VAIL RESORTS TO ACQUIRE PERISHER
Vail Resorts (VR) has agreed to acquire its first international mountain resort, Perisher Ski Resort in New South Wales, Australia, for AU$176.6 million (approximately US$136 million). The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015 following the satisfaction of certain conditions. “The acquisition of our first international mountain resort is a significant milestone for our company,” said Rob Katz, VR chairman and CEO.

Perisher is the largest and most visited ski resort in Australia, with access to the country’s largest cities, including Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra, and Brisbane. Perisher is also the largest ski resort in the Southern Hemisphere.

The acquisition includes the resort areas known as Perisher Valley, Smiggin Holes, Blue Cow, and Guthega, along with the ski school, lodging, food and beverage, retail/rental, and transportation operations, which together comprise Perisher. In all, Perisher includes 3,000 acres of skiable terrain, 47 lifts, seven mountain peaks, five terrain parks, more than 100 groomed trails, night skiing, and more than 100 kilometers of cross-country trails.


POWDR PURCHASES PRODUCTION COMPANY
Powdr Corp. has acquired Human Movement Management (HMM), an active entertainment and event company that produces running races, festivals, triathlons, obstacle races, and outdoor events. Powdr officials say the move helps it further diversify its portfolio and expand its summer activities, events, and other programming at resorts.

“We think it’s really important to diversify what we’re doing and really look at these properties at mountain resorts that can play a lot of different roles and do a lot of different things,” said Wade Martin, president of Powdr Enterprises.

Based in Louisville, Colo., HMM produces more than 100 events in North America annually.


CSU LAUNCHES ONLINE SKI MANAGEMENT CERT
Colorado State University (CSU) has launched an online Ski Area Management Graduate Certificate of Completion program for students and current employees looking to further their careers in the ski industry. University officials said the curriculum was developed with input from ski area managers.

The program is designed to help prepare students to make strategic management decisions, assess the impact of policy on ski areas, make informed capital budgeting decisions, improve managerial and operational efficiency and effectiveness, and employ sound financial practices.


B.C. DEVELOPS CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION PLAN
The provincial government of British Columbia is developing a Climate Change Action Plan aimed at helping B.C.’s 35 ski resorts better prepare for a future with less snow.

The discussion to date has been “very much about the long term and how we’re going to manage climate change as an industry,” said Arthur De Jong, mountain planning and environmental resource manager with Whistler Blackcomb.

De Jong said the forward-looking plan will identify what ski areas will need to do in the future to build resilience in order to sustain their operations. Topics include adaptation, mitigation in the form of reducing carbon footprints, and diversification by adding more non-ski activities at mountain resorts.


PARK CITY APPROVED FOR $50 MILLION MAKEOVER
The Park City Planning Commission has given unanimous approval for Vail Resorts’ plan to build an interconnecting gondola between Park City and Canyons ski areas, among other capital improvements totaling $50 million for this summer. The end result will reportedly create the largest single ski area in the U.S., with more than 7,300 acres of skiable terrain.

The eight-passenger, high-speed, two-way gondola will run from the base of the existing Silverlode Lift at Park City to the Flatiron Lift at Canyons. The gondola will also have an unload station at the top of Pine Cone Ridge, providing access into Thaynes Canyons at Park City via gated ski access. New trails will be created from Pine Cone Ridge leading to the Iron Mountain section of Canyons. The King Con and Motherlode lifts at Park City are also being upgraded.


SEVEN INJURED IN ’LOAF LIFT ROLLBACK
A rollback incident Mar. 21 on Sugarloaf’s King Pine lift injured seven guests and sent three to the hospital with non-critical injuries. The lift rolled back nine chairs.

Investigators from Sugarloaf and the State of Maine Board of Elevators and Tramways identified mechanical failures that led to the rollback. The trigger for the incident was a major mechanical failure of a drive shaft. This effectively ­de-coupled the bullwheel from the lift’s primary service brake, as well as its anti-reverse brake, which is the first of three redundant backup mechanisms for preventing reverse travel. A faulty switch prevented the drop dog brake, another backup braking system, from deploying, too. The emergency bullwheel brake deployed and eventually stopped the lift, but not until it rolled back about 460 feet. cont.


PEOPLE
Major retirements are taking place at several resorts: Alan Moore retired from his position as general manager at Bogus Basin. ... after a career spanning nearly 40 years, Rob Kautz is retiring from his position as president and CEO of Sugar Bowl, and Rich Moorhead is leaving his position as CEO of Monarch, Colo.

At Monarch, Randy Stroud takes over day-to-day operations as GM. ... Vail and Beaver Creek named Mike Jackson director of mountain planning.

Kailee Bradstreet has been appointed editor-in-chief of TransWorld Business.Kelsey Smith is now digital managing editor.

The National Ski Patrol has hired Sheila Summers as education director.

Safety and training manager at Mt. Hood Meadows, Corinna Kupelwieser, received a Safety and Health Professional Award at the Oregon Governor’s Occupational Safety and Health Conference.

VP of communications for the Vail Valley Foundation, John Dakin, was awarded the FIS Journalist Award by the International Ski Federation and the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association.

Cindy Rust has been named the 2015 Snow Sports Ambassador of the Year by the Learn to Ski and Snowboard (Month)/Bring a Friend initiative.

Utahn Deb Lovci, Interconnect Tour lead guide, was named the Best Guide in the Best of Travel 2015 Awards by Outside Magazine.

Pats Peak’s Director of Services, Jim Wall, received the 2015 Youth Enrichment Services Achievement Award.


SUPPLIER NEWS
Tube Pro is expanding to a new location in Waterloo, Ontario. The company continues to offer an ample inventory of hard and soft bottom snow tubes and a variety of ski area padding.

Leah Muirhead has purchased Inter-Mtn. Enterprises Inc. from her parents, Don and Debbie Muirhead.

accesso has rebranded its Sirius­ware Salespoint Solutions as accesso Siriusware.


OBITUARIES
An iconic member of the Park City community, Robert W. Wells, passed away at the age of 72 on March 15. After moving to Park City in 1971 as CFO of Park City Ski Resort, Rob was also instrumental in the development of Deer Valley.

Richard “Dick” Powers, a photographer and videographer for Mount Hood Meadows, passed away at the age of 94 on January 17.

On March 1, former Salt Lake City mayor and women’s ski jumping pioneer, Deedee Corradini, died at age 70.

Gordon Robbins, an avid snowboarder and long-time member and organizer of the USASA, has died.

Peter “Pi” Inglis, a respected mountaineer, ski patroller, and longtime Telluride resident, died at age 55.