U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for December 29

WASHINGTON, Dec. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29: SKIING

Profile America — Thursday, December 29th. Many avid skiers are headed to the slopes these days, eager to try out the new equipment and colorful hats, gloves, and jackets they received for Christmas.  It's the height of the skiing season, and the lodges and ski lifts at resorts are getting crowded. Skiing was introduced to America in the 1840s and '50s by Norwegians and Swedes, who came to the U.S. as part of the Gold Rush. The first Winter Olympics were held in 1924. Today, snow means fun and excitement for nearly 7 million downhill skiers.  Close behind are 6.2 million snowboarding fans. For those more interested in developing stamina, cross-country skiing draws 1.7 million fans.  You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Sources:  Statistical Abstract of the United States 2012, t. 1249

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button). 

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau