As 2026 approaches, private ski clubs find themselves at an inflection point—not because of snowfall totals or lift infrastructure, but because the member itself has changed.
Across North America’s leading mountain markets, private ski clubs are confronting the same reality: access alone no longer sustains value. The next era of alpine membership is being defined by usage patterns, retention economics, and year-round relevance.
Board Callout: How Members Actually Use the Club
Member Usage Distribution (Private Alpine Clubs)
Activity Category | % of Total Member Touchpoints |
On-Mountain Skiing | 35–45% |
Clubhouse / Dining / Social | 30–40% |
Family & Kids Programming | 10–15% |
Wellness / Fitness / Events | 10–15% |
Board Insight:
Clubs that invest exclusively in terrain and lift access are under-serving more than half of their actual member interactions.
From Lift Access to Lifestyle Infrastructure
U.S. ski visits now exceed 65 million annually, with over 70% concentrated in the top destination resorts. Congestion is no longer seasonal—it is structural.
Private ski clubs originally emerged as a solution to crowding. In 2026, they must evolve again—this time into lifestyle platforms that support how members live in mountain environments.
Clubs that have expanded:
- Fireside dining
- Flexible social spaces
- Wellness and recovery facilities
- Work-friendly environments
consistently report 15–25% higher engagement and materially stronger retention.
Board Callout: Retention Economics
Average Annual Dues Attrition
Club Type | Annual Attrition |
Winter-Only Ski Clubs | 9–12% |
Hybrid / Four-Season Clubs | 5–7% |
Fully Activated Year-Round Clubs | 3–5% |
Board Insight:
Every percentage point of attrition reduced has a compounding effect on initiation stability, waitlist strength, and long-term capital planning.
The End of the Peak-Season Membership Model
The traditional ski club model relied on a short winter window to justify dues. That model is eroding rapidly.
Contributing factors:
- 30%+ of professionals now work remotely or hybrid
- Second-home owners in mountain towns are extending stays by 20–35% outside winter
- Families are restructuring school and travel calendars around longer seasonal presence
A membership that loses relevance in April increasingly feels incomplete.
Board Callout: Seasonality Risk
Revenue Dependency by Season
Season | Winter-Centric Club | Four-Season Club |
Winter | 65–75% | 45–55% |
Summer | 10–15% | 20–25% |
Shoulder Seasons | 10–15% | 20–30% |
Board Insight:
Over-reliance on winter revenue exposes clubs to weather volatility, staffing instability, and member disengagement.
Market-Specific Reality Check
Mammoth Lakes
- Heavy second-home ownership
- Strong shoulder-season potential (summer, fall)
- Increasing competition from destination-style luxury rentals
Strategic Signal:
Members expect the club to function as a community anchor, not a seasonal amenity.
Lake Tahoe
- Highly fragmented resort landscape
- Traffic and access constraints driving demand for predictability
- Year-round outdoor culture already established
Strategic Signal:
Scarcity and controlled access matter more than terrain expansion.
Park City
- High concentration of full-time and semi-full-time residents
- Remote work normalized
- Strong demand for social, dining, and wellness integration
Strategic Signal:
The clubhouse is becoming more valuable than the chairlift.
Big Sky
- Ultra-high-net-worth membership base
- Strong emphasis on privacy, space, and family
- Longer average length of stay per visit
Strategic Signal:
Membership discipline and cultural stewardship are mission-critical.
Scarcity as a Cultural Strategy
Clubs that expanded aggressively between 2020–2023 are now experiencing:
- Overcrowded social spaces
- Declining satisfaction despite higher revenue
- Erosion of member trust
By contrast, clubs with hard caps and structured guest access report:
- 20–35% higher satisfaction
- Stronger waitlists
- More stable initiation values
Scarcity is no longer a marketing phrase—it is an operational philosophy.
Board Callout: Growth Discipline
Membership Strategy Outcomes
Approach | Short-Term Revenue | Long-Term Stability |
Rapid Expansion | High | Low |
Disciplined Caps | Moderate | High |
Intentional Growth | Strong | Strong |
What Boards Must Decide Before 2026
The most important decisions ahead are not tactical—they are directional.
Boards should ask:
- Are we building for lifetime members or seasonal users?
- Does our facility reflect how members actually spend time?
- Are we protecting culture as intentionally as revenue?
Clubs that answer these questions proactively will enter the next decade with stronger balance sheets, healthier communities, and more resilient membership models.
LOOKING AHEAD
2026 is not a seasonal reset.
It is a strategic launch point.
The private ski clubs that succeed next will not be the ones with the most terrain—but the ones with the clearest identity, the strongest culture, and the discipline to protect both.
The ascent ahead belongs to those willing to rethink the path.
