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Ski & Snowboard Rental in the US - Market Research Report (2015-2030)

Jared Ristoff Jared Ristoff New York, United States Last Updated: June 2025 NAICS OD5468

Revenue

$274.8m

2025

$274.8m

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$XX.Xm

Employees

1,229

Businesses

176

Wages

$XX.Xm

Ski & Snowboard Rental in the US industry analysis

The ski and snowboard rental industry is witnessing a significant shift in its consumer base. According to the National Ski Areas Association, the percentage of young participants under 25 has declined from 41.0% in 2014 to 34.0% in 2024, posing a challenge for an industry reliant on this demographic. The rental market is also impacted by the increase in lift ticket prices. This escalating cost is pushing younger skiers and families out of the sport, leading to softer demand for rental shops, particularly from first-time skiers. Rental businesses are having to adapt their offerings, becoming more flexible and appealing to Gen Z and younger millennials via actions such as introducing shorter rental periods, digital booking platforms and discounted packages for students or youth groups. Overall, revenue has grown at a CAGR of 3.6% to $274.8 million through the end of 2025, despite a 2.1% drop in 2025.

Trends and Insights

  • The drop in youth skiers and snowboarders is impacting businesses. Rental shops rely heavily on this demographic and invest in appealing offerings and online platforms to entice younger generations.
  • Skiers and snowboarders under 25 are facing barriers because of rising lift ticket prices, with participation decreasing to 34.0% in 2024. Offering student discounts and early-season deals could incentivise more young people to rent rather than purchase equipment.
  • The Rocky Mountains are the focus for ski rental shops. With long seasons and a high concentration of resorts, these shops can profit from a sizeable customer base for an extended period.
  • Vail Resorts and Alterra's dominance is reshaping the landscape. Independent rental shops are innovating their services and using partnerships to compete with these giants' all-in-one business models.
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 3.6 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $274.8m in 2025.

Trends and Insights

Major resorts and brands struggle to attract and retain younger skiers and snowboarders

  • According to the National Ski Areas Association, in 2024, 34.0% of ski and snowboard participants were under 25, down from 41.0% in 2014. This demographic shift poses a significant challenge for the ski and snowboard rental industry. Rental businesses have traditionally relied on younger and first-time participants, who are less likely to own their own equipment and more likely to rent.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Ski & Snowboard Rental in the US
Revenue (2015-2030)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2025-2030)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Polarization between big resorts and independent mountains will intensify

  • Big resorts like Vail will increasingly cater to higher-income travelers, investing heavily in luxury accommodations, premium amenities and exclusive experiences. These resorts are positioning themselves as elite destinations, with hotel rates during peak periods often exceeding $1,000 a night and a focus on affluent guests seeking luxury and convenience. In contrast, smaller independent mountains will emphasize affordability, local charm and a more accessible, community-driven ski experience.

Biggest companies in the Ski & Snowboard Rental in the US

Company
Market Share (%)
2025
Revenue ($m)
2025
Profit ($m)
2025
Profit Margin (%)
2025
Vail Resorts, Inc.
31.7
3.5
10.9
Black Tie Ski Rentals LLC
N/A
N/A
N/A
Christy Sports LLC
N/A
N/A
N/A

To view the market share and analysis for all 3 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Ski & Snowboard Rental in the US
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Ski-specific equipment rental, Snowboard-specific equipment rental and Accessory rental (e.g. helmets and boots). Ski-specific equipment rental is the largest segment of the Ski & Snowboard Rental in the US.

Trends and Insights

Ski-specific equipment is more likely to be rented to beginners and families

  • Ski equipment rentals include both adult and child skis, as well as ski poles.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

The Ski and Snowboard Rental industry provides ski and snowboard rental services, including accessory rentals, such as helmets. Firms also rent other snow-related sports equipment such as snowshoes. This industry does not manufacture equipment.

What's included in this industry?

Products and services covered in the Ski & Snowboard Rental industry in the United States include Ski-specific equipment rental, Snowboard-specific equipment rental and Accessory rental (e.g. helmets and boots).

Companies

Companies covered in the Ski & Snowboard Rental industry in the United States include Vail Resorts, Inc., Black Tie Ski Rentals LLC and Christy Sports LLC.

Purchase this report to view all 3 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

Related terms covered in the Ski & Snowboard Rental industry in the United States include inbound trips, ski boots and snowboard boots.

Industry Code

NAICS 2017

NAICS 532284 - Ski & Snowboard Rental in the US

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

The drop in youth skiers and snowboarders is impacting businesses. Rental shops rely heavily on this demographic and invest in appealing offerings and online platforms to ent...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Skiers and snowboarders under 25 are facing barriers because of rising lift ticket prices, with participation decreasing to 34.0% in 2024. Offering student discounts and earl...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2025
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2025
  • Major market segmentation in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

The Rocky Mountains are the focus for ski rental shops. With long seasons and a high concentration of resorts, these shops can profit from a sizeable customer base for an ext...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each state
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each state in 2025
  • Number and share of revenue each state accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of wages each state accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of employees in each state in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across North America, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Vail Resorts and Alterra's dominance is reshaping the landscape. Independent rental shops are innovating their services and using partnerships to compete with these giants' a...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

Vail Resorts dominates the ski and snowboard rental industry through its extensive network of resort-owned rental shops. This vertical integration allows Vail to capture more...

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2021 through 2025
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2025
  • Overview of Vail Resorts, Inc.'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of Black Tie Ski Rentals LLC's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of Christy Sports LLC's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Vail Resorts, Inc., and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Black Tie Ski Rentals LLC, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Christy Sports LLC, and factors influencing its performance in the industry

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Economic downturns and shifting consumer preferences toward experiences over ownership impact rental demand. Rental shops that cater to the sharing economy, offer convenient ...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Skewed dependency on snowfall leads to profit volatility. Profit can fluctuate significantly each season, based on weather conditions and snowfall, making revenue and rental ...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Industry Multiples (2018-2023)
  • Industry Tax Structure (2018-2023)
  • Income Statement (2018-2023)
  • Balance Sheet (2018-2023)
  • Liquidity Ratios (2018-2023)
  • Coverage Ratios (2018-2023)
  • Leverage Ratios  (2018-2023)
  • Operating Ratios (2018-2023)
  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Average Wage (2015-2030)
  • Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
  • Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2015-2030)
  • IVA (2015-2030)
  • Establishments (2015-2030)
  • Enterprises (2015-2030)
  • Employment (2015-2030)
  • Exports (2015-2030)
  • Imports (2015-2030)
  • Wages (2015-2030)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Ski & Snowboard Rental industry in the United States in 2025?

The market size of the Ski & Snowboard Rental industry in the United States is $274.8m in 2025.

How many businesses are there in the Ski & Snowboard Rental industry in the United States in 2025?

There are 176 businesses in the Ski & Snowboard Rental industry in the United States, which has declined at a CAGR of 0.8 % between 2020 and 2025.

How may import tariffs affect the Ski & Snowboard Rental industry in the United States?

The Ski & Snowboard Rental industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

How may export tariffs affect the Ski & Snowboard Rental industry in the United States?

The Ski & Snowboard Rental industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

Has the Ski & Snowboard Rental industry in the United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Ski & Snowboard Rental industry in the United States has been growing at a CAGR of 3.6 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Ski & Snowboard Rental industry in the United States over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Ski & Snowboard Rental industry in the United States is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Ski & Snowboard Rental industry in the United States?

The biggest companies operating in the Ski & Snowboard Rental industry in the United States are Vail Resorts, Inc., Black Tie Ski Rentals LLC and Christy Sports LLC

What does the Ski & Snowboard Rental industry in the United States include?

Ski-specific equipment rental and Snowboard-specific equipment rental are part of the Ski & Snowboard Rental industry in the United States.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Ski & Snowboard Rental industry in the United States?

The company holding the most market share in the Ski & Snowboard Rental industry in the United States is Vail Resorts, Inc..

How competitive is the Ski & Snowboard Rental industry in the United States?

The level of competition is moderate and steady in the Ski & Snowboard Rental industry in the United States.

Related Industries

Widen your competitive advantage with related industries

International industries

View all industries in United States

Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in the US include: 

  • US Census Bureau
  • US Bureau of Labor Statistics
  • US International Trade Commission

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

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