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SAM Throwback

  • Move Over, Adrenaline

    March 2018

    Move Over, Adrenaline

    Cross Country Mountain biking looks to be one of the first potential summer operations to be able to open amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Check out this article from March 2018.

  • Year-Round Passes

    March 2020

    Year-Round Passes

    Season pass sales are being heavily impacted by COVID-19, one product resorts are looking at are year-round passes.

November 1998

  • Push to The Latest: No
  • Snow Monsters Join NSAA
    NSAA announces Jack Turner's Snow Monsters program (video and snow creatures) have been made available to member resorts in an effort to help grow skiing and snowboarding among the youngest sliders. The program appeals to kids and teaches safety and etiquette on the slopes in a fun, positive manner.
  • Modern History of Wire Rope
    After a flurry of advancements more than a century ago, wire rope has not changed dramatically. This is a comprehensive history of wire rope from technical breakthroughs in Europe in the early 19th century through the present day.
  • Enter E-Commerce
    This article reviews the resorts that are offering skiers the opportunity to book vacations on-line. It also takes a look at the technology that is making it all possible.
  • Ski School Reunion at Tremblant
    The gathering of 600 ex and current ski school instructors at Tremblant was a huge success for a few days in July owing to a gigantic pile of snow stashed in late April and insulated from the summer sun.
  • The Opie and Dopey Show
    Two Breckenridge patrollers developed a multimedia presentation to teach kids about ski safety. The program is a success, using miniature characters in a slide show accompanied by music. They take the show into classrooms around Colorado.
  • Battling Inadequate Rentals
    Though ski area managers have been working to upgrade rental condominiums over the last few years, eradicating the worst might take a few more. The attempt has been to maintain and improve the the integrity of resort rental programs, and thereby improve the integrity of the resorts themselves. This report is an update of the situation around the country.
  • Base Area Villages
    This article discusses potential opportunities and pitfalls when developing resort villages. It also discusses the ways to successfuly structure and market such developments. (An accompanying article--on page 55, same issue--takes a look at Winter Park for some specifics covered by the main article).
  • Kasper, New FIS Head, Gives Views
    An interview with the new head of the FIS, Gian Franco Kasper, reveals the new full-time president has a lot of work to do to modernize the federation.
  • Work In Progress
    This sidebar to a main article on the potential opportunities and pitfalls in developing resort villages takes a look at Winter Park for some specifics covered by the main article. It discusses the land swap that allowed the resort to begin the base area village development as well as a number of ways the current development answers the questions raised in the preceding article.
  • Colorado's Price Wars: Bonanza or Bubble?
    Taking acue from the major airlines, Colorado resorts are coming up with deals and discounted tickets to gain market share and get more people to the slopes. This is a brief analysis of how early sales went and what the effects will be.
  • Introducing Blacktail, Montana
    This is a profile of the process of founding Blacktail, Mont., the first new ski area to open on Forest Service Land since 1978.
  • A Wrapup of the 13th Interalpin
    The Interalpin, held in Innsbruck, Austria, was the show of shows. New products, great parties and dancing.
  • Whitetail Goes Geothermal
    Geothermal power is being harnessed for Whitail, Pa.'s first on-site lodging. This article details how the resort is building to accomodate its environmentally-friendly mantra.
  • Avoiding Architectural Creep
    This article describes how to avoid blowing budgets and maintaining the programs wanted when designing with an architect.
  • 1998 Rental Helmet Roundup
    This is a roundup of all the helmets available for rental shops for the 1998-1999 season.
  • Industry Reports
    Vail Facilities Savaged in Arson Attack; Intrawest to Develop Village at Solitude, UTah; also Intrawest-Mont Ste-Anne Negotiations; Suit Forces Whitetail to Drop County Bond Deal; Cochran's to Operate on Non-Profit Basis; Seven Springs Update; Powder Makes U-Turn; Steve Knowlton Dies; Freestyle Cops Honors; Implementation of New USFS Fee System; Personnel Moves; People; Supplier News
  • Seth Says: Whiskey Bottle Marketing
    Seth's buddy, Slats Grabski, holds forth on how ski business works, taking into account IPOs, marketing programs and staying afloat by trimming costs.
  • Construction Site
    Capital improvements at Deer Valley, Utah; Loveland, Colo.; Heavenly, Calif.; Mad River Glen, Vt.; Fernie Alpine, B.C.; Mountain Creek, N.J.
  • SAM Idea Files
    Ski lift seats used to pad snowmaking hydrants; PVC pipe used to cover fence posts look good, make attaching fence easier and protects skiers; the Zalonga Evac Device helps stabilize skiers dangling from lifts.
  • Blue Pages
    Vail Battles an Ugle Perception; GLM...GLS...Shorties...Now It's Your Turn...Perfect Turn; Jay Peak Finds Expansion Dollars; Impacts of a Low Loonie; Olympic Bookkeeping; An International Back Door; Stirrings in Stowe.
  • The End Page
    Funny captions for photos; a ditty about Noah and the Ark and what if Zoning Boards existed back then; Aspen Today's snow desk.
  • 1998 Directory of Products and Services
    The entire directory of companies that provide products and services to resorts.
  • Taking a Look at Food
    The article is a roundup of "recipes for success" taken from top F&B managers across the country.
  • Steve Knowlton: 1922-1998
    The first head of Colorado Ski Country U.S.A. was a racer, 10th Mountain veteran, restaurateur and tireless skiing booster and promoter.
  • When Small is Large-An Elegy
    A piece about Ted Gilchrist who was a tireless volunteer at Veteran's Memorial Recreational Area ski hill in Franklin, N.H.
  • Quit Arresting Kids Who Invert
    Mike's piece is a call to areas to relax the ban on inverting on skis and snowboards, after all snowboarding helped generate new interest in resorts. The twin sports of snowboarding and skiing are enjoying a fun evolution and shouldn't be held back.
  • SAM and STN Form Web Partnership
    Announcement of the partnership with STN and the value it brings to saminfo.com.