PRESIDENT’S UPDATE
January 2020
Did you know the 2018-2019 ski season was the fourth most successful on record for U.S. skier visits and the best ever for number of U.S. participants? In the Early Winter 2019 NSAA Journal, Lucy Harbor and Dave Belin report in their National Demographic Study that over 1 million more U.S. residents skied or boarded in the U.S. last season than did the previous season. In numbers, the 2018—2019 season saw 10.3 million skiers/boarders while the 2017-2018 season had 9.1 million people. This is a significant result, as the growth in skier visits is attributable to the same people skiing more days and to more people skiing overall. These findings are encouraging for the ski industry and are critical to the overall long-term health of the industry.
Of interest is the shift in generational patterns. Harbor and Belin report that while the number of skiers from baby boomers is declining and Generation X is stable, the number of skiing millennials has declined over the past 15 years from about 42% in the 2004-05 season to 26% this past season. Meanwhile, Generation Z (ages 22 and younger), has plateaued over the past six (6) seasons to about 31%. Even though Generation Z is the largest generation skiing, they are no longer replacing the decline seen in the millennial group. This finding stresses the critical need to engage Generation Z in skiing and snowboarding to a greater degree.
I pulled the 2018-2019 season generational percentages from Harbor & Belin’s article and compared it to Crescent Ski Council Racing percentages (thanks to Rich for the racing demographics). Our racing demographics demonstrate Crescent’s Racing program is doing a good job attracting skiers/boarders in the Gen Z category. I hope our Racing Directors and club members will continue to attract this age group. The Youth Recruitment Fund that was established last year is one incentive that may help in this endeavor.
Percent of Skiers/Boarders by Generation
Gen Z (22 & Under) Millennial (23-38) Gen X (39-54) Boomers (55 - 73)
U.S. 31.50% 26.20% 25.90% 15.50%
CSC Racing 35% 12% 25% 28%
The beginning of the 2020 season is off to a great start in Crescent skiing! Many of us enjoyed great conditions and lessons at Steamboat, where we had fresh powder most days. This group closed out Crescent’s 50th anniversary celebration! Appalachian even had good conditions for our racers last weekend.
I hope you are making plans now to attend the Spring Convention April 23-26th. This celebratory gala will have several special events you don’t want to miss!
TREASURER (Marge Lafferty)
I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and time with friends and/or family. Thank you to all the clubs that have submitted their membership dues and rosters. The responses were much better than last year! I’m still waiting on 2 clubs. Please check with your club treasurer and submit your dues if you have not done so to:
Marge Lafferty
Crescent Ski Council Treasurer
[email protected]
PAST PRESIDENT (Pat Harvey)
Election of Officers for the 2020/21 year will be held at the Spring Convention. Please contact me if you are interested in any of the Officer positions. In particular, we are looking for someone to run for Treasurer. We thank Marge Lafferty, our current Treasurer, for all she’s done. Marge has advised she doesn’t want to run again for Treasurer, so please consider submitting your name for that position. A financial background is recommended. Contact me if you are interested. Thank you.
SOCIAL MEDIA (Pat Harvey)
Crescent and Crescent Racing are on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Tag us @crescentski on any of your posts. Tag Crescent Racing (@Crescentskiracing). With all the snow falling this season, it’s been hard to keep up but we’re regularly posting updates. We posted pictures from the December Steamboat trip (and what a trip that was!), and will be adding pictures from the January trip to Sun Peaks and the Spain trip in March. We follow all the Clubs and will be posting pictures from their trips as we see them.
Reminder, Crescent can help you sell your Club’s trips and events. As you start selling your trips for the 2019/20 season, we’d be happy to promote your trips to the other Clubs’ members. If you have a trip you’re trying to fill or an event that you’d like to promote to the other Clubs, please send me an email with the trip information, and we’ll list the trip or event on Crescent’s Facebook page and help you fill any open spots from the Crescent Club members.
Any questions, ideas or suggestions regarding Social Media, please contact me. Keep spreading the word on Crescent’s Social Media pages to your Club members and friends.
CRESCENT 50TH ANNIVERSARY, 2019
Crescent Ski Council was initially formed in February 1969. Our last celebration was held on the Steamboat trip and Olympian Deb Armstrong was there to help us celebrate. Thanks to everyone who was able to join us at our 50th Anniversary events throughout the year. Here’s to another 50 years!!
Happy New Year everyone!!
Pat Harvey
Past President, Social Media Chair
[email protected]
CRESCENT TRIPS (Lisa Beregi)
Steamboat 2019
From the pictures and stories it appears that the 2019 Learn to Ski and Race Camp was a huge success! Three Hundred and Eighteen participants had a fun filled week in Steamboat. Thanks to everyone who participated and those who helped make it happen: Sara Clemons, Cathie Mulgrew and Ron Scott.
Sun Peaks 2020 Ski Week
The first international adventure is just around the corner. One Hundred and Thirteen participants will be traveling to Canada to experience the beautiful ride from Vancouver to Sun Peaks, BC. They will then enjoy all the normal CSC Ski Week activities in the ski-in/ski-out village. Many have already signed up for the First Tracks and Fondue dinner, remember to do so before you travel!
SilverCreek Race Finals
This annual weekend is for all Crescent members, not just those racing. It offers 2 or 3 nights at SilverCreek Lodge at Snowshoe, WV. Waylon Webbon is our coordinator this year, and deposits and club confirmations are due January 6th. That is just around the corner, so make sure your club is set up for this trip, or your racers have lodging for the weekend. All paperwork has been sent to club Trip Officers.
Spain 2020
Registration for the March Spain trip has closed. We will be updating Trip Leaders of any holes/cancellations that will need to be filled. If you happen to have someone interested, please contact Holidaze before saying "no". The pre-trip to Lisbon is sold out. Final balances including day trip option payments are due January 15th.
Lisa Beregi
CSC Trip Chair
[email protected]
CONVENTIONS (Michelle Shuford)
The 2020 Spring Convention will be held April 23-26. All lodging is at Brighton Towers at Kingston Plantation in Myrtle Beach and all rooms are ocean view. Each club needs to have ONE Rooming coordinator with whom your members communicate. Make sure to get your Club’s form in ASAP. Registration forms should be sent to Margaret Crum at the address printed on the forms. Please send any questions to Michelle. The Club Registration Form, Rooming List, and Lodging Information Form are posted on Crescent’s website.
Be sure to email the Committee with theme ideas!
Michelle Shuford
CSC Convention Chair
[email protected]
RACING (Rich Mead)
The race season is in full swing! Appalachian Mountain hosted a Development race December 8 for racers to get in some gate training and for new racers to establish a qualifying handicap. The strong response to this event has led us to offer a second Development race event at Appalachian on February 2. Details are forthcoming and will be sent to all club Racing Directors.
A number of racers spent the week of December 7 – 14 in Steamboat tuning up their technique and tactics, while others stayed closer to home and participated in the Sugar Mountain Race Clinic, Dec. 13-15, to perfect their racing with the help of World Cup and Olympian skier, Andrew Weibrecht. Then it was on to our first race, Dec. 21-22 at Appalachian. Snow conditions and weather were very favorable and we experimented with having the non-racing division gatekeep for the racing division. Wow!! We finished the races in record time and there were abundant positive comments. Definitely an improvement we’ll be looking to implement at future races. And a BIG thank you to the Division 2 race workers who pulled double duty and worked both divisions to cover for Division 1 workers who were unable to attend. Unfortunately, unusually warm temperatures have taken their toll and we were forced to cancel the second race of the season, Jan. 4-5, at Sugar Mountain.
This year, we are working to more prominently feature one of our sponsors at each race. At Appalachian, it was Base Performance supplements, who provided the podium prizes both days. The generosity of our sponsors is greatly appreciated and, in return, it is important that we say “Thank You”. We can extend our thanks through any or all of these methods: by purchasing sponsored products whenever possible, communicating directly our thanks back to the sponsor via emails, and mentioning our appreciation in our social media posts: crescentskiracing on Facebook and Instagram.
Another great sponsor is Point6. For both racers and non-racers alike, they are offering a 25% discount to ALL Crescent Ski Council members and their friends. Use the code “CSC” and receive a 25% discount off internet orders at www.point6.com. Free shipping is offered on all internet orders over $50. The quality, comfort, and fit of Point6 socks is better than what people reported from other wool socks. And Point6 now offers base layers, too.
--Rich
CSC Race Director
[email protected]
MEMBER SERVICES (Ken Lumsden)
From Bruce: Remember to send your Officer/Director/BOD/Rep updates to Bruce McMurray, Database Coordinator, at [email protected]. Please help us keep the Club database up-to-date. Include name, mailing address, phone numbers (home, work, mobile), email address and Board position(s).
From Sue (Website Coordinator): Remember that I can publish any trip vacancies and/or events clubs would like to promote on the website: If you have a trip you’re trying to fill or an event that you’d like to promote to the other Clubs, please let me know at [email protected] and I’ll promote the trip or event on Crescent’s website!
NATIONAL SKI COUNCIL FEDERATION
Crescent is a Charter Member of the National Ski Council Federation (NSCF). There are 29 Member Councils in NSCF across the USA. As a member of Crescent Ski Council, you are also a member of the NSCF. NSCF has some excellent benefits and discounts and more are being added regularly. Please visit the website, www.skifederation.org for member only benefits. The NSCF site allows you to search for all benefits by category so you can find what you are looking for much faster. You must register on NSCF’s website but once you’re signed up, you can take advantage of all the benefits. Please spread the word to your Club members so they too can take advantage of the many benefits that are available to all of you through NSCF.
Make sure also to like and follow the National Ski Council Federation on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Spread the word on NSCF’s Social Media pages to your Club members. Tag NSCF @natlskifed and spread the word on the Federation and its Facebook pages.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST
Please share the monthly President’s Updates with your members, include them in your Club newsletters and/or place them on your Club’s web site. Keep our communication going to our members so they can be informed! If you don’t publish a newsletter, direct your members to Crescent’s website, www.crescentskicouncil.org. The CSC President’s Updates are posted on the website monthly. If your Club sends electronic newsletters and emails to your members, please add me to your e-list and also be sure to send them to Pat Harvey, Social Media Chair. Keep the ideas coming to keep Crescent the BEST Council in the country! New volunteers are always welcome! I would love to hear your suggestions and/or recommendations. Feel free to contact me with your interests or to learn more about your Council.
I hope that each of you enjoyed the Christmas season with family, friends, and loved ones. Blessings to you in the New Year.
Diane
Diane Andrews, President
Crescent Ski Council
3107 Myrtle St.
Edisto Beach, SC 29438
Phone: (706) 306-4631
Email: [email protected]
