Fresh from being announced as the World’s Largest Kids Snow Programme, FIS took a moment to speak with Canadian Ski Council President Paul Pinchbeck to get a deeper insight into the Grade 4 & 5 SnowPass. 

How has the season been?

Great,. we had over 60’000 participants and our beginner programme saw good growth as well. Some of the credit can go to the good season we had, but the majority of the credit needs to go to the communication from the participating resorts. 

The Grade 4 & 5 SnowPass has reached some incredible numbers. Can you give us some more insight?

The programme covers two school grades, grade 4 & grade 5. The aim on this was to keep the door to try snow sports open for longer. We are happy to report that for this season we had a retention rate of 78%. 

Looking ahead, what are the plans to expand the programme?

The board has approved the programme to expand to include resort specific offers to the families of children age 11. This means some children in grade 6 will be able to take advantage of the programme. 

Additionally we are now looking into implementing an in school program using the Burton Riglet Parks. The Riglet Parks are an initiative from Burton and can be activated in any school gym. 

Why is it important to engage schools? 

We have so many potential ills in society with school kids not being involved in sports, winter particularly. Research has shown that if children regularly conduct physical activity, their chances of contracting type 2 diabetes is reduced by 80%. (Data obtained from the World Health Organisation)

Finally schools are a key place for Canada’s migrant population to feel welcome. Whilst being an educational place, they are also a hub for social relationships. Sport in schools breaks down barriers, creates a fun atmosphere and allows relationships to grow. 

For the full list of participating resorts, details on how to apply and application forms for the programme, hit this link: https://www.skicanada.org/grade-4-5-snowpass/

Source: fis-ski.com