Industry News
Ski California was selected as the 2023 Best Guest Safety Program award winner by the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) at its National Convention this week for the creation and effective use of its digital Mountain Safety Guide. Ski California, also known as California Ski Industry Association, is a non-profit trade association representing 35 ski resorts in California and Nevada.
Additionally, NSAA selected Palisades Tahoe, a Ski California member resort, for the Best Overall Safety Program for a large resort. This marks only the second time a state association has been honored with a prestigious NSAA safety award; Ski California was first honored in 2018 for the print version of the Mountain Safety Guide.
“It is an honor to be recognized as this year’s NSAA Best Guest Safety Program award winner. Together with our 35 member resorts, we created the digital version of our award-winning Mountain Safety Guide to make safety topics memorable, engaging, and consistent across all of our resorts,” said Michael Reitzell, Ski California president. “Throughout the season, the guide has been a useful tool for our resorts, and an effective way to educate skiers and riders about staying safe and making good decisions on the slopes. We’re also pleased that Palisades Tahoe was recognized for its efforts with their award win.”
In its first season, nearly all of Ski California’s downhill resorts leveraged and promoted the guide through their channels at some point in the season, including integration into websites, blogs, resort apps, social media posts, employee orientations and safety meetings, online ticket and pass sales portals, promotion in high-traffic areas and more. At launch, site traffic exceeded the hosting limit of the server and an upgrade was required to accommodate site visitors. And because of online translation tools, the guide is viewable in languages other than English.
Designed to be relevant to skiers and riders of all experience and ability levels, the Ski California Mountain Safety Guide features the common set of safety guidelines used at member resorts in California and Nevada, including:
-
What to know before you ski & ride
-
Being safe on the slopes: staying in control, avoiding collisions, riding lifts, and more
-
Snow safety, including deep snow and avalanche awareness
-
NSAA’s recently updated Your Responsibility Code
-
Ski California member resorts’ commitment to safety
Completing the safety quiz at the end of the guide with at least 80% accuracy entered participants for a chance to win one of two 2023-24 unrestricted Ski California Gold Passes. This spring, due to continuous snowfall that extended the winter season for many Ski California member resorts, a robust new prize package was unveiled to encourage skiers and riders to continue to review the guide and take the quiz. Skiers and riders have until July 1, 2023 to review the Mountain Safety Guide, take the quiz and be entered for a chance to win the Ski California prize package that includes Praxis skis or a Jones snowboard, four 2023-24 lift tickets to the Ski California member resort of their choice, Ski California and resort swag, and more.
Ski California, in collaboration with its design partner, MMGY Origin, intends to make the Mountain Safety Guide available for customization by other industry associations.
