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  • cover illustration
    The cover is an illustration by Marcelo Vignali of Schweitzer Mountain's new Stella 6-pack. The story is in the loading and unloading stations, which offer a whimsical glimpse of the past. Story begins on page 57.
  • 2001: A Global Ski Odyssey
    An around-the-world look at what's happenning in the ski industry. Covered areas: Austria, France, Switzerland, Italy, Scandinavia and Northern Europe, Andorra, Spain, Easterm Europe, Russia, Asia and West Africa, Japan, Asia East, U.S., Canada and the Southern Hemisphere.
  • Snowmaking Survey
    This is the report of a survey conducted at Colorado Mountain College that asked resorts about snowmaking practices, covereages, training for personnel, types of guns, etc. It has a table that breaks practices down by region and establishes an average system for the U.S.
  • Growth by Lessons
    This is a profile of the successful ski school operation at Hyland Ski and Snowboard Area in Minnesota. Bucking a national trend, the resort boasts an 80 percent retention rate with a smorgasbord of lessons options.
  • Building for Beginners
    The author takes the reader through a first-timer's first experience, detailing the rights and wrongs of layouts. Make it easy and straightforward, treat the customer carefully and ask them to come back for success is the message. Facility design is key to a successful first, second or third day on the slopes. Included is a layout of Copper Mountain's new ski school and rentals building.
  • A (Super) Pipe Dream
    The piece details the first specifications for internationally sanctioned halfpipe events. A diagram details the specs for building FIS-approved superpipes.
  • Pioneer Fantasy Lift
    Schweitzer Mountain, Idaho, built a new Garaventa six-pack and modified the terminals to make it look like a 19th century steam-powered contraption. Using Disney-type special effects, management spiced up the new high-speed lift and built a reproduction of a pioneer's barn to house the loading terminal.
  • Not Just Another Pretty Face
    Mount Shasta, Calif., keeps breaking skier visit numbers. This profile of the operation tries to shed some light on the reason for its success.
  • Lift Loading Accidents
    This is a case review of an accident that reaffirms the importance of proper training of lift attendants.
  • Triumph of a Dream
    This actually is an excerpt from Pete Seibert's new coffee-table book "Vail: Triumph of a Dream."
  • Nastar is Reborn
    The story explains the new deal to rejuvenate citizen racing at ski areas through Nastar. Agreement hammered out involving SKI magazine, the U.S. Ski Team and Charles Schwab Financial.
  • Drawing Athletes Out of Doors
    This article describes a Tubbs Snowshoes-Reebock program aimed at increasing snowshoeing at resorts by appealing to indoor athletes in city gyms. Programs at ski resorts offer trails tailored to specific levels of fitness and a trainer for demonstrations and instruction.
  • Construction Site
    Projects detailed at: Seven Springs, Pa., Telluride, Colo., Bristol Mountain, N.Y., Chestnut Mountain, Ill., and Big Mountain, Mont.
  • Construction Site
    Projects detailed at: Seven Springs, Pa., Telluride, Colo., Bristol Mountain, N.Y., Chestnut Mountain, Ill., and Big Mountain, Mont.
  • SAM Idea Files
    Mirrors at top terminals to help lift operators keep watch of the end of the unloading ramp while also watching approaching skiers from Snowshoe, W.V.; Using chain loops to keep traffic cones in place from Snowshoe as well; and a tubing lane groomer manufactured and attached to the blade of a groomer at Massanutten, Va.
  • Blue Pages
    Skiing Co and TMM Sold to Time, Inc.; SACC to Grade Resort Environmental Records; Sydney Dynamics Sought for 2002; piece on Jim Lyons having authority removed at Forest Service; surmising what the 2000 election will mean for the industry; FIS Sets Limits to Save Racers' Knees; Mad Hatter Regulators at Squaw Valley; Sorting Out Snow Condition Reporting.
  • End Page
    Joe Gmuender engineering from a lawn chair; using old skis as tomato stakes; engineering definition from Nils Ericksen; A weird survey.
  • Staying in the Green
    This is a roundup of what resorts across the continent are doing to be environmentally sensitive.
  • Our High-Flying Real Estate Image
    This short piece points out that while selling real estate isn't a bad thing, the ski industry could be hurt by the emerging image that it is all about land and second home sales rather than the skiing.
  • A Vital New Role for Ski Schools?
    David points out that in trying to fix low retention rates among ski areas, ski school needs to play an important role, making instructors part of the whole welcome and hospitality process. It will become important for ski areas to enlist their instructors for all aspects of the sport to help market it correctly to newcomers and in order to fully implement the industry's new Growth Model. Time is for ski area management to exercise real control over their ski schools and not leave it all up to PSIA.
  • Needed: Shaper Beginner Rental Ski
    Tim's piece decrys the apparent lack of durability of shaped beginner rental skis. The cap construction, he says, means the ski looks old after one season of abuse. Old, box-type construction, that had metal edges running along the top of the skis, translated to longer-lasting fleets. He says the problem could have a ripple effect throughout the entire industry.
  • Increasing Skier Visits
    This piece posits that better retention rates and real growth will be improved if the ski instruction martketplace is opened up to new methods. Seiler feels the virtual monopoly enjoyed by the PSIA's ATS system is too restrictive. Instead, he feels PSIA should fight for its instructors and embrace new programs, instead of being preoccupied with its own survival.
  • Avalanches and Your Customers
    This piece advocates resorts offering guests educational avenues to learn about avalanches and backcountry safety as off-piste skiing becomes more popular among guests.
  • Stay Tuned
    The article highlights the practices and the importance of keeping rental fleets tuned for customers. Contains a sidebar on backshop tips.