Snowsports Industries America (SIA), a trade association for the winter sports industry, released its Participation Report for the 2022-23 winter season, which offers insights into the state of winter sport participation, provides industry stakeholders with crucial data and trends across all winter sports – skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, fat biking and touring.
The SIA’s Participation Report is a “must-have tool” for businesses, resorts and enthusiasts. The study provides an annual overview of winter sports participation and demographics, along with analyses of individual winter activities.
It also includes participant demographics, activity frequency, regional representation, crossover interests, and more, offering insights into the behaviors of winter sports enthusiasts.
This year’s look at the 2022-23 season shows unequivocally the growth of winter sports participation, including an increase in absolute numbers across all race/ethnicity groups, revealing that 29.9 million people – a representation of almost 10 percent of the U.S. population aged six and older – engaged in any winter sport activity for any number of days.
This is a significant increase from previous years when participation hovered around 25 million people.
For skiing, including alpine, freeski, and telemark (but not Nordic or touring), in 2021-22 there was a five percent decrease in unique participants; In 2022-23, however, the trend reversed, with the number of participants increasing two percent. In absolute numbers, increases in participants range from more than 100,000 for snowboard touring up to 817,000-plus for snowboarding.
Other key sections of the SIA Participation Report show data around:
- Resurgence of Snowsports – Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, winter sports have experienced a resurgence. The report shows a significant increase in participation rates, indicating a strong rebound for the industry.
- Activities Breakdown – Each winter sport is outlined separately, providing critical insights for each unique sport.
- Demographic Shifts – The report dives deeply into demographic shifts within the winter sports community, exploring changing trends in age, gender and ethnicity.
- Regional Insights – The report provides regional breakdowns, offering insights into winter sports participation trends across different geographical areas.
The 2022-23 SIA Participation Report is free to all SIA Members and is available for download via the Member Portal. Non-members are also able to choose a membership that’s right for them to gain full access to SIA’s industry-leading insights, reports, and tools.
For more information, visit snowsports.org.
