Colorado ski industry leaders aim to break barriers from the top down

• Less than 2% of recorded resort visits during the 2018-19 ski season came from Black skiers and snowboarders, according to the National Ski Areas Association.

What's happening: Some of Colorado's biggest industry players have responded to the widespread racial justice movement and committed to making the sport more inclusive.

• Vail Resorts sent a letter to employees in June 2020 titled "We Are Part of the Problem" to acknowledge the "incredibly low" representation of people of color in the industry. Leadership has since outlined a plan to address the issue.
• Aspen Snowmass leaders wrote an open letter titled "We Commit" to publicly stand with the Black community and support the fight for social justice.
• Alterra Mountain Co. pledged in September to dedicate nearly $4 million to expand youth access to the mountains, including lessons, lift tickets, equipment rentals and meal vouchers.

What they're saying: “We see a lot of the large ski organizations and resorts putting out letters [and goals] allying with the BIPOC community, and we appreciate that, and we want to see more,” says Henry Rivers, president of the National Brotherhood of Skiers, referring to people of color.

• "But now it's 2021 — almost 2022 — and I am waiting for the other [shoe] to drop and to see these goals implemented," he tells Axios.

• A first priority should be diversifying the workforce running the resorts, Rivers adds. If guests don't feel welcomed, represented and seen by staff, they'll never come.

The big picture: Equity advocates agree the industry is moving in the right direction overall — but only time will tell if meaningful change makes it to the mountains.

• Vulnerable communities "cannot control this," Rivers says. "It's got to be driven by the snow sports industry."