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The 2016 January Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month (LSSM) lured a record number of never-evers onto the ski slopes. So what do you do for an encore?

Last year, the World’s Largest Lesson attempt on Jan. 8, 2016, helped set the tone for the month. Although no record was set, most resorts are eager to bring it back. (More on that later.)

“We had so much fun with it,” says Jeffra Clough, marketing manager at Eaglecrest, Alaska. “We had about 82 come up. People got really into it.”

For the next attempt, Clough hopes to add breakfast to the $10 lift/lesson/rental package. “I’m looking for some business partners for the day,” she says.

Being “part of something” with friends and family attracted nearly 200 to Mt. Hood Meadows, Ore., for the record attempt. “We allowed them to participate together,” says Dave Tragethon, executive director of sales and communication. “We had a lot of fun doing it, and are looking forward to doing it again, maybe more than once. Once with the official record, and maybe a couple of other times.”

“We loved the record attempt,” adds Tom Meyers, marketing director at Wachusett, Mass., where 110 turned out. “We found it to be very productive on many levels, not just the number of new skiers participating, but the residual benefits of getting all of our employees engaged. It was an unseen benefit.”

Hugh Reynolds of Snow Operating, who dreamt up the record challenge as a way to kick off LSSM, says this season’s attempt will be on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017.

“It was a tremendous success,” he says. “We had 160 resorts participate and give over 6,000 lessons. We fell short of the record, even though we had enough participation, because of the weather and Guinness requirements.” Reynolds says that this year’s documentation process will be streamlined.

Back To School

Low-cost youth and school programs remain key learn-to initiatives at many resorts, and these multi-week programs naturally build retention.

Showdown, Mont., is one resort that’s putting its efforts into school programs rather than the Largest-Lesson attempt. Showdown’s primary market, Great Falls, is 60 miles away, and few took the day off to learn to ski or ride, says Avery Gold, marketing director.cont.

Showdown canceled its school program for the day, and lost an estimated 300 new skiers as a result.

“We’d rather schedule another school day,” Gold says. The area’s school program draws more than 5,000 kids, and “creates so many strong skiers.”

The 91 participating schools provide the bus transportation, and every kid must take a lesson. Cost is $25 for skiing, $35 for snowboarding. Some schools come four or five times a season. In addition, the area’s eight-week Saturday youth ski league ($120) draws big numbers, too. “The numbers grow every year,” Gold says. “That program really creates lifelong skiers. It’s how I learned to ski.”

Sunlight, Colo., also emphasizes school programs. Its free 4th grade season pass and lessons, combined with Colorado Ski Country’s statewide 5th and 6th grade passport program, provides three years of free skiing to local youth.

“Three seasons are enough to get them hooked,” says Troy Hawks, marketing director.

Holiday Valley, N.Y.’s school program is so successful the area expanded it to adults. “We have a number of different packages. One is once a week—pick a night. Or flexi-night—any eight nights,” says marketing manager Jane Eshbaugh. “People can choose night or weekday. They’re all pretty significantly discounted. All include lessons. It encourages people to give it a good try, more than once.”

She says school programs are the largest source of new skiers, followed by season-long adult programs.

Winterplace, W.Va., has both season-long and multi-week learn-to-ski or -ride programs for schools and adults. “We have positioned ourselves as the place to learn to ski,” says Tom Wagner, executive VP.

Local schools, some as far away as 90 minutes, provide the bus transportation, and Winterplace the lessons, rentals, and all-area pass. The five-week midweek program is $109; an 8-week program is $119 midweek, $139 weekends.

“Our learn-to promos are really aimed at schools,” Wagner says. “But we also get a lot of adult social groups that form. It’s the blue-collar season pass. It’s the same price whether you’re an adult or child. We have 5 to 10 buses rolling through on this program every day.”

Friends And Partners

Wachusett is rallying around its Bring-a-Friend program. When friends buy the discounted package together online, the existing skier gets a lift ticket, and the friend a lesson package.

“It provides us a way to use our existing skier base to reward them for bringing people along,” says Meyers. “They are our best ambassadors.”

Wachusett is focusing on better communicating the benefits of upgrading from one to three lessons, and from three to three more.

“We’re trying to make the decision for coming back as painless as possible by hitting them at multiple touch points along the way, and make them understand what a deal it is,” Meyers adds.

He’s also exploring a program to snag those first-timers who show up but don’t take a lesson.

Many resorts have reached out to corporate sponsors for their learn-to programs, with good success. Michigan ski resorts have partnered with the state’s travel bureau and McDonald’s to promote a January learn-to ski or ride campaign, Discover Michigan. Participating resorts offer a $35 lesson package.

Showdown partnered with Pepsi for the first time last season to do a two-month learn-to promo in January and February. The collaboration offered a lesson package for $29 (regular $35). Gold says the promo was “huge.”

“Our numbers were way up. We had lots of billboards, lots and lots of radio ads, displays in all the gas stations, a couple of live remotes—a lot of people knew about it.”

This season, Showdown will offer the same package and price, as well as an upgrade package to all lifts for $15 more for second- and third-day returnees.

Eaglecrest has partnered with a local car dealer for the last 35 years to run a free learn-to-ski or -ride program for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders during the last week of January. The car dealer provides the transportation, and Eaglecrest the lunch and beginner package.

“We provide them two days of lessons and the third day on their own,” Clough says. “We get about 40 kids every year.”

Many state associations have gone the one-price route for lesson packages during January LSSM.

Vermont resorts raised the price from $29 to $49 last season. “We saw lower numbers from last year (down about 20 percent), but we saw lower numbers all season,” says Sarah Wojcik, marketing and communications director at the Vermont Ski Areas Association.

This season, Vermont resorts will also offer a $129, three-day lesson package, good anytime at one resort or three different resorts. “We realize it really takes more than one lesson to commit to the sport,” Wojcik says.
Concludes Eshbaugh: “There doesn’t seem to be any magic pill, but we keep working on it.”