How to keep people skiing in the spring

Hi Everyone,

I just saw a whole bunch of threads about putting away the skis for the
year dated March 25 and before. This time of year, I understand people
putting away the skis and pulling out the bikes, but I often wonder why
people give up so early.

I just finished racing in and helping organize the Colorado
International Spring Series March 26-April 2 and I won't put the skis away
until late May or early June (depending on the snow). To me, spring brings
some of the best skiing of the year and I always look forward to it. Crust
skiing, the last one or two epic backcountry powder days, classic skiing in
the corn in shorts - all of these things are fantastic.

My question is what does it take to introduce people to this and keep
people skiing? One of my friends who is an avid Nordic skier tried crust
skiing for the first time last week. She was absolutely amazed at how much
fun it is "skiing outside of the lines" and was raving about the new
experience. I don't understand how it is possible that a serious skier
could never have done that before.

The day after the Spring Series ended, the skiing and weather were
perfect, but I saw perhaps two people out on the trails.

We're trying to figure out how to lure more people to the Spring Series
next year, but I wonder if we're ever going to be able to pull anyone except
the diehards. I have put together a few crust skiing adventures in April,
but they never draw more than a handful of people.

Comments? Ideas?

Nathan
www.nsavage.com

send us plane tickets.
That'd lure me.
Michigan to Colorado is a long way.
JK



"Comcast" wrote in message
...
Hi Everyone,

I just saw a whole bunch of threads about putting away the skis for the
year dated March 25 and before. This time of year, I understand people
putting away the skis and pulling out the bikes, but I often wonder why
people give up so early.

I just finished racing in and helping organize the Colorado
International Spring Series March 26-April 2 and I won't put the skis away
until late May or early June (depending on the snow). To me, spring
brings some of the best skiing of the year and I always look forward to
it. Crust skiing, the last one or two epic backcountry powder days,
classic skiing in the corn in shorts - all of these things are fantastic.

My question is what does it take to introduce people to this and keep
people skiing? One of my friends who is an avid Nordic skier tried crust
skiing for the first time last week. She was absolutely amazed at how
much fun it is "skiing outside of the lines" and was raving about the new
experience. I don't understand how it is possible that a serious skier
could never have done that before.

The day after the Spring Series ended, the skiing and weather were
perfect, but I saw perhaps two people out on the trails.

We're trying to figure out how to lure more people to the Spring Series
next year, but I wonder if we're ever going to be able to pull anyone
except the diehards. I have put together a few crust skiing adventures in
April, but they never draw more than a handful of people.

Comments? Ideas?

Nathan
www.nsavage.com

On Tue, 12 Apr 2005 22:59:09 -0600, "Comcast"
wrote:

I often wonder why
people give up so early.

1. Tired of driving far to snow.
2. Need to prep for bike racing season

JT

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i only skate ski. i live in sacramento. suggest a place?

Not just crust skiing, but any skiing as it starts to get warmer and
head toward spring. I'd love to still be skiing, but many, if not most
skiers in this country live where the snow disappears earlier than where
they ski and looking at brown lawns doesn't generate a lot of
enthusiasm. The exception seems to be California, where travelling to
snow is SOP. I recall my March-April a few years ago at Garnet Hill in
the Adirondacks, where skiers from the flatlands disappeared even though
there were three 12"-36" storms frome early March to early April.
There's another practical reason: people save money then for fun during
the longer warmer season. How do you overcome that? I suspect it's
really just another aspect of the same problem that has historically
plagued the quality of the USST. For the Spring Series, I would add
that presence of elites in smaller venues usually scares away most of
the rest of us.

Gene


Comcast wrote:

Hi Everyone,

I just saw a whole bunch of threads about putting away the skis for the
year dated March 25 and before. This time of year, I understand people
putting away the skis and pulling out the bikes, but I often wonder why
people give up so early.

I just finished racing in and helping organize the Colorado
International Spring Series March 26-April 2 and I won't put the skis away
until late May or early June (depending on the snow). To me, spring brings
some of the best skiing of the year and I always look forward to it. Crust
skiing, the last one or two epic backcountry powder days, classic skiing in
the corn in shorts - all of these things are fantastic.

My question is what does it take to introduce people to this and keep
people skiing? One of my friends who is an avid Nordic skier tried crust
skiing for the first time last week. She was absolutely amazed at how much
fun it is "skiing outside of the lines" and was raving about the new
experience. I don't understand how it is possible that a serious skier
could never have done that before.

The day after the Spring Series ended, the skiing and weather were
perfect, but I saw perhaps two people out on the trails.

We're trying to figure out how to lure more people to the Spring Series
next year, but I wonder if we're ever going to be able to pull anyone except
the diehards. I have put together a few crust skiing adventures in April,
but they never draw more than a handful of people.

Comments? Ideas?

Nathan
www.nsavage.com

Why do people stop skiing ? Because there's no snow here !

Well to be honest, yesterday I saw a patch of black, salty, gritty
ice/snow underneath a neighbour's tree. If I really wanted to, I could
get my skis out of the garage and shuffle around on that... Nah, maybe not !

Oh, and you forgot to mention the other "benefits" of spring skiing :

- Getting Klistered...
- Wet feet...

Mark


Comcast wrote:
Hi Everyone,

I just saw a whole bunch of threads about putting away the skis for the
year dated March 25 and before. This time of year, I understand people
putting away the skis and pulling out the bikes, but I often wonder why
people give up so early.

I just finished racing in and helping organize the Colorado
International Spring Series March 26-April 2 and I won't put the skis away
until late May or early June (depending on the snow). To me, spring brings
some of the best skiing of the year and I always look forward to it. Crust
skiing, the last one or two epic backcountry powder days, classic skiing in
the corn in shorts - all of these things are fantastic.

My question is what does it take to introduce people to this and keep
people skiing? One of my friends who is an avid Nordic skier tried crust
skiing for the first time last week. She was absolutely amazed at how much
fun it is "skiing outside of the lines" and was raving about the new
experience. I don't understand how it is possible that a serious skier
could never have done that before.

The day after the Spring Series ended, the skiing and weather were
perfect, but I saw perhaps two people out on the trails.

We're trying to figure out how to lure more people to the Spring Series
next year, but I wonder if we're ever going to be able to pull anyone except
the diehards. I have put together a few crust skiing adventures in April,
but they never draw more than a handful of people.

Comments? Ideas?

Nathan
www.nsavage.com

"Comcast" wrote in message
Hi Everyone,

I just saw a whole bunch of threads about putting away the skis for the
year dated March 25 and before. This time of year, I understand people
putting away the skis and pulling out the bikes, but I often wonder why
people give up so early.

Crocuses are in full bloom right now...
This is my 1st visit to RSN in 3 weeks...
I am in summer mood and have put close to a thousand kms on my bike since
the snow disappeared...
I love winter, but when it's over, its over...

BarryT

In article ,
"Comcast" wrote:

Hi Everyone,

I just saw a whole bunch of threads about putting away the skis for the
year dated March 25 and before. This time of year, I understand people
putting away the skis and pulling out the bikes, but I often wonder why
people give up so early.

I just finished racing in and helping organize the Colorado
International Spring Series March 26-April 2 and I won't put the skis away
until late May or early June (depending on the snow). To me, spring brings
some of the best skiing of the year and I always look forward to it. Crust
skiing, the last one or two epic backcountry powder days, classic skiing in
the corn in shorts - all of these things are fantastic.

My question is what does it take to introduce people to this and keep
people skiing? One of my friends who is an avid Nordic skier tried crust
skiing for the first time last week. She was absolutely amazed at how much
fun it is "skiing outside of the lines" and was raving about the new
experience. I don't understand how it is possible that a serious skier
could never have done that before.

The day after the Spring Series ended, the skiing and weather were
perfect, but I saw perhaps two people out on the trails.

We're trying to figure out how to lure more people to the Spring Series
next year, but I wonder if we're ever going to be able to pull anyone except
the diehards. I have put together a few crust skiing adventures in April,
but they never draw more than a handful of people.

Comments? Ideas?

Yes -- ship some of that abundant Colorado snow to muddy New England!
I guarantee that you'll have some takers. :-)

Yup, driving, driving, driving. A weekend of skiing means 8+ hours in
the car. There's tons of snow in the mnts, but I've been away from
home every weekend since T-day so it's time to hang 'em up. Plus, I've
put 25,000 miles on a Subaru that is less than a year old.......

bt

"Comcast" wrote in message
...

We're trying to figure out how to lure more people to the Spring
Series
next year, but I wonder if we're ever going to be able to pull anyone
except
the diehards. I have put together a few crust skiing adventures in April,
but they never draw more than a handful of people.

OK, Nathan. If I drop $350 on airfare, will you take me on a Colorado crust
skiing adventure? The wife has a conference in Denver over the weekend of
May 1, so at least I would have a place to sleep ;-) Seriously, where were
you when I was asking about places to ski near Denver at the end of April?
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/...e6efb35a06e1b4
I'm not going to take my first crust adventu 1)alone 2)in an unfamiliar
place 3)on racing equipment. All the (close to Denver) resorts will be
closed by then.

Oh well, Auburn Ski Club is holding a biathlon this weekend and I'll ski the
crust around Tahoe Donner XC and Tahoe Nordic resorts (both closed, I
believe, but on public land) this weekend and maybe next. Better than a poke
in the eye with a sharp stick, I hope.

Bob