Which ski magazines are you reading? Which ski magazines are you rating?

A snowHead

The word on the street is that ski magazines are rolling off the presses more out of enthusiasm than profitability. That's not necessarily something new ... over the past quarter century a remarkable number of UK ski titles have appeared, with plenty of casualties.

No single ski magazine has ever really captured the popular spirit, and newstand sales are now remarkably low - 10,000 is a high achievement. The squeeze on distribution and increasing influence of supermarkets - which don't support specialist magazines in the same way as traditional major newsagents - hasn't helped.

Are you reading British ski magazines? Or American/Canadian ski magazines? French/German/other European magazines? Which ones do you currently rate? Do you buy any one title consistently, buy them occasionally, or pick up the freebies?

The most substantial ski mags I've ever seen came out of Japan - huge volumes, with extraordinary depth of content - but that was during the years the sport exploded over there. Don't know what they're like now.

Maybe there's a need for someone to come into the market with a ski magazine of full-blown excellence ... or maybe the internet is taking over?

A snowHead

I read the other place's Ski & Board magazine which I receive as a member, but no others. The Ski & Board seems to have got a lot better recently ... or is that just that it's recent articles have been more appropriate to me? Anybody else agree?

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don't read any, never actually noticed them in the shops.................the shops just seem to be overloaded with magazines aimed at women.

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Never, ever read one - all the information I need is here! snowHead

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Have bought the DM Ski and Board and Fall line Skiing regularly over the past few years.

This year I have only bought a few editions because:

1. I struggle to find them at some of the WS Smiths I used to buy them from (2 out of 3 I used to pop down to buy my fix at don't seem to have them) which means either:

a. Less are being published
b. Selling out almost immediately due to popularity (or low distibution!)
c. WH Smith has cut them where they didn't sell well?

2. I usually get a deja vu sensation reading them now. They seem to follow a formula in terms of articles run and have a high proportion of advertorial from resorts that frankly take up too much of the magazine and tell me the same as last year. I only tend to buy after a browse that confirms there is something that is new - or the masterclass / review sections seem useful. Basically I am only buying them for about 10 pages and the pictures of snow rolling eyes

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I was really irritated by a recent Ski and Board where one of the articles contained some of the text in the accomanying advert almost word for word. I know journalism is often about rehashing press releases, but rehashing your own adverts is ridiculous (this was not in a section marked as advertorial).

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I read fall-line ski magazine. I find it an interesting read on the train to uni in the morning, and the gear reviews are good.

After all it is free

Subsribe to DMS&S and Powder mag from the USA. Difficult to get excited about DMS&S and one of the main reason's i subscribed was for a free Camel Pack that they ran out of so i nver got!

Powder is a great publication with some amazing pics. Even though usa based still quite cheap to get delivered to uk, £14 for a year i think, 6 issues.

Ski and Board has improved vastly in quality in recent years; no doubt a testimony to the editor and his team for constantly publishing articles that have some relevance beyond the technical confines of the sport. There are some really good human interest stories in there, like those which focused upon resistance to the Nazis and Ski-Heroes. The only magazine I really got into, however, was Skiing UK but I suppose, on reflection, that was too specialist and niche. If you wanted to know how the TNT 'cut-throat' design worked (which I did 16 years ago-how sad!) then that was the publication for you.

The Daily Mail Magazine never ceases to amaze me, not only for its sheer blandness but the fact that it sells at all! It is, essentially, a conduit for the advertisers to push their wares.

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I agree with you about Skiing UK, kevin.
It's a very long departed title (can't remember when it closed, must have been late 1980s or so).
It was published from Glasgow and started by a hard-working editor called Ian McMillan. It carried useful articles.
Didn't sell enough copies, though.

Advertorial has always been in ski magazines in various guises. Hacks have always been hosted by tourist offices, but the actual purchase of 'editorial space' by advertisers is a more recent phenomenon (if one bears in mind that the history of British ski publishing is 101 years young).

I think advertorial started to make its presence felt in British ski magazines from the early 1980s onwards.

Not sure which British ski magazine has the least advertorial - could make a useful point of interest!

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agavin, I agree with you entirely, though I still buy Fall-Line, Ski and Board and DMS&S regularly. Probably more from habit than anything else. There's is undoubtedly more interesting stuff to be found on the internet. I have also found that US/Canadian mags like Ski, Skiing and Powder have more original/interesting articles. Most annoying thing about DMS&S is that their resort reviews are lifted from the Where to Ski and Snowboard book, which makes you think, "Can't they be bothered to find their own material? I quite like their gear reviews though. Ski and Board, well, that's seems to be more a "come and join the SCGB excercise" sometimes. I am increasingly seeing articles about how someone had such a wonderful time with a Ski Club rep. Fall Line - good photos and some good articles. Needs more depth I think though, especially in the gear reviews eg. it contains numerous pages every month with exactly the same ski reviews.

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I get DMS&S but wouldn't rate Ski and Board highly too many advertorials.

Coincidently I had a flick through a couple in W H Smiths yesterday - I haven't looked at a ski mag at all for a couple of years. Good piccys in Fall Line, but most content is already covered on the net and in more depth.

They're going to struggle for sure.

You know it makes sense.

Hmm seems to me (other than the pictures in Fall Line which fantastic)... once you've read one season's worth, they are then all the same.

This years' kit is ALWAYS better than last years.

All big resorts are suitable for everyone.

Families should try Bulgaria (again !)

etc etc etc

Skiing UK was a good read ... and it's the last one I bought.....

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I subscribe to DMS&S

I look at a few of the others

they good to read in the bath, something which I cannot do with the internet ( without a complicated mirror set up) Very Happy

A snowHead

I buy DMS&S regularly. I also get Ski and Board but generally I find it isn't worth the time spent reading it.

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I like Dark Summer...no further comment.

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I think S&B has improved because the editor takes some note of members' comments in the SCGB forum. I don't agree that each year is the same as the previous year, either. For example, the recent article about the wartime in the Alps was fascinating - if sad. S&B has a small team, but a great editor - makes for a great read.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

After seeing one of the "Powder" pix on here, I subscribed. Rather disappointed by the number of ads and lack of substance. I believe "Freeze" to be better and might brand-switch.

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Nick Zotov, it was the article in S&B on WWI in the Dolomites recently that caught my attention. Having skied the Lagazuoi (famous for its frozen waterfalls) I could really appreciate the hardship endured by the troops there: you can still see all the holes in the rocks where the caves were excavated by the troops high up in the mountains, some so high you could only wonder how they managed it with their limited equipment. Sorry, got carried away there!' wink

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Increase in influence of Supermarkets hasn't really affected the action sports sector of magazine publishing, there is enormous market share in WHS, WHS Travel (airports and stations) and to a lesser extent independent newsagents. If you go into a reasonable WHS you can find a number of action sports titles including six or seven about snow sports. If they are not on sale it is usually down to poor merchandising in store I'm afraid.

The fundamental problem with sports magazines is that they fail to capture the feeling and emotion of participatory sports. Even huge spectator sports fail to generate big magazine sales, since the experience of reading a magazine just doesn't stack up. Even the most popular participatory sport in the UK (angling) produces low levels of magazine sales and football really struggles.

A sport such as skiing or snowboarding does lend itself to excellent photography but I tend to find that the majority of the content is not relevant (as opposed to irrelevant) i.e. if I don't intend to visit Park City, a review of Park City is a limited interest. A review of clothing is of limited interest since I already have it. Technique sections are great if I have regular snow access, which I don't.

They are driven by a high ratio of ad revenue:circulation revenue, since people really don't buy them that regularly. Total average circulation of DMS&S Mag is 14,573 of which 2,000 are given away free or sold in bulk.

After all it is free

Nice post flicksta

flicksta, although a lot of that strikes a chord - and you make interesting points - that figure of 14,573 represents a slump in sales compared to what DMS&S was doing in the late 80s (from memory, 20,000 to 22,000).

Even the Ski Club's magazine (then called 'Ski Survey') was doing over 12,000 on the stands in addition to its member distribution at around that time.

So, something's really knocked things for six, considering the growth in the ski population since that time. Do people actually go into Smith's enough? They spend their time in Tesco, where I've not seen a ski magazine for ages.

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Tesco's market share of magazine sales has grown from 10% in 1998 to 16% in 2005, and Grocery retailers in general have captured market share of 50% from 35% over the same period. WHS are a struggling retailer but men (the dominant purchaser of sports titles) still shop there.

Last info I have for DMS (without the snowboard bit) is 1996 sale of 28k, dropping slightly over the next two years then falling from 20k in 2000 to the current 14.5k. I would suggest this is down to three things, increased magazine competition, growth in snowboarding and advent of ski content on the internet. Furthermore, Ski magazines were vehicles for holiday sales, which again the internet has damaged. Magazine sales were also very healthy in the late 80s due to high consumer confidence and income plus there were less ways to spend your money (i.e. phones, multi channel tv etc didn't proliferate as they do now).

Ski survey sold 19,675 in 1996 and funnily enough sells 21k now (as Ski and Board), although I don't have time to examine their circulation to see how they have done it. Over the same period, Angling Times has fallen from 90k to 65k, although Angling is still popular.

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Probably not falling any faster than newspaper circulation?

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Fall line for me. Pick up other mags in the shops but Fall line's the only one I subscribe to. Keep all the old back issues and always go back to old articles so end up reading each magizine a couple of times over. Find it good as it's not full of chalet adds (no offence intended to chalet owners). Just a mag about skiing plain and simple.

Have a great weekend ya all.

Falline and The DM mag....but only if they feature new kit or a resort I am interested in..
Not as keen on them as I used to be

You know it makes sense.

DavidS,

It depends on how you look at it, not really apples with apples. Very few newspapers turn a decent profit as much money is turned into maintaining circulation levels through unstainable means (hence the current fad of free DVD's). As a guide, the Telegraph sold 1.039m in 2000 and sold 917k on Jan 06 a drop of 12%. DMS&S has dropped 25% over the same period. Still, apples and oranges.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I bought one copy of Ski & Board last season: never again. The articles didn't seem to have too much substance. Maybe I got a dud copy wink

I'm actually ashamed that I even think of buying DMS&S but I do because it has things related to skiing in it. The only decent bits are the ski tests as they have such a wide range of testers.

Fall Line is definitely stands out: stunning photography and not just a rehash of library photos. The articles are different (Alaskan glaciers, Norwegian wilderness, North Pole, that sort of thing). The gear tests are superb and they tend to have a wide range of kit and not just that which can be found in any S&R or EB. Plus it always looks good; really good.

A snowHead

DMSS early season mainly because I'm a sucker and have forgotten how bad it is. Dark Summer is the best value obviously and most interactive, Fall-line pretty good for a major but a bit samey - every year the same type of features. Whitelines snowboard mag a shining example to them all - amusing, thick on content and with top quality DVD freebies.

The other free sheets are just ad brochures.

A snowHead

Hmm - I do have a vested interest in this thread, in that I own a ski and a snowboard mag.
It does cost a lot to play on the newsstand, however it is increasing for us as we target the areas where we get sales. If people do want the mags they can either order them or subscribe...

I previously worked in specialist magazines covering motoring, motorcycles, angling, horse riding, fishkeeping, golf and a couple of other things (not porn - yet), and a lot of what makes a magazine essential is down to the activity itself. Mountain biking and golf can be done year-round, though there are prime times, and they can be done locally in the UK. There is a constant need for information. Skiing and snowboarding, despite the massive numbers, are essentially holiday activities for most people. I know there will only ever be a fraction of the UK's snowsport population who care enough about the sport to seek information other than that you can get from a brochure. But that fraction makes the decisions for groups, so their value is greater to holiday companies, gear manufacturers etc.

We have to take a stance with advertising - unlike my previous company, where the newsstand revenue was truly vast, the smaller numbers of readers mean advertisers are essential. Fall-Line and Document doesn't do advertorial - other mags do it so we leave them to it. As a result, we tend to write about the places we think are worth going to. This then (sometimes) brings in advertising on the back of it. We have very little travel advertising compared with other mags.
With gear, we test up to 30 items for any one review. There is rarely space for any more than 12 reviews in an issue, so we simply review the best stuff. If a company advertises, we will test their kit. Iff it's rubbish, we do them the service of letting them know that it won't be going in the test. Same with the skis (and boards) - we tested about 350 models and trimmed them down to 100.
So yes, we are influenced by advertising but we do our humble best to cover ourselves by over-testing and picking the best stuff. I know it makes for a samey test in terms of everything seems to score highly, but it does generally mean that if it's in the mag, it's OK.
With the ski test, the repetition is because relatively few people buy every issue. I know keen readers find the pages dull, but we stuck in an extra 16 pages per issue this year to sort of make up for it.
Anyhow, thanks for those who made kind comments and also to those who make relevant ones - our magazines (and websites) are constantly changing and this is where we find inspiration to do that.

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I read them all, courtesy of the free lending library at W H Smith's Holborn Circus branch.

I do not rate any of them. The ski magazines are usually on display at foot level, next to the diving magazines - which are usually better. At chest level, there are a reasonable selection of golf magazines. I have been known to buy a golf magazine on occasion.

A particularly useless ski magazine is the one that reviews ski resorts. There are plenty of books that do that better. Why would you buy a magazine instead ?

Further into the shop are hi fi mags, with car mags right down the end.

Snow and Rock and Blacks are couple of minutes away from this branch of Smiths. So you can read about stuff and then go look at it in the shops .......and probably buy it elsewhere.

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fallliner, is Fall Line associated with any other magazines (other than Document)? The reason I ask is that a mate of mine buys a Swiss mag with a very similar name, typeface, articles and Freebies! Freebies are always good: something that DMS&S never seems to do for some reason. I guess having different contributing writers rather than the same team for each issue leads to variability in the articles

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fallliner, I just feel sorry for the editorial team, having to churn out repetitive content. this isn't a criticism, I'm in the industry as well and know the score. Plenty of magazines have transient readership and low loyalty.

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I subscribe to Fall Line and Powder, and tend to read DMSS for no other reason than I'm a snow junkie and need a regular fix snowHead

Both Fall Line and Powder are good in their own way, and generally keep free of the samey resort reviews that DMSS has. I only buy S&B if I'm killing time at Victoria and am desperate for something to read -- there's the occasional interesting article but the style just doesn't appeal. Personally I'd love to see more technical articles in sliing magazines but I suspect that that would be a minority view.

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Read Daily Mail Ski Mag, Fall Line and BSC member so get that mag Free.

Maybe the lack of interest is due to the fact that only major newsagents such as WH Smith stock them and they are only out for about 5/6 month in the year.

Sad sales figures based upon the fact that 1.25 million Brits will take ski holidays this winter.

After all it is free

Just for the sake of accuracy...

Only 3 wintersports mags subject themselves to an ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulations) audit (figures approx, average per issue):

Snow Magazine = 33,700
Ski & Board = 21,000
DMS&S = 14,500

All copies of Snow go out free, vast majority of S&B go by post to members and DMS&S have bulk distribution deals in place. Very few actually get sold at £3.50 via WHS or wherever.

ALL the other mags are unaudited. I suspect they are unaudited because their actual sales figures don't make very good reading as far as an advertiser is concerned. Fact is, there are very few ski or board mags actually sold and the future is bleak unless they go for a free distribution business model and look very hard at their online presence. They won't all be around next season.

I used too buy DMS&S and look at Ski & board at the newsagents but over the years got bored of both due to them having the same info each year with more advertising than ski facts

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As with all others, the reason I don't buy anymore is the advertorials. Whitelines used to do 2 hours for price of 1 at MK for anyone going there regularly.

Help!!

Which ski magazines are you reading? Which ski magazines are you rating?

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