If
the snowsports industry has made skiing and snowboarding irrelevant to
minorities- why should people of color care what happens to the mountain
recreation industry?
How is increased minority participation in snowsports
possible when skiing and snowboarding is so expensive?
What is an ALPINO Snowriding Area?
How can I get involved with ALPINO?
There are lots of
ways. We are always looking for thoughtful, socially conscious volunteers
to assist with our youth groups or forming their own youth groups. Our
only requirement is that your group be predominately “kids of color.”
ALPINO doesn’t discriminate! We think mountain recreation should
be available to ALL kids. We gladly accept in-kind donations of all types
(everything from computer supplies to winter clothing to lift tickets
to vehicles). And, of course, we're always looking for generous individuals
willing to take responsibility for staging a fund raising effort.
Since there is no "silver bullet" answer to
the challenge of creating inclusivity in snow and mountain recreation,
we are broadening our national effort and now seek individuals and groups
interested in creating ALPINO chapters and youth oriented activities in
all parts of the United States- particularly groups located within some
reasonable proximity to mountain areas.
And likewise, if you are an Afro-American, Latino, Asian or Native-American
adult who skis, snowboards, hikes, bikes or recreates in the mountains
in any way- we are creating a national adult database and are eager to
learn of your views on the subject of snowsports and mountain recreation
diversity. We know there are lots of great ideas out there and scores
of new strategic alliances that can be made. Please, let us know who you
are and where you are? We welcome you to email us at alpino@comcast.net
What is ALPINO's mission?
ALPINO
has three major missions:
1.) Creating snow and mountain sports experiences for underserved multicultural
youth. We do this primarily by financially enabling existing youth infrastructure
in communities with significant multicultural populations, to provide
mountain recreation experiences for kids.
2.) Survey research, data analysis, media development and education focused
on making the business and social case for snow and mountain sports diversity.
ALPINO has just been commissioned by the National Ski Areas Association
(NSAA) and the United States Forest Service (USFS) to create the nation’s
first comprehensive reference guide to snowsports and mountain recreation
diversity best practices. That document is expected to be released in
the spring of 2006. In addition, ALPINO has recently “institutionalized”
its educational component and is working with Colorado
Mountain College to now recruit, train and ultimately place minority
snowsports leadership.
3.) Creation of a national network of individuals, corporations and ski/mountain
recreation areas committed to the cause of diversity in snow and mountain
sports.
How
does the ALPINO youth program work?
It's simple. If you
are working with a significantly minority youth group
and want to get them involved in mountain sports, we want to hear from
you. We will work to link your group up with local and regional sponsorship
and assist you in any special requirements you might have in terms of
transportation, equipment, lift tickets, lodging, etc. All we ask is that
your group makes some type of contribution to the mountain/snowsports
experience you are proposing. And you organize your group with the intention
of creating multiple visits. Why, because it takes at least three visits
to create a snowsports participant and that should be the goal of all
who support this initiative. That's it!
We strongly suggest that your "target youth" earn
the opportunity to participate in the mountain experience you and ALPINO
are providing. Click here to see photos
from past events.
How much does ALPINO charge for its services?
All our organizational
services are FREE. That's right, zero, zip, bupkis, nada! However we do
charge minimally for the actual “products” we provide, i.e.
lift tickets, lessons, meal vouchers, etc.
How does ALPINO cover its costs?
ALPINO is a non-profit
organization that relies on donations from Corporate and individual sponsors
who care about inclusivity in snow and mountain sports. Click
here to take action.
I
am interested in forming an ALPINO chapter. How do I do that? What are
the costs and advantages?
Just call us at (303)
534-8800 and tell us a little about yourself and your organization. We
will work with you to identify sponsorship in your area and provide you
with access to our organizing infrastructure, print and on-line services
and help you develop an outreach strategy designed to meet the needs of
your State and or City. There is no cost to form an ALPINO chapter and
association with our effort can usually provide you with preferential
pricing for lift tickets and equipment from ALPINO friendly resorts and
mountain recreation partners. Click here
to contact us.
Why
are America's ski areas such homogeneous places?
ALPINO doesn't think
it's because of racism. But it's true the American ski industry reflects
a national minority participation rate of about 10 percent nationally
adjusted.
The homogeneity of snowsports is also not necessarily tied to the cost
of skiing and snowboarding. In fact, people of color in the United States
now represent $1.6 trillion of spendable income. We believe the lack of
inclusivity we see in snowsports and mountain recreation is mostly due
to a lack of outreach, little to no minority representation in front line
positions (i.e. ski schools, ski patrol, etc), a lack of minority representation
in web sites and collateral materials, and almost no minority representation
in any major administrative position at any one of the Nation's 490 ski
areas. All of the above has contributed to making snowsports largely irrelevant
to people of color.
If the snowsports industry has made skiing and snowboarding
irrelevant to minorities- why should people of color care what happens
to the mountain recreation industry?
Well, the easy answer
is that the mountains are wondrous places and belong to everyone!
And in States where mountain related tourism is a significant industry,
the fact that skier/snowboarder visits have been flat for over 27 years
and are now actually falling, is a potential disaster for the snowsports/mountain
recreation industry and the thousands of people who depend on the tax
revenues and jobs the industry contributes to local and statewide economies.
Regardless of race, color or creed, mountain recreation has the power
to create options for kids, offers extraordinary educational and health
benefits and makes all Americans better stewards of the environment.
Candidly, if we don’t reach out to people of color, when minorities
become the majority in the U.S. - 15-20 years from now-they will be ambivalent
about our national forests and national parks. From our perspective that
would be one of the worst tragedies to ever befall this nation!
How
is increased minority participation in snowsports possible when skiing
and snowboarding is so expensive?
This is the most common
excuse we hear for low minority participation rates at America's ski hills.
Trust us; this is a mostly bogus excuse. An excuse that allows many to
do nothing to make mountain recreation happen for kids of color. Oh, it's
true that a segment of our minority population is economically challenged.
That's why our ALPINO Youth Program concentrates on providing mountain
experiences for low socioeconomic status kids.
But most European Americans are largely unaware of the fact that people
of color in the United States are not all mostly poor and financially
incapable of recreating in the mountains; in fact minority spendable income
in the U.S. is now pegged at $1.6 trillion dollars.
The problem for skiing and snowboarding is that most mountain recreation
is a lifestyle that usually begins during one's youth. So if you're a
person of color and have no family member(s) that is involved in mountain
recreation- the mountains' often become irrelevant to your experience,
and so you're more likely to spend your dollars on urban based consumer
goods and experiences like sporting events, consumer electronics, automobiles,
theme parks and golf!
Yes, golf. Golf is probably even more expensive than skiing and snowboarding,
yet it has enjoyed a 253 percent increase in growth over the past 25 years
and enjoys significant and rising participation from minority group members.
Snowsports over the same time period has actually lost customers!
But, having said the aforementioned, there is no question that a large
segment of the ski industry has done too good of a job of marketing the
exclusivity of snowsports. What the public needs to understand is that
there are plenty of ski hills throughout the United States who offer substantial
discounts on lift tickets, equipment rental and lessons. As a general
rule, the more your ski hill reflects a fancier base lodge, more high
speed quads and pricey condos- the more likely it is that that ski hill
has had to escalate its prices to cover the costs of those amenities.
However, even upscale ski areas offer season pass deals, etc. which provide
phenomenal savings for snowsports enthusiasts- which can drive down the
daily cost of skiing to less than the price of admission to a movie. And
obviously, we believe skiing and snowboarding is a lot healthier and fulfilling
than watching somebody else have the time of their life
on the silver screen!
So the point is if you really want to cost-effectively participate in
skiing and snowboarding- you just need to be a careful consumer. Isn't
that true for just about anything we buy? Look for deals!
What
is an ALPINO Snowriding Area?
Simply put, it's a
snowriding area that is committed to increasing diversity in snowsports.
That means it has a formal policy of embracing diversity and inclusivity.
It is outreaching to communities of color. It is attempting to hire more
people of color into front line positions and it is working to incorporate
minority images on its web sites and collateral materials.
|
