U.S. skiing experts said higher lift ticket prices and increasing amounts of programs aimed at children are among the most recent changes facing the sport.

Derek Taylor, the editor of Powder magazine, told USA Today that resorts including Aspen and Vail in Colorado have marked up lift-ticket prices that are approaching the $90 per-day mark, USA Today reported.

Kendall Hamilton, editor in chief of Ski magazine, said ski resorts are increasingly looking for ways to attract families with children and accommodate parents.

"A lot of folks give up skiing when they have young kids; resorts are looking to keep skiing hassle-free," he said.

Hamilton cited The Treehouse Kids' Adventure Center, an attraction at Snowmass Mountain in Colorado which is to open this weekend, as an example. The center includes seven themed rooms aimed at different age groups, a climbing wall and a babysitting service.

Taylor said another trend on the rise is the prominence of "a lot of small, independent companies" that offer designer skis. He said some of the companies were started by young skiing pros who cater to the X-Games crowd.

The founders of the companies "couldn't get the skis they wanted (from big brands), so now they're making their own," Taylor said. 
 // Copyright 2007 by United Press International


Publication date: 14 December 2007   

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