@JeffSurdej
After reading these posts and searched for AWSA and then found usawaterski.org I can understand why the sport is not growing.
I have worked in the Alpine Snow sports industry for over 30 years and watched snow skiing decline and now recover a lot of ground. Snow skiing in North America has no presence on TV, even with an organized World Cup of events plus Olympics. Racing does not drive the sport here in North America, 95% of skiers can not name one athlete.
20 years ago, skiing was getting killed by snowboarding ( surf / wake) and one look around explained it, all the media showed was middle aged (or older) snow skiers talking about expensive places to ski and buying real estate at ski areas. Youth could not relate and did not care about what their dad's did! Then, twin tip skis, fat skis, young graphics and MOST important the industry started featuring young skiers doing fun crazy things. New media like Freeskier showed young skiers having fun, Youth could now relate and skiing came back and snowboarding is in decline.
Based on what i have seen, AWSA needs to do the following:
1. Update the web site, it is very old looking and boring. Your web site should be the first place skiers and wanna be skiers go, need to constantly update the site and feature young skiers on the site.
2. Focus on Youth, there is still a ton of young people going to cabins, lakes very week in the summer, inspire them to try a New (old) sport!
3. Start a media campaign, show off Collegiate skiing, young people doing the sport at all levels and use social media to showcase the FUN! Video's of Young people doing Fun / crazy stuff. Inspire
4. Show off more then just 3 event skiing, show off barefooting, show off Freestyle skiing
Expensive Big Picture dream ideas:
1. AWSA vans touring to Lakes in the summer offering Learn to ski lessons, staffed by Collegiate skiers for a summer job. Make this fun and go to lakes all across America and get people up on skis!
2. a world class stage for the biggest ski championships, maybe in Orlando area, build site with seating, food service, beer stations and a music stage. Host a big Pro Am there very year and have some good bands play to draw non skiers. Need comfortable seats / bleachers, people will pay but expect to be pampered.
Don't forget the real place to grow is still at lakes / cabins all across the country, build a large network of recreational skiers and the high end skiers will flow from this pool. All those wakeboard / surf boats (10,700 last year new by your numbers) can also pull a skier and get people started.