2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 38

XXX2020-21 FWSG pages/FINAL.qxp_GUIDE 12/6/20 1:04 PM Page 38

THE SNOWSPORTS INDUSTRY IS EXAMINING ITS DIVERSITY
In the aftermath of racial unrest following the killing of George
Floyd by Minneapolis police and racial unrest, many industries, including the ski and snowboard industry, are looking more closely at their
own diversity and practices. According to preliminary data from the
National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), 88.2% of visitors to U.S. ski
areas during the 2019-2020 season were white - just 1.8% were Black.
Vail Resorts, Alterra Mountain Company, and the National Ski
Areas Association have been in the forefront recently, with statements
regarding the lack of diversity, followed by a promise of plans to develop a better ethnic balance in snowsports.
Rob Katz, the longtime CEO of Vail Resorts, stated:
" While I'm sure most everyone in our industry believes they are tolerant
and welcoming, we need to acknowledge that there are parts of the culture of
our sport that are clearly not inviting, " he wrote in a letter to employees,
while also calling the situation a personal failing. " Maybe the image we
have created of the mountain lifestyle needs to be more varied. Maybe, as a
fairly close-knit and passionate group of skiers and riders, our community
carries a deep, implicit bias. It would not be a stretch to call us a clique. "
Vail Resorts hasn't unveiled a definitive action plan as yet, but
Vail is already host to nearly 4,500 underserved children at its resorts
each year, with plans to expand the program to all 34 of its North
American resorts, according to spokeswoman, Marjory Elwell.
Later, Rusty Gregory, CEO of Alterra Mountain Co., wrote his
own letter to employees on diversity, stating his commitment to action
and asking employees to hold him accountable for following through.
" Merely standing against racism and discrimination does little to create
change " , Gregory wrote. " Talk and intentions are cheap. So, I choose to
act, as an individual and as your CEO. "
Alterra Mountain Company is still working out the details of its
action plan to bring more black skiers to its resorts. The plan will include discounts for minorities and active recruitment of black employees. Also, Alterra was slated to begin unconscious-bias training over
the past summer. This coming winter it will have a program in place
to reach out directly to black communities to invite individuals to Alterra ski areas.
" We've seen very little meaningful change in racial/ethnic demographics
of skiing over the past 10 seasons " , said NSAA spokeswoman Adrienne
Isaacs. " There is opportunity to make snow sports more accessible and more
inclusive. More people should have access to the physical and mental benefits
of winter adventure. "

While the NSAA does not have data on black employment in the
industry, it is believed that there is a significant lack of diversity there
as well.
" Our racial and ethnic diversity in the ski resort industry is extremely
low with both employees and guests " , said Alterra executive vice president
David Perry, who is in charge of building the company's Environmental, Social and Governance Plan.
From within the snowsports industry, a number of reasons have
been identified as contributing to the low participation of black people
and other minorities in snowsports activities:
Skiing is expensive, making it inaccessible to economically disadvantaged communities.
Being in remote locations, snowsports areas are difficult to access
from cities where black communities, and other ethnic minority, communities are located.
Outreach and limited support from the industry are also contributing factors.
Reginald Johnson, east region director and national board
member of the National Brotherhood of Skiers, offered some suggestions as to what the industry might do to increase black participation
in snowsports:
n Ski resorts need to do a better job of targeting advertising toward
minority communities.
n Include people of color in their advertisements and consider
hiring minority-owned advertising firms.
n Proactively work to have more forward-facing black employees,
including ski instructors.
n Do more in terms of donating to minority youth ski programs.
Along the lines of supporting diversity, and remaining supportive
of all ethnic groups, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, a popular Lake
Tahoe ski resort best known for hosting the 1960 Olympics, is considering changing its name in order to disassociate itself with the racist
history of the word " squaw. "
While this topic was visited many years ago, Squaw Valley feels
it is time to visit it again in light of the growing efforts nationally to
remove monuments, names and symbols deemed to have racist pasts.
The resort, which is 45 miles southwest of Reno, plans to invite regional Native American leaders and scholars to provide guidance
about the potential renaming. ss

Communication Award Winners - 2020

by Bill King Awards Chair, FWSA (Class/Catagory / Club Name / Council Name / Webmaster or Editor

COUNCIL
Newsletter - Council
1st Place
BAC
Dennie Warren
2nd Place
NWSCC
Linda McGavin
3rd Place
NBS
Teri Allard &
Todd Hood

Website - Council
1st Place
BAC
Cathy Wilson &
Jenn Wilson
2nd Place
NWSCC
Linda McGavin
3rd Place
SDC
Laura Meldrum &
Alan Godwin

MASTERS

Newsletter - Club
1st Place
Mt. High
Snowsport Club
NWSCC
Emilio Trampuz
2nd Place
Unrecables
LAC
Gordon Cardona

ADVANCED

Website - Club
1st Place
Mt. High
Snowsport Club
NWSCC
Emilio Trampuz
2nd Place
Unrecables
Dee Armstrong

Newsletter - Club
1st Place
US Adaptive
Recreation Center
SDC
Tom Peirce
Website - Club
1st Place
Inskiers Ski &
Snowboard Club
BAC
Bob Burke

38 Far West Skier's Guide 2O2O - 2O21 / Visit the Digital Edition at www.fwsa.org.

NOVICE

Newsletter - Club
1st Place
Don Diego
Ski Club
SDC
Karl Cikste
2nd Place
Castro Valley
Ski Club
BAC
Dennie Warren

http://www.fwsa.org

2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide