realskiers

Yes, the numbers/statistcs absolutely support everything you are saying Phil. The fact that Indies are popping up and surviving or are being acquired (Line by K2, probably no longer considered and Indy but they were) tells you a lot about the industry. I guess any iindsutry where the majority of the particpants are mediocre at best is always ripe for innovation at the equipment level. Golf was stagnant for years until Calloway came a long with the Big Bertha lines and to some degree the meteoric rise in golf WorldWide has been driven by the advances in equipment. The fact that more people can actually get into steep powder and make it down without wiping out multiple times has to be a good thing for the industry. This terrain for years was the domain of the elite.

I still beleive that quality instruction will take people further than a rockered ski, but it requires work, focus and patience. Unfortunately quality instruction is not available everywhere!!