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Bode Makes a Splash
By the time you read this, Bode Miller will have won more Olympic medals or not. He’ll be a superhero or a goat, or something in between. But regardless, he has brought more attention to the sport than anyone else in decades. And for that, we thank him.

When Billy Kidd predicted in these pages back in early January that Bode Miller would be the poster child for the Olympics, we never imagined that Bode would make the cover of both Time and Newsweek, create international headlines with interviews on 60 Minutes and in Rolling Stone, and populate the pages of People. In a final sign of pop culture acceptance, Rob Corddry, of The Daily Show, called him “the poster boy of skiing . . . if skiing deserved a poster.”

OK, so not all of the publicity was favorable. Bode caught flak for admitting he had raced while still drunk from partying the night before, and he appeared to accuse Barry Bonds and Lance Armstrong of using performance-enhancing drugs (which in earlier comments he had suggested should be made legal in some cases). But what most Americans remember is that Bode is a likable, outspoken, honest guy. He embodies the independence that Americans prize above all else, which is why the media wave his banner high. We have a president who has admitted to substance abuse, why not a sports hero?


What a Difference a Year Makes
When last year’s snow drought gripped the Northwest, folks just said, “wait until next year.” They were right. Whistler and Mt. Baker set records for monthly snowfall in January; Whistler totaled 185 inches, Baker, about 300 (the area was still adding it all up at press time). Stevens Pass, which was closed for much of the season a year ago, passed the 400-inch mark for the season by early February. In contrast, Southwest areas that had a banner season a year ago have been scratching by this winter; natural snow depths in New Mexico were less than two feet. Only 20 inches of snow had fallen at Arizona Snowbowl and the area had not opened for the season.

Eastern areas endured unseasonable warmth, which created a strange benefit: lake-effect snows continue to peel off the still unfrozen waters of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, piling up snow in New York state and even New England long after the snows usually close down. The lake effect could fuel strong March business as it has in the past. One of the few areas to receive good snowfall was Snowshoe, W. Va., which was ahead of the previous year.


Will NSP Governance Changes Affect Areas?
As the National Ski Patrol (NSP) overhauls its governance and deals with a likely shakeup in its governing board of directors, most areas should see little if any day-to-day change. Which is not to say that the relationship between areas and volunteer patrollers won’t change. The issue of who is liable for the health and actions of NSP patrollers will remain, regardless of how the organization is structured and who is running it. (See Speak-Out, page 8.)

The changes at NSP stem in part from the organization’s attempt to disassociate itself from members and avoid liability for their actions; when the membership realized what was happening, thousands protested. The question is, who provides medical and liability coverage for NSP members? Related to that is another question: are NSP volunteers legally considered employees of ski areas? That determination probably depends on the perks provided to the patrollers and on state law. Many areas already cover their volunteer patrollers under existing insurance policies; if not, they can be covered as additional insureds. While this adds some cost for the ski area, it beats the alternatives.


A Few Winter Trails Lead to Ski Areas
The SnowSports Industries America (SIA) Winter Trails program included more than 100 locations in the U.S. and Canada this year and reached twice as many people as last year. While it offers newcomers to snow sports the opportunity to try snowshoeing and cross-country skiing for free, its real aim is to get people who usually stay indoors in winter to get out and exercise. Only a few Alpine ski resorts take part, but they have seen good traffic. One example: Liberty Mountain Resort, Pa., hosted 300 people of all ages on the designated day, Jan. 7, many of whom were surprised to discover how much snow was there and how close it was to their homes. The area handed out discount passes for its tubing hill to encourage people to return.

Liberty benefited from the promotional efforts of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness, which used the event at Liberty to kick off its 50th anniversary year. That led to a great deal of pre-event media coverage on local TV and radio stations.


Bender Bests Brewster in Bowl Bet
Football fever gripped Seven Springs president and COO Scott Bender as the Pittsburgh Steelers prepared to face the Seattle Seahawks last month. So he challenged Dan Brewster, GM at Snoqualmie, Wash., to a bet: If the Steelers won, Brewster would wear a Steelers’ jersey for a day at the Washington resort, and host Bender for a ski weekend. If the Seahawks won, Bender was to wear a Seattle jersey and host Brewster for a weekend. “Dan was a good sport and graciously accepted the friendly wager even though the Steelers were clearly the chosen ones,” Bender told SAM after the Steelers prevailed. “One can only assume Dan was being a good ski area manager by paying more attention to his numbers and less to the NFL.”


Paying Attention to Women
The ski industry has been talking about making women welcome for decades, but this year, everyone seems to mean it. At the SIA show, companies introduced more women’s gear not just designed for, but designed by, women. Products don’t just have different colors for women, they have different constructions and shapes. And women’s product lines now acknowledge that women don’t plateau at the intermediate level; the gear runs from beginner to expert. Similarly, the two-part, indoor/outdoor women’s session at the NSAA Eastern Winter Show at Killington drew rave reviews (and strong attendance). It was one of the highlights of what many attendees described as an excellent lineup of sessions.


Following Through for Katrina Victims
Ski areas were generous in their support for the victims of Hurricane Katrina last summer, and they have not forgotten them. Especially Breckenridge. The area is hosting three or four groups of 30 kids each from the devastated areas of Louisiana on five-day trips to Colorado. The trips are sponsored by a variety of philanthropic organizations, including a group of former University of Colorado players and coaches. The aim is to provide a positive experience, introduce the kids to skiing and riding and help give them confidence about facing new challenges as part of a community—a skill they will need to rebuild their lives on the Gulf Coast.


Where There’s Smoke, There’s Ire
The anti-smoking movement is gathering steam in ski areas across the country. Eagle County, home to Vail and Beaver Creek, recently banned smoking indoors and out in all unincorporated parts of the county. The ban takes effect Mar. 11 and includes all of Beaver Creek and parts of Vail Mountain. The areas join Black Mountain, Maine, Snowmass, Summit County, Colo. (Keystone, Breckenridge, and Copper Mountain) and Mount Hood Meadows (which bans smoking in liftlines) in stamping out smoking. Some Eagle County locals predict that the ban will deter chain-smoking Europeans from visiting Vail and Beaver Creek; county commissioner Arn Manconi says it reinforces the resorts’ reputation for a healthy lifestyle. Who’s right? Hey, we report, you decide.


SHORTSWINGS
California guv Arnold Schwarzenegger has named Mammoth CEO and president Rusty Gregory to the state tourism board, where he joins Heavenly Valley’s John Wagnon in helping decide how to spend the board’s $25 million budget ($10 million from the state, $15 million from industry) for 2006 . . . Adam Aron announced that he will leave the head position at Vail Resorts this June. No word on replacement, but the job calls for a strong stomach for weather and a helmet for Wall Street. . . You’ll need more than a snorkel here: Tignes, France, has added a new twist to its après-ski scene: ice diving at night in Lake Tignes to a depth of 100 meters. Instructors lead divers along a guideline into what the resort glowingly terms a “parallel universe” . . . Skier rage: 52-year-old Randal Berg is accused of attacking a teenage shred betty at Steamboat after the teen boarded over the skis of the man’s 8-year-old daughter, causing both girls to fall. Police said the man pummeled the girl on her back and head (well, she was wearing a helmet) and yelled profanities; they charged him with third-degree assault and disorderly conduct . . . Out to lunch: doctor Renata Sialdini fell asleep in the woods at Aspen Highlands one afternoon after taking a Tylenol PM to quell her headache, and spent the night on the mountain; her husband didn’t contact police to say his wife was missing until the following morning. Highlands patrol found her shortly after, still asleep; the woman woke up in the hospital, suffering from hypothermia, after being out cold for 19 hours.