In addition to the economy, the biggest factor driving declining snowboard sales are participation numbers. We need to figure out innovative ways to get more people on the slopes and a group of dedicated people from around the industry are doing just that. This year SIA will be hosting the National Youth Summit to discuss ways to get 100,000 new youth on-snow annually. The meeting will take place at 8:30 AM on Saturday, January 29.

Here’s a letter from SOS Outreach Executive Director Arn Menconi:

I am requesting your attendance while at SIA in Denver on Saturday, January 30th from 8:30 – 9:30 a.m at the Colorado Convention Center. SIA is holding a National Youth Summit to showcase how manufacturers, retailers, resorts, associations and non-profits are bringing tens of thousands of youth to wintersports each year. We will have leaders from the industry, pros and most importantly youth at this amazing event. Since U.S. Senator Mark Udall from Colorado is the co-chair of the ski caucus and Colorado has 26 ski resorts, he has been invited as our keynote speaker. We have confirmation from Bill Jensen CEO of Intrawest and Past Present of National Ski Areas Association and Mike Carey, Chairman of Snowsports Industry Association and President of Serius. I am hoping this will be a very good Press Conference on how the industry works towards diversifying wintersports and urging greater collaboration to bring growth to our sport.

In addition, we are being given a booth for our collaboration – Recreation Outdoor Initiative (ROI). Whose vision is to bring 100,000 youth per year for 10 years = 1,000,000 by 2020. If you would like to put anything out, we can help. I have attached the MOU that has been signed by most of the non-profits and SIA to see if we can use your name and organization on our press release for the Summit. Also, if you could give us the number of the youth that are introduced to wintersports through your programs, we will advertise it for our announcement.