When you aggregate the things that make up any one skier’s story, you start to find common patterns between these lists.

• They almost all have a favorite run.
• They almost all have a favorite resort.
• There’s a single day that stands out from the 100s of others.
• And there’s always a special place in their heart for the hill where they learned.

In fact, I’ve never heard a skier ever hate the resort that saw them take their first turns. It could have been small, icy, crowded, or flat, and they’d still find a way to smile and be nostalgic as they talk about it.

And that’s exactly why I love Liftopia’s #ilearnedtoski / #learnedtosnowboard campaign.

Where did you learn to ski or ride? Tell us w/ #ilearnedtoski or #ilearnedtosnowboard for the chance 2 win $500! pic.twitter.com/5BwnXqvW69

— Liftopia (@Liftopia) March 14, 2016

After starting last week, it brings together a few, clever elements into a well-designed campaign.

#1) Resurfacing Memories
First, I love the way this campaign gives skiers a reason to resurface these memories and be reminded of how much fun it was “back then” and how far they’ve come.

Like a couple taking a second honeymoon, it helps fan their skiing flame.

#2) Spreads the Realistic Love
Next, the theme of the content that’s being shared (I was a beginner once) is perfect for the audience (family and friends).

They see the emotion behind one of those treasured memories in a context that breaks free from the advanced skier focus we often struggle to get out of.

#3) Perfect Timing
And it does this at near perfect timing. Spring is such an awesome time to learn to ski. The snow is soft and forgiving, ticket prices are often dropped as snow melts, and the days are longer and warmer. I’ve often wondered if we’d be better off moving Learn to Ski and Snowboard month to March.

But I say “near perfect” because I feel like this started just a week or so late this season. Many people learned at small ski areas and last week saw the first, major wave of closing announcements from those areas.

Spread the Love
I would love to see every resort in the country get on board with this campaign and encourage their skiers to share these memories.

Not only will many riders tag your mountain and give you a ton of great photos and stories for your own content efforts, a wave of 10,000 skiers sharing their favorite memories of the sport we love at a time of year that’s perfect for beginners could be a really positive way to end what’s been a tough season for many.

About Gregg & SlopeFillers
I've had more first-time visitors lately, so adding a quick "about" section. I started SlopeFillers in 2010 with the simple goal of sharing great resort marketing strategies. Today I run marketing for resort ecommerce and CRM provider Inntopia, my home mountain is the lovely Nordic Valley, and my favorite marketing campaign remains the Ski Utah TV show that sold me on skiing as a kid in the 90s.