MARKETING
Marketing will bring guests from all over the world to your new rodelbahn. Instagram reels, influencers, Apres Ski events, demo days, The Biggest Luger competition, and more! We’re here to spread the news and make your rodelbahn a success!
Sport rodeling as the key to diversity in ski resorts
Ski resorts in America have created a culture of exclusion by only offering devices that are expensive and very hard to master. This has created a concrete barrier to diversity at resorts for minorities and those with dissabilities. Utah Rodel is working with American resorts to affect diversity through accessibility. The continued lack of diversity, despite the ski industry’s massive attempts to foster it, proves that you can’t have one without the other. Many have pondered whether or not the ski industry really wants diversity as the mountains are already crowded enough and the current demographics seem to value the state of exclusivity. Most resorts lease public lands from the USFS. These contracts clearly state that mountains are a public resource and safe devices that foster inclusivity should not be rejected if they allow accessibility. We are working with resorts on demo days which will allow minorities to come out to the mountain and try sport rodeling for free. Utah Rodel reaches out to minority youth groups, gives free lessons, assists with transportation and helps minority families see that the mountain is a safe place for them to succeed. We also strive to mentor youths who are interested in careers in the ski industry and find ways to help them succeed with education and job opportunities. This commitment to inclusiveness will help minorities succeed and feel welcome at ski resorts. With sport rodeling, we have a tangible way to affect change not only for minorities, but also for people with differing abilities. The recumbent position and options in steering make the sport rodel the perfect device for people that can’t stand on skis. Until now, the only people with differing abilities that had access to the slopes were those who needed to be assisted with special devices. There is a large spectrum of disabilities that you can’t always see, and the rodel meets this need.
Gastro
Sport rodeling is not just an Olympic sport but also a lifestyle in Europe. Your resort can bring that element of the Alps to America with rodelhutts that serve simple elegant fare on the mountain. Let us help you create a unique dining experience by adding a small yurt on your rodelbahn.The Swiss Alps are all about outdoor dining on fluffy sheepskin seats with warm cozy blankets and simple food; cheese bread, cold cured meats and strudel - that’s it! Ideally, you want your guests to feel as if they are sipping wine in Grindelwald while on your rodelbahn.
Aprés Ski Events
Night-rodeling is very popular in Europe. Sport rodels can be adapted for night use with a detachable rechargeable lighting system that makes for a beautiful image coming down the mountain in the dark. Helmets with head lamps pave the way for rodelers to descend safely down the mountain. Let’s not forget the yurt with hot Tyrollean dumpling soup and wine at the top of the mountain. Adding Apres ski activities to your resort will also decrease long lift lines during the day as guests will have an opportunity to take a break for the day and head to the mountain at dusk.
Night rodeling can be achieved via snow cat or lift with a fire pit, s’mores and cocktails at the bottom of the run! Cheers!
Video game night rodeling
You guessed it, Europeans ski resorts have mastered video game night rodeling wherein guests descend the rodelbahn at night while attempting to steer their rodels over a series of neon images projected onto the slopes, gaining points as they go.The music blasts and the energy is high! This type of Apres Ski activity would be a tremendous success in America. Bukovel in the Ukraine allows night rodeling until midnight with Apres ski events at the bottom of the run!
High Speed Dating
European resorts host speed-date rodeling one or two days a week with great enthusiasm.This type of event pulls in tons of single guests from your resort as well as locals! Imagine all the single skiers who will jump at the opportunity to meet a ski bunny on a fun mountain adventure. You can offer drink specials at the bar for the rodelerss and other fun bar events such as Bingo (yes, Bingo is back and the Millenials love it!)
Speed Clock
A must have! Add a giant digital speed clock that tracks riders speeds down your steepest hill on the run! This addition keeps your riders coming back to beat their time. Millennial spend an enormous amount of their lives tracking their own progress and competing with others online, this is your opportunity to make money off of that “need to be seen” mentality. High speeds can be posted on social media daily!
Rodelbahns serve as a signature draw to your resorts. Each resort’s terrain will allow for a completely different guest experience making your rodelbahn a truly unique adventure that will draw in guests from all over the world.
Who wants to rodel?
The aging population of skiers with disposable income and tons of free time.
People with knee injuries that have been excluded from their favorite haunts.
Crying girl/boy friends laying in the snow at the top of the slope.
People with minor disabilities that have been excluded from ski resorts.
Minorities that can’t afford skiing.
People who are bored of skiing and want a new adventure!
Families of all ages.
Foreigners who don’t ski but have money falling out of their pockets…
The ski industry is seeing a steady loss in consistent revenue as the number of new skiers and snowboarders is declining. Millennials, whether they ski or not are taking to the larger more popular ski resorts for their social media street cred and leaving the smaller mom and pop ski resorts struggling for business. Current skiers are aging and will eventually be unable to comfortably hit the slopes.Many families have a yearly tradition of spending a week at their favorite ski resort but statistically, when even one person can no longer ski, those families will take their money from Colorado to the Maldives. This income loss will become more and more tangible as younger generations seek sports that are more accessible, highly social, and incorporate the changing social trends towards inclusivity and demographic equality. Enter the rodel. Rodeling has been an Olympic sport since the 1960’ s and has proven its success at ski resorts all over Europe, Canada and even in the Ukraine. Ski resorts are quickly seeing that adding a new inclusive sport will bring in new user groups and increase revenue.
