According to 2020-2021 snow sports participation data, 69 percent of winter sports participants are white. This is in stark contrast to recent 2020 census data which reveals that more than 40 percent of Americans identify as one or more racial and ethnic groups, and that people of color comprise more than half the nation’s youth population.
Groups like SIA and Share Winter are working to stress the importance of industry investment into future participation by making the winter outdoors more inclusive.
The Share Winter Foundation has been paving the way for inclusivity within the industry, creating program and pipelines that make it easier for kids from 5-18 to get on snow, with the goal of putting 100,000 youth on snow by 2028. The 501(c)(3) non-profit works with local and regional programs through grantmaking to improve the lives, health and fitness of youth through winter sports.
As the association leading the winter outdoor community, SIA has prioritized participation and inclusion as two key initiatives for thriving businesses and a prosperous future. Through industry-wide education, research tools and resources, SIA underscores the critical importance of reaching out to new, diverse participants and enables and empowers its members to be more inclusive.
As the 2021-22 winter season begins, SIA is making a $12.500 donation to Share Winter and challenging its members by matching donations up to another $12.500. Inclusive participation growth is one of the core responsibilities that the industry must act on in support to see continued growth across the board.
Share Winter was able to add 26 new partner organizations and support 45,000+ youth in 21 states and 61 ski areas to get on snow in 2019-2020. As their work garners more support, the potential for more youth reached and more grants offered will only continue to grow.
Read more about the Share Winter Foundation here, and more about SIA’s commitment to inclusion here.
