PARK CITY, Utah — October 7, 2026 — Almost 32 million Americans took part in snowsports during the 2025-26 winter season, according to the 2025-26 Participation Study recently released by Snowsports Industries America (SIA). That is about three percent more than last season and the highest total in six seasons, even though snow conditions were mixed across the country.
For most winter sports, participation jumped after the pandemic, when Americans took up outdoor winter recreation for the first time, engaged in a new and different winter sport, or came back to a sport after having taken time off. For winter sports as a whole, that interest has kept growing season after season specifically driven by sledding, snowshoe and nordic. Participants rose from 30.97 million in 2024-25 to 31.96 million this year. The share of Americans aged six and older who take part reached 10.3%, up from 10.0%. That means snowsports are growing faster than the U.S. population, not just keeping up with it.
Snowboarding leads the gains
In the 25-26 season, Snowboarding is the main story of the season. The sport grew about nine percent to 10.6 million participants, up from 9.7 million the season before. It has grown in seven of the past eight seasons, up from 7.1 million in 2017-18. There are nearly 30% more snowboard participants in 2025–26 than there were in 2021–22.
That growth comes from both new and returning riders. Some are trying the sport for the first time. Others are coming back after a season or more away. Together, they numbered 4.2 million this season, far more than the 3.3 million who lapsed.
SIA’s analysis points to two reasons for the growth: who is snowboarding, and how many people want to.
The first is age. Snowboarding has 20% fewer participants than alpine skiing, yet it has almost as many participants under 25: 5.3 million, compared with 5.5 million skiers. Snowboarding is also becoming more diverse. Hispanic participation rose for the third straight season to 2.2 million, up from 1.8 million in 2023-24. As SIA notes, younger generations in the U.S. are more diverse overall, so the sport is growing along with the audiences that will shape snowsports for decades. In fact, one in four female snowboarders is now Hispanic.
The second is interest. Snowboarding is often the way people first get into winter sports. Twenty-nine percent of all winter sport participants say it was their first winter sport, compared with 16% of alpine skiers who say skiing was theirs. Among people who didn’t participate this year, more say they will “definitely” snowboard next winter (1.8%) than say the same about skiing (1.1%).
“Americans kept coming back to winter this season, even when the snow didn’t cooperate,” said Nick Sargent, president and CEO of Snowsports Industries America. “Snowboarding’s growth, especially among younger and more diverse participants, shows where the next generation of snowsports is coming from. Our industry’s job now is to continue to grow the pipeline of new participants, and to expand the key learnings from snowboard in effort to build a similar pipeline for skiing ”
Skiing holds steady
Alpine skiing tells a different story. Participation was flat at about 13.2 million, roughly where it has been for four seasons and still below its 2018-19 peak of 14.9 million. The number of new and returning skiers (6.0 million) matched the number who lapsed (6.0 million). And while it may look like skiing is flat, it is actually losing ground as it is not keeping pace with population growth. The question for skiing is where its next generation will come from. First-time skiers have declined year over year the past 4 or 5 years, and the sport skews older: 1.9 million skiers are 55 or older, compared with 0.3 million snowboarders. As older skiers age out, skiing needs a steady flow of new and diverse participants to hold its ground.
Fewer days on the snow, but people found a way
Weather shaped how often people went out more than whether they went. Self-reported skiing days fell nearly six percent, and snowboarding days fell nearly three percent. The drop was sharpest in the Mountain region, where the season brought poor snowfall. There, the share of skiers who went seven or more times fell from 45% to 38%. Other regions, many of which had better conditions, saw little change. This is interesting to note that the positive weather conditions did not result in greater frequency.
Many participants adjusted instead of staying home. Outings rose for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, alpine touring and snowboard touring. People sought out good snow where they could find it, sometimes away from the lift line. Off-resort activities such as snowshoeing, sledding and cross-country skiing have grown significantly since the pandemic, which shows how many different ways Americans now spend time outside in winter. It could also indicate more accessible and cost effective ways to participate.
The full 2025-26 Participation Study covers skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, fat-tire biking and touring, with demographics, regional data and crossover activity. SIA members rely on this research to make business decisions, and SIA commits significant resources each year to make sure it’s rigorous and accurate. SIA partners with the Physical Activities Council, a partnership of nine major trade associations in US sports, fitness, and leisure activities. 15,000 surveys were carried out with a nationwide sample of individuals and households during late 2025 and the beginning of 2026. The total panel is representative of the US population for people aged six and older and provides a high degree of statistical accuracy. Access to benchmark industry data including participation, winter consumer insights and wholesale sales and orders are some of the most valuable benefits of membership. For more data and insights, contact research@snowsports.org or visit www.snowsports.org.
About Snowsports Industries America (SIA)
Snowsports Industries America (SIA) is the trade association of the winter outdoor industry. Through SIA membership, brands, destinations, retailers, service providers, and nonprofits solve immediate business problems, adapt to business challenges, and grow. SIA spots trends that matter, and resources its membership to be proactive through industry-wide strategies and solutions built to ensure the winter outdoors thrives for future generations. Learn more at snowsports.org.
