Snowsports Industries America Issues Inclusion Challenge to the Winter Outdoor Community: We Can and Must Do Better

November 1, 2021

SIA Inclusion Committee Delivers Key Messages for the Industry

Park City, Utah (November 1, 2021) – Snowsports Industries America (SIA) kicks off the 2021/2022 winter season with a commitment to make the industry more inclusive and diverse. Having singled out inclusion as one of the critical components for industry growth, the SIA Inclusion Committee has a message for the winter outdoor community:  We Can Do Better. The Statement is the collective sentiments of the SIA Inclusion Committee, a group of diverse snowsports experts from across the industry.

Founded on the core premise that inclusion and a welcoming environment play a crucial role in the future of the industry, SIA and the committee are challenging the winter outdoor community to include more voices, perspectives, and participants, from the slopes to the sales floor, and from the C-suite to the production line. The nimble and forward-thinking businesses, organizations and individuals who make up both SIA’s members and the all-encompassing winter outdoor community have the ability to make tangible change, and SIA wants to encourage and support them in doing so.

Inclusion means seeking out ways to embrace and incorporate diverse perspectives and peoples across the industry while intentionally reaching out to new, historically underrepresented customers and actively inviting them into the winter outdoor community.

“We all have a responsibility to build a more inclusive winter outdoor community. The time is now to make this a collective priority for our industry,” said Eric Tung, President of Ferastyle, Treasurer of the SIA Board of Directors and SIA Inclusion Committee member. “If we can each bring the same energy and spirit of adventure that we dedicate to winter sports, we are well-equipped to forge a path for the future.”

SIA’s Inclusion Committee, launched in September 2020, was created to help achieve these goals authentically and intentionally. The committee is comprised of 8 members across a range of industry professions, from CEOs to ski instructors and more. Their perspectives and voices serve to assist SIA in setting priorities when it comes to inclusion initiatives as well as support the business imperatives behind inclusion and the winter outdoor community.

SIA and its Inclusion Committee are working hard to make inclusion a cornerstone of the industry by providing key inclusion resources for SIA members, including The Fresh Tracks Playbook (an inclusive leadership training guide for leaders), SIA’s monthly inclusion discussion meet-ups and an extensive list of Town Halls that have gathered more than 2,000 people from across the industry.

SIA invites members, the public and the media to discuss the purpose of the inclusion statement, why it’s needed, and how it will be brought to fruition on Wednesday, November 3 at 12:00 pm MT. The Town Hall will be moderated by Dr. Gerilyn Davis from Inclusion on the Slopes, and joined by Danica Carey and Wendy Carey from Seirus Innovative Accessories; Dani Reyes-Acosta from Nomad Creativa; and Eric Tung from Ferastyle. This Town Hall discussion is free, and those interested in attending can do so by registering here.

For more information about SIA’s inclusion cornerstone, visit: https://snowsports.org/inclusion/

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About SIA

Founded in 1954 and based in Park City, UT, Snowsports Industries America (SIA) is a nonprofit, member-owned trade association representing the winter outdoor community including suppliers, retailers, sales reps, resorts and nonprofits whose mission is to help the winter outdoor community thrive. SIA provides value to its members through continuous education, insightful research, creating a path for an inclusive winter outdoor community, growing participation in winter outdoor sports and developing consumer events (Snowbound Festivals) that drive business, while advocating for pressing issues that face the winter outdoor industry such as climate change and tariffs. We are #UnitedByWinter. For more information and to become a member, visit snowsports.org