western resort to offer a guided adventure program. Alta guests can tap into the expertise of Utah Mountain Adventures and get on board with several programs, including the legendary “Interconnect” ($250 per person per day), which links Deer Valley, Park City, Snowbird, Solitude, Brighton Resort and Alta. Nearby Snowbasin has experimented with guided skiing run by members of the resort’s ski patrol, and is currently tweaking the program to run it through the ski school. “We found that with our client mix, having this type of program under the auspices of the ski school makes the most sense,” says Jodi Holmgren, director of marketing and public relations.


EASTERN ADVENTURES
Many of these programs are terrain-driven. And because of this, it’s no surprise that they tend to be found at western resorts. But some Eastern ski areas are in on the action, too. Jay Peak, Vt., for example, highlights the ski area’s extensive glade skiing with two-hour guided tours for $40. Run by the area’s ski school, participants explore the resort’s nooks and crannies with a top instructor who not only acts as a guide, but also helps participants improve their skills. It’s an adventure skiing program complemented by a bit of coaching. For those eager for more instruction, Jay’s Powder Clinics also cost just $40 for two hours.

“The core Eastern skier is no different from the Western skier,” says Adam Howard, editorial director of Vermont-based Backcountry magazine. “The drive is for powder.” Sugarbush is another regional leader in adventure skiing, he says. “Their Slide Brook area is a great example of sidecountry terrain. You end up taking a bus back to the resort when you hit the bottom, it’s fantastic.”

According to Howard, one secret to effectively creating adventure terrain in the East is creating mixed ecosystems when glading. “There have always been glades in the East,” he says, “but many of them were created out of trees the same age. When those trees matured and then died, the glade was gone. You want to create glades out of islands of multiple generations and ecosystems.”


ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS
Finally, resorts can bring additional elements into play, beyond just taking folks out of bounds or creating additional gladed and adventure terrain. The Squallywood Clinics at Squaw Valley, hosted by ski filmmaker Rob Gaffney, offer a template for many kinds of “adventure” programs, including those that focus on park and pipe. The Squallywood Supersized clinic is the two-day “fantasy island” of the skiing and snowboarding world. It immerses participants in a real-life film and photo shoot with local pro athletes. Participants ride side by side with the pros, film with them, and get tips on how to choose a line, how to ski for the camera, and how to talk smack to their friends. The program wraps up with guests watching themselves in their own movie and slide show. It’s exactly the kind of opportunity that appeals to core consumers, especially younger ones. It’s easy to imagine how resorts could tweak Squallywood’s elements and implement similar programs on any kind of terrain.

Regardless of the type of sidecountry program that a resort offers, “education and promotion” are the keys to success, says K2’s Mechura. “Skiers are always looking for new experiences when they come to a resort. This is an opportunity to get in at the ground level.”

The trick is to not make experiences exclusive or intimidating, he adds. “Customers need to know that once they reach a certain ability level, they, too, can experience adventure skiing. That is one of the great things [Doug] Coombs did for so many skiers new to the backcountry. He educated them, showed them they could do things they never thought they could or would ever do, and have an amazing and safe experience in the mountains.”

While adventure programs aren’t for everyone, as resorts’ traditional markets age and customers become younger, sidecountry and other options can be a key part of the mix. They show even longtime customers that there are still new experiences to explore at your mountain.

And sidecountry programs expand a resort’s horizons, too. Thinking outside the ropes—literally and figuratively—to create new products allows existing staff to drive revenues and differentiate your area from the competition. That’s a concept everyone can get excited about.