1. 

*  Total U.S. skier/snowboarder visits are fairly flat. 

      - 50-57 million skier/snowboarder visits for the last 20+ years since 1981.

      - Skier participation declined -40% from 12.4 million participants in 1988 to 7.4 million in 2002. 

      - Meanwhile U.S. population increased by 55 million people +24% from 1980 to 2000.

*  Snowboarding is significant but growth rate is slowing.

      - Snowboarder visits now make up 29% of total area visits for total U.S. but 41% of total area visits for the Pacific West. 

      - The Pacific West with 6 states (AK, AZ, CA, NV, OR, WA) accounts for 1/3 of all of the snowboarder visits in the total U.S. 

      - Snowboarding participation increased +331% from 1.3 million participants in 1988 to 5.6 million in 2002. 

      - Annual snowboard participant growth rate has slowed down in the last 3 years from +31% to +23% to +5% in 2002. 

*  Aging Baby Boomers, emerging Echo Boomers.

      - Average age of total U.S. population has increased from 28 in 1970 to 35 in 2000.

      - Echo Boomers now represent 26% of U.S. population (Baby Boomers are 29%).  By 2010 Echo Boomers will represent 41% of U.S. population.

*  Time poverty.

      - In last two decades the average family is working +19% more hours per year (+576 hours to 3,632 hours) or about 14 extra full-time weeks.  

*  Competitive leisure-time activities have grown substantially in the last two decades (1980-1998).

      - Cruise lines +266%

      - Overseas trips +183%

      - Amusement park attendance +54%

      - Golf rounds played +53%

      - Movie admissions +45%

*  Overweight population.

      - 64% of U.S. adults are overweight or obese. 

      - 31% of U.S. adults (59 million people) are obese.  This has doubled from 15% in the last two decades.

      - 15% of children and teens ages 6-19 (9 million people) are obese.  This has tripled from 5% in 1980.

*  Weather trends.

      - Annual snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere has decreased by 10% since 1966.

      - Nine of the 10 warmest years on record since 1880 have all occurred since 1990.

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