Cow-A-Bunga!

Snowboarding is the fastest-growing segment of winter sports. Some details:

While the number of skiers has decreased by 1.7 million, or 13.8 percent, since 1988, snowboarders have increased by 860,000, or 71.6 percent, during the same period.

Snowboarding is a sport dominated by males and getting more so. Last winter, 81.8 percent of its participants were males, a 10 percent increase over the last three winters.

Snowboard sales at major outlets totaled 162,700 last winter, and an estimated 32,000 were sold from small outlets. The equipment is pricey; snowboards range from about $300 to more than $500. However, the average price paid for a board, boots and bindings was $613 last year - down more than $20 from the preceding two years.

Snowboarding is a sport of the young. More than half its participants are 17 or younger, and almost 90 percent are 34 or younger.

Similar to skiing, it’s a sport of well-to-do families. One in four riders comes from households with income exceeding $75,000 a year, and almost half are from households earning $50,000 a year or more.

Two of every five snowboarders live in the Rocky Mountain or Pacific states. Because so many are young, they tend to frequent resorts near their homes and car-pool for one-day outings.

Snowboarders bought 12 percent of all lift tickets sold last winter, up 18 percent from the preceding winter.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Source: National Sporting Goods Association Survey, Ski Industries America Annual Retail Audits.