While doing some research, I found this Case Study Thesis written by Ioana Mihala as part of a Master thesis in Sustainable Development at Uppsala University, Department of Earth Sciences. Submitted in 2019, it's worth a read.
Summary
Climate change is a global threat to which mountain regions are particularly sensitive. The ski industry is, thus, one of the economic sectors needing to address this issue immediately. Studies have mostly focused on the adaptation measures of the ski operators (supply side), not taking into consideration other actors’ initiatives (demand side). This research aims to address this gap, by delving into activist actions by the winter sport community. Through a case study of Protect Our Winters (POW), an environmental group started by a professional snowboarder, the role of ski activism in combating climate change is investigated. Theories of new social movement, identity, and lifestyle sports are used to frame the concept of ski activism and to look into the skiers and snowboarders behind the movement. The results are based on desktop research and empirical data: interviews with active members of POW Austria and participant observations at events and meetings of this same organisation. They show that empirical knowledge of climate change consequences and the concern about the future of lifestyle sports such as skiing and snowboarding can motivate activist behaviour. Furthermore, the variety of outreach tools of an organisation like POW can help raise awareness and inspire to join the ski activist movement.
See below for the link to the complete Case Study:
- https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1366550/FULLTEXT01.pdf