A Ski App Challenge is an exciting, interactive competition hosted on a free mobile app by ski resorts or mountain destinations. These challenges invite skiers, snowboarders, and resort guests to compete by completing specific tasks or objectives on the mountain. Whether it's tracking vertical feet, finding hidden checkpoints, or tracking the number of ski days, these challenges add a layer of adventure and friendly competition to your mountain experience.
Ski resort mobile app challenges are a creative way to elevate the guest experience while driving meaningful engagement. By gamifying mountain adventures, resorts can unlock several benefits:
Offer a fun activity for guests: Keep skiers and snowboarders entertained with engaging, interactive challenges.
Increase mobile app downloads: Encourage guests to download your resort's app to join in on the fun.
Drive user account creations: Boost sign-ups as participants register to track their progress and achievements.
Increase guest engagement and loyalty: Keep visitors coming back for more as they aim to climb leaderboards or complete tasks.
Boost mobile app usage: Encourage frequent app interactions as guests track their scores and participate in new challenges.
Mobile app challenges provide ski and mountain resorts with unique opportunities to engage guests and boost business in ways that traditional marketing can't achieve:
Ski resorts can design creative and engaging mobile app challenges to keep guests entertained and connected throughout the season. Here are four popular types:
Encourage guests to aim for the top spot by tracking key statistics, such as:
Reward skiers and riders for reaching impressive achievements, such as:
Tap into guests’ creativity and social sharing with photography-based competitions:
Motivate guests to chase both frequency and distance-based milestones:
Launching a ski app challenge is a great way to drive engagement and foster a sense of community at your resort. Resorts that work with Spotlio have a dedicated team member to walk them through the process and steps, but if you’re here as a guest, here’s a step-by-step guide to ensure a smooth and successful launch:
Start by deciding what you hope to achieve with your ski app challenge. Do you want to increase app downloads, boost repeat visits, or encourage guests to explore new trails? Having clear objectives will help guide the type of challenge you create.
Select a challenge type (e.g., Top Statistic, Milestone, Photo) that aligns with your goals. For example, a "Most Visits" challenge is perfect if you want to reward frequent visitors. If your goal is to encourage exploration, try a "Track the Most Trails" challenge.
Clearly define the rules, time frames, and any prizes for the challenges. Will it be a season-long challenge or one limited to a few weeks? Will there be weekly, monthly, or grand prizes? Setting deadlines will create excitement and a sense of urgency.
Use multiple channels to spread the word:
Promote the app’s features, such as tracking stats and participating in challenges directly through the app, to make it easy for users to join. Offer prizes or recognition for participation to ensure broad engagement.
As the challenge progresses, keep track of participation and feedback. Is it going as planned? Are there any adjustments needed to make the challenge more engaging or accessible? Regularly update participants with leaderboards, progress, and upcoming challenges.
At the end of the challenge, recognize the winners with social media shoutouts, in-app recognition, and exciting prizes. This not only rewards the top participants but also encourages others to join in future challenges.
To successfully launch a ski app challenge at your mountain resort, ensure you gather and organize the following key details:
Specify the type of challenge you want to run (e.g., Top Statistic, Milestone, Photo). Then, define whether it’s based on visits, mileage, photos, or a combination.
For milestone challenges, clearly outline the goals to be reached. This can include:
Define what activities are eligible for the challenge. Will it include all winter sports (e.g., skimo, snowboarding, snowshoeing), or will it be restricted to specific ones like skiing and snowboarding?
Decide how many winners will be selected and outline the prizes. Will it be one grand prize, or multiple categories (e.g., 1st, 2nd, 3rd place)? Consider prizes such as lift tickets, resort swag, or exclusive experiences.
Set clear start and end dates for the challenge. This will create a sense of urgency and allow guests to plan their participation.
Provide a high-quality image for the challenge’s visual design. This image should capture the essence of the challenge and align with your resort's branding.
If you want to add unique, branded content or specific instructions for the challenge, provide custom text that will appear in the challenge description within the app. This could include special rules, unique themes, or an exciting call to action.
Launch a challenge that will attract as many people as possible (for example, choosing the “skiing” activity rather than “telemark skiing”).
2. Avoid Especially Demanding ChallengesIf the skiers consider the goal reachable, the number of participants will grow. The more inclusive the challenge, the more participation it will obtain.
3. Offer Attractive Prizes To WinSeason passes, day passes, material from your sponsors such as equipment, etc. Better prizes mean more participants and more social buzz related to the challenge. Offer additional prizes through a drawing amongst all challenge participants → more chances to win & more inclusive.
4. Promote Challenges On Social NetworksMaximize participation in the Challenges by promoting them on your social media. This will ensure you maximize downloads and gain more crucial guest information.
Sierra Nevada Connects And Engages With The Ski Community
A successful case study of challenge generation and participation.
The Spanish ski resort Sierra Nevada is a great example of a successful app and how impactful challenges can be within the app.
Since 2017, Sierra Nevada has used challenges, with more than 10,000 users' participation, to boost the mobile app's use for brand loyalty and customer engagement.
One of the most notable challenges was “Register more than 15 km in one day,” with the winner awarded a 10-day ski pass. Easy challenges are the most successful because skiers of any type or level can participate and feel they can win, not just professionals or season pass holders.
Aramon: More than 50,000 Participants!
Aramon, one of the most iconic ski resorts in the Spanish Pyrenees, uses mobile app challenges to increase engagement among its guests.
Aramon Ski Resort has been promoting challenges in its app since the 2016 - 2017 ski season and has obtained the participation of more than 50,000 users.
If your ski resort doesn’t yet have a mobile app or if your current app needs an upgrade, now is the perfect time to take the leap. A well-designed mobile app isn’t just a tool for providing maps and weather reports—it’s a dynamic platform that can boost guest engagement, drive visits, and build lasting loyalty. By adding features like challenges, guest rewards, and easy access to resort info, you can provide a seamless, interactive experience that keeps skiers and snowboarders coming back season after season.
Spotlio is a trailblazing force in destination digital technology, offering tailor-made solutions — from apps to e-commerce, and almost everything in between — that redefine how travelers interact with resorts, parks, and attractions. With a decade-long legacy of excellence, Spotlio empowers clients with innovative white-label digital solutions and pricing services, fostering connections and enhancing experiences on a global scale. Schedule a demo to learn more.