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  • Growing the Market Is Key
    This article profiles John Rutter, Keystone's COO and NSAA'a latest Chair. Rutter explains his priorities in regrowing the skiing market through youth and families, and by increasing current participation among snow sliders. The article is accompanied by a sidebar by David Rowan listing the previous NSAA meeting dates and places as well as chairs elected.
  • The Revolution in New Media
    Bob's article explains the pitfalls and opportunities in marketing using the Internet, a slew of new consumer magazines and inexpensive cable television programming. The article also goes through the 'hows' of effective marketing in the brave new media world.
  • What a Tangled Web We WEave
    Abby Rand critiques the ski resort offerings on the Internet for planning a ski vacation. She discovered that the ski travel trade is not ready for the big time.
  • 1998 Rental Roundup: XC and Snowshoes
    This is a roundup of all the rental snowshoes and cross-country equipment for the 1998-1999 season.
  • Beyond the Surface
    Understanding snow and making grooming implements work on it requires study, experimentation and intuition. Chris' article discusses, in detail, how each piece of a groomer's fleet works on different snow conditions and offres advantages and disadvantages to using each.
  • Logging for Lumber
    This article describes a number of techniques used by foresters and loggers that can be effectively applied to cutting trails. An accompanying article by Buckingham describes new types of logging equipment.
  • Grooming Vehicles 1998
    This article takes at a look at the latest offerings in grooming vehicles. A table gives all the technical details to each model.
  • Let There Be Light
    This article revisits the ski slope lighting standard developed by the NSAA's night lighting committee in 1984-1985. This is an updated explanation of the standard, which is still being used as more areas make use of night hours with current technology; also describes current trends in lighting.
  • Industry Reports
    SIA Attempts to Force Trade Show Agreement; Ski Maine Hosts Fifth-Grade Passport Confab; Field of Bidders Narrows for Cannon, Mt. SUnapee; Resorts Gear Up for a Lift-Building Summer; Linde Named NSAA Director of Marketing; New Name, New Bucks to Transform N.J. Resort; Obits, People and Personnel; Restructuring and Relocation of Kassbohrer; Supplier News.
  • Looking Ahead to OITAF 1999
    Heidi's article gives a brief preview of the 8th International Congress for Transportation by Wire Rope that took place concurrently with the NSAA annual convention in San FRancisco May 22-27, 1999.
  • Take the Luge Challenge
    Pat's piece describes the Bell Atlantic marketing ploy to raise awareness and money for USA Luge. Six eastern ski resorts took part in the event, whcih allows mere mortals the chance to ride a luge in competition somewhat tamer than the Olympic sport. The event is also intended to attract newcomers to participating resorts to try the sport.
  • Retrenching Time for Retail Trade Shows?
    Seth Says less is more. Fewer trade shows and redirecting $$ saved by attending fewer events into smart marketing can help drive the induistry forward.
  • Watershed Management: Coming Soon to a Wetlands Near You
    The article explains the importance of ski resort operators becoming involved in multi-year wetland planning processes well before starting any projects as a result of the new Clean Water Act Intitiative. The plan attempts to protect the health of an entire watershed over time rather than consider individual impacts on specific wetlands. Involvement could help make sure wetlands are identified correctly. The article also helps explain the complicated Section 404 process for mitigating wetlands.
  • Countdown to 2002
    The article describes the lessons learned by some SLOC members at the Nagano games as preparation begins for the Olympics at Salt Lake City-region ski venues.
  • SIA: SOme Background on an Industry Sector that Faces Some Problems
    David's article outlines the factors that make up the complicated picture of SIA's trade show troubles. The article explains why buy-sell cycles are causing trouble and hurting retail equipment numbers.
  • NSAA Rap Sheet-36 years of names, dates and numbers
    This sidebar, accompanying a profile of John Rutter, named chair of NSAA at the Marco Island convention in 1998, lists the dates and places of each annual NSAA convention. It also lists the chairs elected to the board and comments on the worst and best locations for the convention.
  • El Nino Makes Most Happy
    Linda's article reviews the snow conditions around the country and Canada for the 1997-98 ski season as they related to El Nino. El Nino, it turned out, helped all regions except for the southernmost areas.
  • Wetlands: Get Ahead of the Curve
    Stan's remarks are a comment on a separate article in the same issue on page 60 about Watershed Management. Stan's comments support the notion that long-range planning and consultation with environmental authorities will eliminate surprises and keep projects moving ahead without compromising their goals.
  • Michael Kennedy's Death
    Robert's comments undersore the fact that irresponsibility and unsafe skiing led to Kennedy's tragic accident. The accident was tragic but gave skiing a blackeye it doesn't deserve.
  • Idea Files
    Boot Dryer at Caberfae Peaks, MIch.; Easy chair hauler at Whitetail, Pa.; Poles for parking at Killington, Vt.
  • Blue Pages
    ASC, Vail Resorts and Booth Creek pledge to help fund landmarl media campaign; Aspen Gets Lion's Share of environmental awards; Resort Real Estate Boom; European Markets Opening Up; Inventory of Skiers and Boarders Inconclusive;The Art of the Leveraged Equipment Purchase; Vail Category III EXpansion Finally Approved.
  • The End Page
    Five items: 1) Road & Track's semi tongue-in-cheek vehicle review of the Kassbohrer Pisten Bully 300 2) A transcript of the Brundage Mountain telephone answering system complete with an extension to hear dogs bark 3) Suburban snowmaking man Jonathan Sweeney's Fairfield County, Conn. business (he'll come to your house and make snow for parties, etc...for a price) 4) A couple of funny signs seen at resorts in Italy and New York 5) Hot Topic question re: using the internet to make bookings.