Olympic inspiration leads to a boost in beginner skiing and snowboarding enquiries
As the country goes ski and snowboard crazy following the exploits of British athletes in Sochi, the Ski Club of Great Britain say the phones have been buzzing with enquiries from people wanting to try skiing for the first time. The Ski Club’s dedicated team of experts is available to answer any questions new skiers and snowboarders may have; from enquiries about kit, equipment and instruction, to advice on which resorts to choose and skiing with a disability or special need.
In a commitment to help boost participation in snowsports the Club recently introduced Beginner Membership for those new to skiing and snowboarding. The new membership is tailored to complete beginners providing all the information, advice and discounts they need to get started on snow and progress throughout the year.
The recent burst of interest and enthusiasm for wintersports has also been observed by governing body Snowsport England who stated that outdoor ski and snowboard slopes and indoor snow centres have never been busier with people eager to give snowsports a go. Ski Club Beginner Membership complements GO SKI GO BOARD, Snowsport England’s national participation campaign focused on engaging more people in snowsports (goskigoboard.org.uk).
Ski Club of Great Britain Chief Executive, Frank McCusker said: “The phones don’t seem to stop ringing and we’ve observed spikes in visitor numbers to the Ski Club website (skiclub.co.uk), especially around the ‘learn to ski’ and ‘artificial slope’ information and advice pages. The aim of introducing a new membership was to make skiing and snowboarding more accessible for beginners. Market analysis had shown that many were put off by the perceived cost of skiing or they just weren’t very familiar with the sport. Britain’s success and inspirational talent showcased at Sochi has moved wintersports into the spotlight and it’s great to see the associated buzz and lift in participation as people realise it’s not expensive to have a go. Ski Club discounts, dedicated information team and a vibrant community are all here to help maintain interest and involvement in the highly addictive world of snowsports.”
Individual Beginner Membership costs just £23 and allows access to hundreds of Ski Club discounts on holidays, travel, clothing, equipment, instruction and artificial slopes in the UK. Info & advice, resort pages, industry-leading snow reports and Ski Club TV are also valuable online resources at skiclub.co.uk for those just starting out.
Beginner Membership is available for one year. As skiers and snowboarders progress they will be able to upgrade their membership and take advantage of other Ski Club member benefits such as skiing with a Ski Club Leader and going on a Frestracks holiday. Beginner Family Memberships are also available for families learning to ski together.
More information is available at: skiclub.co.uk/beginner.