Augmented Skiing: a Solution to Limit the Erosion of the Number of Skiers?

Will skiing still be popular in 50 years? While all eyes are on the issue of climate change, the slow erosion in the number of skiers is a growing concern for ski resorts. The challenge is to attract new skiers and retain existing ones for as long as possible. What about the latter?

According to LHM Marketing, winter sports enthusiasts ski an average of 40 years in their lives. While consumption peaks between the ages of 30 and 45, most skiers have already halved their consumption by their sixties. To preserve a market worth 10 billion euros each year, and to make the investments required by competition from foreign resorts profitable, French resorts are working hard to recruit new skiers. These efforts are naturally focused on younger skiers, notably through support for discovery classes. It’s a given that a child who has experienced skiing at an early age will be more likely to return to it as an adult.

Nevertheless, this is a long-term policy that is not yet sufficient to limit the steady erosion in the number of skiers that European ski resorts, and French ones in particular, have been experiencing for over 10 years. The democratization of travel to sunny destinations now puts the mountains in competition with palm trees. And although French ski passes are among the cheapest in the world, the cost of accommodation is becoming a recurring obstacle to skiing. Additionally, there are the 175,000 people injured each year, who often stop or reduce their skiing, and the baby boomers who, after having skied en masse, are gradually beginning to desert the slopes. This erosion becomes a major factor of vulnerability, as it occurs chronologically before the lack of snow.

On these last two points, a new discipline seems set to reverse the trend: augmented skiing.

Indeed, skiing remains the flagship product, as it alone accounts for 70% of winter resort visitor numbers. And while the Cour des Comptes recommended in 2018 that tourist activities be “prudently” diversified towards “older or less sporty” audiences, the ancillary activities offered by tourism professionals are often loss-making or require equipment that is sometimes costly. Fortunately, Laurent Reynaud, Managing Director of Domaine Skiables de France, points out that “ski enthusiasts are practicing longer and in better health.” Augmented skiing will certainly reinforce this trend, even if it is aimed at all age groups.

But what exactly are we talking about?

Augmented skiing consists of skiing with an exoskeleton to assist effort. Still an emerging practice using new, easily accessible technology, it already knows more than 15,000 precursors in France, including amateur skiers and mountain professionals, who use one of the two consumer exoskeletons that exist on the market. Above all, this discipline has seen continuous growth of 75% a year since 2014, growth essentially driven by word-of-mouth according to Gabriel Castelain, Managing Director of Ski-Mojo, the main exoskeleton present on the French market. For those who haven’t tried it yet, using an exoskeleton increases the skier’s endurance, technical performance, and safety, while reducing or eradicating any joint pain. Ultimately, it’s all about increasing the pleasure of skiing. If we look at the rise of the electrically-assisted bicycle, which has put a huge number of cyclists back in the saddle, we can assume that augmented skiing, which provides very similar sensations of ease and pleasure, already has a bright future ahead of it.

More Endurance for Less Trained or More Senior Customers

Lack of physical preparation and age are among the factors reducing the intensity and practice of skiing, down to an average of 4 hours a day compared to 7 hours a few decades ago. And yet, skiing is one of the few sports that can still be enjoyed by the whole family, provided everyone can keep up. By giving the augmented skier a helping hand, the exoskeleton makes it possible not only to ski longer into the day but also into one’s life,” asserts Jean-Marc Glaude, the leading French importer in this field. The sporting dimension of the sport is also preserved, as sports physician Dr. Benoist Janvier confirms: “The effort is still there, but it’s less intense because, in the end, it’s no more and no less than a simulation of weight loss“..

[i] https://www.challenges.fr/entreprise/tourisme/tourisme-les-stations-de-ski-un-business-qui-vieillit-mal_633194

[ii] Ski-Santé DocDuSport 2019 – https://issuu.com/docdusport/docs/magazineentier_ddsskipap

[i] DSF (2020). Indicators and analysis 2020. Domaines Skiables de France and Bilan de la saison 2018/19 by Remontées Mécaniques Suisses

[ii] DSF (2020). Indicators and analysis 2020. Domaines Skiables de France

[i] Ski Debrief 2017 – Union Sport & Cycle

Avoiding Injuries and Bringing Back the Injured:

According to the Mountain Doctors Association, 150,000 to 200,000 skiers are injured each year, representing about 2.5% of the number of skiers. More than a third of these injuries involve knee damage, with the risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears being 3.5 times higher in women over 25 compared to men. In addition to the sometimes significant injuries resulting from these incidents, there is often a latent apprehension that also contributes to the erosion of the number of skiers.

On the prevention side, by delaying fatigue—which predisposes individuals to technical errors, loss of control, and consequently falls (most falls occur at the end of the day or mid-week)—augmented skiing helps reduce the likelihood of injury. And when it’s already too late, or when arthritis makes sports practice difficult, augmented skiing provides a new, simple technological solution to reduce or eradicate residual pain and regain confidence. An example is Armand Marchant, a young Belgian skier who returned to the Top 30 in the World Cup after a serious injury in 2017. He used an exoskeleton during his rehabilitation and continues to use it outside of competitions.

Regarding these two factors, ski areas have the opportunity to retain over 200,000 participants each year and thus put an end to the erosion of the number of skiers. “To become a skier, you need to be introduced by someone,” emphasizes Jean-Pierre Rougeaux, mayor of Valloire and general secretary of the National Association of Mountain Resort Mayors (ANMSM). It is precisely this clientele of ski lovers eager for transmission that Augmented Skiing provides a solution for. Ski resorts also have the opportunity to create a new recreational discipline for customers of all ages seeking novelty and performance in a sector that has not really evolved technologically since the advent of parabolic skis in the 1990s. This is certainly the bet that Alpe d’Huez made last year.

Already the First Augmented Ski Competitions:

Under the sponsorship of Ophélie David (64 podiums in the World Cup, including 26 victories), Alpe d’Huez launched an extraordinary competition last year: the World Championships of Augmented Skiing. With participants from France, Canada, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and even Australia, this event, currently open to all, gathered around fifty participants aged 24 to 81. The 2021 edition had to be canceled, but Ophélie David expects at least twice as many participants in 2022.

[i] Ski-Santé DocDuSport 2019 – https://issuu.com/docdusport/docs/magazineentier_ddsskipap

[ii] Skier Armand Marchant has returned to his highest level thanks to an exoskeleton – France Inter – December 16, 2019 by Laëtitia Bernard