 |
|
|
|
To submit a news item send an email to press@mountainnews.com. The Industry Report is published by Mountain News Corp., which also publishes OnTheSnow.com Editor-In-Chief: - Craig Altschul Executive Editor: - Roger Leo President & Publisher: - Rob Brown Managing Director: - Chad Dyer Advertising Information: - sales@mountainnews.com Subscriptions:
Archives: - September 2009 - August 2009 - July 2009 - June 2009 - May 2009 - April 2009 - March 2009 - February 2009 - January 2009 - December 2008 - November 2008 - October 2008 Recent Posts: |
|
|
« Previous Story | The Industry Report Home Page | Next Story » Freeheel Lessons, Gear for Kids On the RiseBy Mountain News Staff With a high school tele team since 1994, the Colorado Rocky Mountain School, a boarding/day facility 30 minutes from Aspen, has long been the leader in youth telemark instruction. CRMS stood alone until two years ago, when telemark programs for youths aged 5 to 18 began in Steamboat and Vail, Colo. and at Mad River Glen, Vt. The mainly non-competitive programs teach freeheel technique and backcountry skills, and train on local mountains. They are experiencing a windfall of local support -- more kids are registering, and the Alpine coaches view tele classes as cross-training that teach better balance and edge control. The program run by the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club grew from 14 participants to 28 in one season, while Mad River Glen expects enrollment this season to double as well. Telemarking has become "cool" to youth in these communities, says Steamboat coach Aryeh Copa. Several factors are piquing kids' interest. Most notably, kids tele gear wasn't available until 1999, when Garmont introduced the Teledactyl, the first kid-specific boot. K2 followed suit, creating the Small World kids tele ski. Equally important, adds Mad River Glen's Eric Friedman, is a generation of telemarking parents who "have bred," communicating their enthusiasm for the sport to their children. Financially it's not surprising that resorts haven't targeted this demographic. Garmont's Nate Cross says that only 260 pairs of its kids boots have sold in North America since mid-2003. And though owners of some specialty shops say rentals and sales of kids' tele gear have tripled in the past year, most regard it as an amenity rather then a profit center, says Friedman. Still, with pockets of ski town kids embracing the sport, resort and equipment reps are optimistic. "We're not getting rich renting kids' (tele) gear," says Friedman. "But we're building for the future." - by April Darrow « Previous Story | The Industry Report Home Page | Next Story » |
|
