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  • Leadership At Lake Tahoe Summit
    The Presidential summit focused on collaboration in achieving environmental goals, and the ski industry got high recognition for its leadership role. It could be a new image for the industry.
  • A Heavenly Master Plan
    Seven years in the making and weighing in at over 22 pounds, Heavenly Ski Resort's new master plan is a triumph of persistence and cooperation between the ski resort and the neighboring communities in both California and Nevada.
  • Terrain Made For Teaching
    Three areas--Jiminy Peak, Mass., Camelback and Seven Springs, Pa.--recently underwent redesigns of beginner terrain. Specific factors that were considered: insulation from general skier traffic, controlled gradients and a physical progression corresponding to the skills progression.
  • The Clothesline Lift
    The Headwall lift at Squaw Valley, Calif., was "temporary" when it was installed during the Korean War, but 25 years later, the old Jigback was retired with a record of reliability and durability that few others could match.
  • Crazy For Demo Centers
    Demo centers came in with shaped-ski technology, but they have taken on a life of their own. As the demand for shaped and performance skis grows, manufacturers, retailers and ski resorts are profiting from the boom.
  • Save Yourself!
    It could happen at your area: a lift goes down with employees on it. Whether it's snowmaking teams working at night, lift maintenance employees doing pre-season work or ski patrollers who need to get off to evacuate passengers, self-evacuation can prove to be a valuable skill for employees, given the right equipment and training.
  • Construction Site
    Building lifts by hand, adding vertical to mountaintops and scaling cliffs in amusement parks were just a few of the construction accomplishments this summer at Snowmass, Colo.; Shanty Creek, Mich.; Kirkwood, Calif.; Snow Valley, Ontario; Lake Compounce, Conn.; Snowbird, Utah and Steamboat, Colo.
  • Timeshare Is Reborn
    To deal with timeshare's bad reputation, many ski resorts have given the concept a new face, a new figure and different hype--with great success.
  • Sam Idea Files
    Innovative solutions to common ski area problems: a chair hauler from Keystone, Colo., a Lockout/Tagout board from Copper Mountain, Colo., and a self-oiling mechanism on a lift at Whitetail, Pa.
  • Recruiting Seasonal Employees
    Some ski resorts have had success recruiting seasonal employees through their website or by using Cool Works, an Internet company with a site specifically devoted to "Jobs in Great Places."
  • Snowboarding Has Its Dangers, Too
    A letter from the president of Ski Shop Hawaii on Mauna Kea claims there has been a lack of snowboard safety education all along the line from manufacturers to ski shops that has had dangerous results. The author outlines new safety education measures being introduced by his shop.
  • New Tools Are Needed To Survey Customers
    A new approach to measuring customer satisfaction: evaluating the emotional experience through focus groups, mystery shoppers and participant observation.
  • M.V.P: Steve Turner, Sierra-At-Tahoe
    Steve Turner, the food and beverage manager at Sierra-at-Tahoe, Calif., turned around one of the West's worst food operations into one of the best through energy, thrift, resourcefulness and being as loyal to his employees as they are to him.
  • Strength In Numbers For Small Areas
    Two groups of small- to medium-sized ski areas, the Mountains of Distinction in the East and the Gems of the Rockies in Colorado, have been formed to compete more effectively with the big ski agglomerates. By joining together, smaller areas can gain advantages in public relations and purchasing power.
  • Think Globally, Sell Locally
    The author examines the problems faced by NSAA in promoting its new youth marketing program, pointing out the history of previously unsuccessful joint efforts by SIA and NSAA. Local campaigns, however, don't face the same problems.
  • Landmark $6 Million Verdict Is Overturned
    Ruling on an appeal of a verdict against Massanutten Ski Resort, Va., a judge overturned the jury's decision to award a record $6.17 million to the plaintiffs.
  • Industrial Tourism
    As the Forest Service shifts its focus to recreation, there is danger in measuring recreational success of public lands by "industrial" standards, or sheer volume. More participants does not necessarily mean greater success.
  • Finding Employees
    A look at how ski areas around the country address the problem of attracting seasonal employees.
  • NSAA's First President Honored
    A tribute to David Judson, founding president of National Ski Areas Association, who was elected posthumously to the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame.
  • We Need To Get Involved!
    Stan Hansen of Heavenly Ski Resort, Nev., challenges ski areas to become leaders in their communities in order to resolve environmental and regulatory issues and receive well-deserved recognition.
  • Who I Am; What I Am Not
    SAM's co-publisher, a woman, questions the legitimacy of differentiating women in the ski industry on the basis of their gender rather than their accomplishments.
  • Industry Loses Three Greats
    A tribute to the memory of three ski industry greats who died recently: Charles "Chic" Morton, Alf Engen, and Claude Anders.
  • Little Thoughts On Big Bucks
    In the face of the megamillions being spent on ski area acquisition and expansion, we shouldn't forget the energy and resourcefulness of the little guys, who are doing great things on a different scale.