Vail Winter Sports
Skiing and Snowboarding in Vail Colorado
Jeep Tours at Glenwood Canyon Resort
For exciting Vail Colorado whitewater rafting adventure, look to Rock Gardens Rafting. On the Colorado River in dramatic Glenwood Canyon, we’re an easy hour drive west of Vail on scenic I-70, right around the corner from historic Glenwood Springs. Call Rock Gardens Rafting toll free 1-800-958-6737 or the local telephone number 970-945-6737. Snow and winter sports tourism is an important component of the world tourism
industry and is a key element for a better quality of life in many countries. Of the
modern winter sports activities, skiing is by far the most popular. In the United
States over five hundred ski resorts were operating in the 2000–2001 season. Skier/snowboarder visits are one of the key performance indicators in the U.S. ski industry.
On a nationwide basis, the number of visits has been relatively flat for the
last two decades, hovering around 54 million. The 2000–2001 season set a new
record with 57.3 million skier visits recorded. A skier/snowboarder visit represents
one person visiting a ski area for all or any part of a day or night and includes fullday,
half-day, night, and complimentary, adult, child, season, and any other ticket
types that gives one the use of an area’s facility.
Snowboarding has been the growth portion of the ski industry, representing over 26 percent of the total visits in 2000–2001. The compound annual rate of growth in snowboarding since the 1994–1995 season has been in the 20 percent range and is now slowing.
Another trend is the emphasis on the multidimensional aspects of the snow resort experience. Today, ski areas appeal to all on-snow participants whether they are downhill skiers, snowboarders, telemarkers, cross-country skiers, snowshoers, or tubers. Vail Resorts has created Adventure Ridge, which is an example of this trend. This facility, located at the top of Vail Mountain, offers snowshoeing, tubing, ice skating, laser tag, snowmobile tours, and four dining experiences until ten o’clock every night.
Over the years, the U.S. ski industry has grown and evolved just like other industries. Consolidations continue to take place, and ski resorts have developed into major destination resorts. Today, four companies have emerged at the forefront to consolidate ski areas under corporate banners. Large operations have become even larger. The resorts now in the hands of the big four—American Skiing Company.
