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The number of skiers experiencing this serious injury remains high, but screening, research and a training program are producing favorable results. Substantial studies have been conducted over the years on the causes of ACL injuries. Of recent news is the fact that unstable knees are no more susceptible than the average knee to this type of injury....

• Area Management
• Risk Management

Post-job-offer, pre-employment drug tests are being used at more and more ski areas. This feature discusses which programs are the most effective, which are most accepted by personnel and how best to implement them. Includes a sidebar on alternative testing programs. ...

• Lifts

For passengers' enjoyment of the spectacular glacier scenery in Titlis, Switzerland, the Rotair lift features a revolving cabin floor. The installation has been acclaimed a great success. ...

• Research

A multi-year look at statistics from American Sports Data and the National Sporting Goods Association that uncovers troublesome skier-entry data. Feature includes tables of participation levels and a snapshot of the patterns of change. ...

• People

David Slutzky may inherit the top job at Hunter Mountain, New York, but he has proven his worth with hard work and expertise. He's a mountain manager who gets everything right. An extensive profile of David Slutzky, a longtime asset of this ski resort and the industry. ...

• Cross Country / Snowshoeing
• Rental
• Retail

A look at the latest trend in cross country ski technology: the "short ski." With a standardized short ski that comes in only one length, skis well in most conditions and is much easier for novices to handle, it is no surprise that these new skis are taking rental operations by storm. Includes a table of manufacturers and models with rental operati...

• Racing

A look at the possibilities for direct marketing campaigns on the information highway, which will be capable of searching out target markets of skiers for your area. Includes charts of areas of dominant influence for skiers, existing media, new media participation and available on-line services. ...

No matrix can be designed that will accommodate the complexities and fine print of each insurance program offered by seven major suppliers, but the two tables in this article provide an overview of programs and may help stimulate the right questions. Article also contains brief statements, authored by the insurance providers themselves, about the s...

• Resort Development
• Snowmaking

Sugarbush, Vermont, had eight weeks to do a job that should have required three months. Here's a day-by-day journal of a nerve-wracking snowmaking installation. Feature includes: photos, color site plan, table of specifications and snowmaking statistics. ...

Reviews of five books that represent histories of the sport of skiing: The Winter Sport of Skeeing, From Skisport to Skiing, Lost Sierra-Gold, Ghosts and Skis, Nice Goin'- My Life on Skis, Ski Pioneers ...

• Marketing

A guide for marketing department employees on how to keep their jobs. This piece notes the high rate of turnover in the marketing staff of ski resorts. Some successful marketing leaders share their views on how they have beat the odds. ...

• Racing

A review of five major brainstorming computer software application programs. Although these programs do not think nor have any knowledge on their own, they aid in assembling many bits of information that could potentially be overlooked. Programs reviewed are: Idea Generator, IdeaFischer, Moonlite 2.2, Expert Choice, and Dyno Notepad. Add a c...

Artificial ski surface by Reliable Racing; vehicle lift by Lif-Tech; photo imaging by BSS; power monitors by Innovative Snowmaking Technologies; half-pipe cutter by Kassbohrer; mountain carts by Devalkart; and adjustable speed drives and controls catalog by Fincor. ...

A unique approach to a reconciliation of the snowboarder vs. skier conflict. The author suggests that new generation snowboarders have not earned the right to profit off the blood, sweat and tears laid out by skiers for the resorts they now use and proposes several remedies for the current situation. ...

A call to leaders in the snowboard marketing arena to bring the sport to a mature level, rather than contribute and support decadent attitudes and ideas that do not represent the sport. Includes a short memo by David Rowan on the Burton pornography advertising debacle. ...

• Marketing

An interesting look at how ski areas plan to attend and sell at the consumer ski shows. Approaches range from non-involvement to a full-bore, multi-media campaign directed at soliciting reservations on the spot. Incorpororates a look at the current role being played by the consumer shows. ...

A call to the boards of NSAA, CCSAA, major ski publications and the leaders of U.S. Skiing to reach a consensus on a unified message in lobbying for ski industry needs in Washington, D.C., the same way that no-growth lobbyists have successfully been doing for years. ...

A look at a setback in the ongoing battle over an agreed-upon fee system for ski resorts on Forest Service land. Suggests several general courses of action. ...