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Critical mass is the driving force behind consolidation in many business fields, and so it is within the ski industry. SAM examines the outcomes of critical mass achieved by agglomerates and how it affects the rest of the industry. Sidebar describes the country's six biggest multi-resort groupings. Click here to download the full article. A...

• People

George Gillett discusses his long, slow climb back from bankruptcy and his blazing re-entry into the industry he loves as head of Booth Creek Partners, the newest addition to the select circle of multi-resort groupings. ...

• Finance
• People

The fascinating details, human and financial, of the purchase of S-K-I as revealed in an interview with the man who did the deal, Les Otten of the American Skiing Company. ...

• Lifts

At first they said Breckenridge, Colo., would need two lifts to service two base areas near some lodging. Then ingenuity took over and a Poma-designed lift with a 45-degree angle provided the solution. ...

A historical perspective of the development of high-strength wire rope. ...

At Labrador Mountain, N.Y., they needed a new maintenance building, but even more, they wanted an efficient way to lift wide-track grooming vehicles for repairs. Lif-Tech Equipment rose to the challenge of designing and manufacturing the unique lift. ...

• Resort Development

SAM takes a look at some of the more interesting construction projects around the country: Wildwheels Pier, N.J.; Angel Fire, N.M.; Sunshine Village, Banff, Alberta; Jackson Hole, Wyo. and Purgatory, Colo. ...

To bring the excitement of winter sports to young people, the American Skiing Company enlisted sponsors and created a traveling show that is visiting 30 college campuses in the Northeast this fall. ...

A look at industry events ten years ago, a time that may have signaled the start of the current consolidation fever. ...

• Miscellaneous

A glowing review of Claire Walter's book, Skiing on a Budget, which provides skiers with information on how to save money on every aspect of skiing. ...

• Miscellaneous

A review of the The Unofficial Guide to Skiing in the West, a thorough look at 50 western ski areas written by Lito Tejada-Flores, Peter Shelton, Seth Masia and Bob Sehlinger. ...

• Lifts
• Ski School

Adults as well as children learning to ski use the Magic Carpet ski lift in Greek Peak, N.Y., to ease beginner's apprehension. ...

• Activities
• Consumer Equipment

The competition luge has been modified for general recreational use, becoming yet another option for sliding down a mountain. Two featured here are the LaserLuge and the Hansen luge. ...

Silver Creek, Colo., introduces another way to get down the mountain: the Snowbike. An updated version of the 1960s skibob, this ski/bicycle hybrid is manufactured by Brenter Skibob KG Austria and distributed by Rocky Mountain Snowbikes. ...

• Consumer Equipment
• Rental
• Retail

Now that consumers seem to have enthusiastically accepted the concept of super sidecuts, rental managers need to train staff in this area, specifically regarding length selection, tuning, returns and retail. ...

The Arthur Lakes Library at the Colorado School of Mines received a unique donation of the working library of Chuck Dwyer, former chief ropeway engineer for the Forest Service. The collection is the base of the Information Center for Ropeway Studies, which continues to collect and preserve history and developments in the field of wire rope transpor...

Snowboard clubs are a good way to attract the 13- to 24-year old crowd to your resort. Here's how to find them, create them if necessary and give them what they want. ...

• Summer
• Trail Maintenance

A fall Mountain Bike Trails Workshop at Mount Snow, Vt., discussed building and maintaining trails to avoid potential problems such as soil erosion and wildlife habitat encroachment due to the increasing popularity of off-road biking. ...

• Research

An examination of growth and decline in the number of ski areas since 1955-56, pointing out the industry trend towards consolidation and the disappearance of small ski areas. ...

• Miscellaneous

A listing of products and services and their suppliers within the ski industry. ...

• Miscellaneous

Names, addresses and key contacts for suppliers of products and services to the ski industry. ...

• Miscellaneous

A survey of ski area operators on the impact of consolidation within the industry provided both candid and surprising comments. Click here to download the full article. ...

• Miscellaneous

An optimistic take on the future of the ski industry with an overview of the November issue's focus on consolidation. ...

A call for the ski industry to exert all possible influence on the naming of a replacement for resigning Forest Service Chief Jack Ward Thomas, supporting a candidate with an understanding of the agency's responsibilities for providing recreation. ...

• Miscellaneous

The verdict is in: regardless of how they are sliding down the mountain, people know us as the ski industry, running ski areas. If that designation doesn't bother anyone, why change it? ...

• Miscellaneous

A warm thanks to the town of Ishpeming, Mich., the volunteers and staff of the National Ski Hall of Fame from publisher David Rowan after his induction. ...