We all know the cliché go big or go home but when it comes to skiing it is not always possible or even desirable to go big. The choice many of us have is ski small or stay home and in my mind the former wins easily! This is the first article I am putting out on Gregg Blanchard’s (aka @Slopefillers) effort to promote skiing at the small local resorts that dot ski country nationwide. He is starting up a campaign entitled: Ski Smaller to promote and recognize the small ski resorts that far outnumber the big destination class resorts.
Ski Smaller — The Math
There is all sorts of math that support the notion of skiing smaller. The first is the obvious idea that small ski resorts typically charge less than the large destination class resorts. This means we can ski more often or use that money to stay at better lodging or eat at better restaurants.
Also, the small ski resort is more numerous than the large destination class ski resort so they are likely closer to you than the destination resort. This is especially true for those of us in outside of the mountain states (They Rocky and Adirondack Mountains). Closer means less time to get too and from the resort and of course that typically translates into less consumption of precious money and vacation.
Ski Smaller — The Little Hill That Can!
Yes, her and her family did much ski traveling and she and her mother moved to Vail so she could learn to ski and race, but the fact remains she got her first tastes of skiing at the local ski resort.
In fact, there are many people involved with the ski industry who got their start at the small ski resorts many of which are now closed.
The resort I spend most of my time and ski money at is also home to a real live Olympian (albeit a snowboard-cross athlete) and that would be Nick Baumgartner and Ski Brule (vertical 500 feet and 150 acres). It isn’t the size of the resort that matters but the size of athlete’s heart!
Ski Smaller — The Struggle
Small ski resorts struggle for survival. Unfortunately, it is getting harder as skiing can be a hard sell (at first). People are cozy indoors and why risk injury when you can get near the same thrills on a video game or at the local arcade with its ski simulator? It’s cold out there!
Ski Smaller — Sometimes the Mountain is Incidental!
Ski Smaller — The 2015-2016 Ski Season Pledge
Repeat after me please:
I <state your name> do solemnly pledge that I will not turn my nose up when invited to <ski or snowboard as applies to you> at a small snow resort. I do hereby acknowledge the joy of <skiing or snowboarding as applies to you> is only partly found in <skiing or snowboarding as applies to you> and consists also of being with my friends, family, and others who share the joy of being outdoors together and that can be found at a small resort as it can be at a large resort. I do hereby solemnly declare I will <ski or snowboard as applies to you> at all resorts regardless of the vertical or acreage.
Ski Smaller — Obligatory Call to Action!
NOW GO AND SKI SMALLER OR SIT ON YOUR COUCH!
The list of olympic snowboarders that hail from tiny hills is probably pretty impressive, Danny Davis from Alpine Valley MI and Louie Vito from Ohio (BMBW or Mad River, I can’t remember which) just to name a few!
Dave, thanks for commenting and snowboarding probably has an edge over skiing when it comes to skiing when it comes to being able to grow world talent at small resorts.
In the case of Louie Vito, he came from Mad River.
In theory, we could see some skiers come from small areas, too, given that skiing as a freestyle side, too, and you don’t need a large vertical drop to have freestyle terrain.