Key Takeaways:
- Snowboarding grew while alpine skiing held flat.
- SIA points to a younger, more diverse rider base behind the growth.
- Overall snowsports participation reached a multi-season high.
Snowboarding participation in the U.S. grew about 9% to 10.6 million in the 2025-26 season, up from 9.7 million the year before, according to the 2025-26 Participation Study from Snowsports Industries America (SIA), the trade association of the winter outdoor industry.
Snowboarding has nearly 30% more participants than it did in 2021-22, and the sport has grown in seven of the past eight seasons. Participation was 7.1 million in 2017-18.
New and Returning Riders Outpace Lapsed Participants
The growth came from both new and returning riders. Together they numbered 4.2 million this season, compared with 3.3 million who lapsed.
A Younger, More Diverse Participant Base
Snowboarding has 20% fewer participants than alpine skiing, yet it has almost as many under the age of 25. The study counts 5.3 million snowboarders in that age group, compared with 5.5 million skiers.
Hispanic participation in snowboarding rose for the third straight season to 2.2 million, up from 1.8 million in 2023-24. One in four female snowboarders is now Hispanic. SIA notes that younger generations in the U.S. are more diverse overall.
Snowboarding as an Entry Point
Snowboarding is often how people first get into winter sports. According to the study, 29% 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 did not participate this year, 1.8% say they will “definitely” snowboard next winter, compared with 1.1% who say the same about skiing.
“Americans kept coming back to winter this season, even when the snow didn’t cooperate,” SIA President and CEO Nick Sargent said in a statement. “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.”
Snowsports Reach Highest Total in Six Seasons
Almost 32 million Americans took part in snowsports in 2025-26, about 3% more than last season and the highest total in six seasons. Participants rose from 30.97 million in 2024-25 to 31.96 million.
The share of Americans aged six and older who take part reached 10.3%, up from 10%. SIA says that means snowsports are growing faster than the U.S. population.
For winter sports as a whole, the growth has been driven by sledding, snowshoeing and Nordic skiing.
Alpine Skiing Holds Flat
Alpine skiing 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. New and returning skiers numbered 6 million, matching the 6 million who lapsed.
SIA’s analysis says skiing is losing ground because it is not keeping pace with population growth. First-time skiers have declined year over year for the past four or five years, and the sport skews older. The study counts 1.9 million skiers aged 55 or older, compared with 0.3 million snowboarders.
Fewer Days on Snow, More Touring
Weather affected how often people went out more than whether they went. Self-reported skiing days fell nearly 6%, and snowboarding days fell nearly 3%.
The drop was sharpest in the Mountain region, where snowfall was poor. 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.
Many participants adjusted rather than staying home. Outings rose for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, alpine touring and snowboard touring. SIA says off-resort activities such as snowshoeing, sledding and cross-country skiing have grown significantly since the pandemic, which may also point to more accessible and cost-effective ways to participate.
SIA partners with the Physical Activities Council, a partnership of nine major trade associations in U.S. sports, fitness and leisure activities. The study is based on 15,000 surveys with a nationwide sample of individuals and households in late 2025 and early 2026. The panel is representative of the U.S. population aged six and older.
The full study covers skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, fat-tire biking and touring, with demographics, regional data and crossover activity. For more data and insights, contact research@snowsports.org or visit snowsports.org.
