Snow tubing plague or panacea?
6 posts
5 users
1k+ views
oldensign - DCSki Columnist
February 11, 2014
Member since 02/27/2007 🔗
512 posts

 

It is a long held thought that snowboarding saved the ski industry. And I will agree that in many ways it did. It made playing on snow hip again and brought back a relevance to snow sports.  (All good save for my other post about snowboarding dying....)

 

However I would like to hear opinions on the premise that snowboarding may have saved the ski industry BUT it was SNOW TUBING that has saved the ski area/resort.  Busloads of school kids and mini vans of families have had more impact on the bottom line of the ski area than snowboarders.

 

Or was it both. Snowboarding made sliding on the snow cool, tubing provided the access to the ski area.  Tubers become potential skiers/ boarders.

 

Also think ski area vice resort as they are two different markets.....

Droogie
February 11, 2014 (edited February 11, 2014)
Member since 03/22/2012 🔗
76 posts

Snowtubing is lame. My wife used to really really want us to go tubing the first few times I took her skiing. I told her I would not do it and she would be underwhelmed with what she saw. She came around when she actually saw it at a few places. As far as I'm concerned tubing takes resources away from skiing, but if it helps a place stay open for skiing I'm fine with it. Hopefully tubing is a gateway activity to skiing. 

oldensign - DCSki Columnist
February 11, 2014
Member since 02/27/2007 🔗
512 posts

Of 138 ski resorts in the USA  41% of ski resorts offer snow tubing hills, most built in the last 10 years

JohnL - DCSki Supporter 
February 11, 2014
Member since 01/6/2000 🔗
3,565 posts

Slot machines would bring in more money.

marzNC - DCSki Supporter 
February 12, 2014
Member since 12/10/2008 🔗
3,369 posts

Good snow tubing certainly can help a resort's bottom line.  For adults who ski without kids or friends who are non-skiers, not much reason to go tubing.  However, it was definitely an added attraction when my daughter and I brought along a friend of hers, plus the other mom, for a ski weekend at Mnut.  The other girl was never that good a skier.  In general, the only time we go tubing is when we are with friends.  No different than the MegaZip line, the indoor waterpark, or the ice skating rink.  With kids, having something else available at a small ski resort is useful.  A lot of the larger family groups at Mnut include at least one non-skier who enjoys tubing.

The other advantage from a skiing standpoint is that families tend to do a 2-hour tubing session on a holiday Monday before driving home, instead of squeezing in a 4-hour lift ticket on the slopes.

jimmy
February 12, 2014
Member since 03/5/2004 🔗
2,650 posts

JohnL wrote:

Slot machines would bring in more money.

Ha snow tubing and slot machines are so 20th century. Ziplines, that's where the smart money is at today. Timberline had to have a Brinks truck come in to haul all the money from the zipline to the bank last Saturday. What a money maker! 

Ski and Tell

Snowcat got your tongue?

Join the conversation by logging in.

Don't have an account? Create one here.

0.15 seconds