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When do top-level freestyle events make economic sense?
To answer this question, we first need to take a step back:
What snow park products are available today – and for which target groups are they designed?
Want to know more about snow parks?
You can find a good overview in the information catalogue ‘What the hell is a snow park’: |
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Development of snow parks
Personally, I would say that snow parks as we know them today have been around since around 1990, when they were first implemented in Bear Valley. Since then, the world of snow parks has developed along two axes:
1. Professionalisation / competitive sport
Parks became more technically complex and adapted to the increasing skill level of snowboarders and freeskiers. This development has culminated in top-level events such as the Olympic Games, X-Games and World Cups, as well as major media productions (Red Bull & Co.).
2. Public products / guest entertainment
At the same time, more and more products for broad target groups were developed. These are less about ‘freestyle culture’ in the original sense and more about fun, adventure and appeal – ideal for families, children and beginners.
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And this is precisely where the economic core lies: Not every product is suitable for every ski resort.
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The 7 snow park categories according to target groups
About eight years ago, I developed a categorisation system that still works in practice today. The most important figure here is the guest share: approximately how many visitors to a ski resort use this offer?
1. Kids Slopestyle
Mini park for the next Olympic champions 😉
→ Watch the video: Nesselwang
2. Funline
Fun slope for beginners and families with entertainment
3. Attraction Parks
e.g. snow playgrounds such as our Hexagon (also for non-skiers)
→ Watch the video: HeXagon
4. Freeridecross
Fun course for teenagers and adults: steep turns, waves, small jumps (without ‘kindergarten design’)
5. Freestylepark
The classic park since the 90s (various sizes/levels)
6. Media Productions
Top-level features for maximum media output
→ Watch the video: Nines
7. Pro Setups
Top-level snow parks for competitions: World Cups, X-Games, Olympics
→ Watch the video: Slopestyle World Cup - Secret Garden | China
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When is which product worthwhile?
Quite simply put:
The higher the media value, the smaller the target group in the ski resort. The higher the media value, the higher the costs.
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My personal opinion: Products that strike a good balance between guest benefits and marketing value make the most sense. That's precisely why we developed the Freeridecross: suitable for around 50% of guests – and, in terms of communication, a sporty, cool product that guarantees fun.
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Practical example: Pro Setup
One of our customers starts the season very early due to the high altitude. They use the media value of a top-level event to reach guests in snow-free regions – TV, social media, reach. This makes economic sense for them because it perfectly supports brand impact and season start communication.
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Another example A ski resort in an association where budgets are distributed according to visitor numbers. The goal here was to maximise visitor appeal. Products such as Kids Slopestyle and Funline are ideal for this because they reach 30–60% of visitors.
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Conclusion Today, we have a huge range of snow park products. Top-level products are particularly suitable for marketing, media and brand positioning.
However, for most ski resorts, public products such as kids' offers, fun lines and attraction parks are more economically interesting because they increase attractiveness – and thus guest numbers and turnover.
Whether for top-level skiers or children, snow parks are now an integral part of any modern ski resort. |
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Next week, we will address what is perhaps the most important question: Who actually builds these parks? What kind of specialists are they, what training do they receive – and how will the qualifications of snow park staff evolve in the future?
See you next week, Dirk |
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What international winter sports events teach ski resorts: trends, standards and best practices
You can find all newsletters in the series at:
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Imprint
Schneestern GmbH & Co. KG · Werner-von-Siemens-Str. 47 · 87471 Durach Phone: +49 831 960 886 10 · E-Mail: info@schneestern.com |
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