News Search

SAM Headline News

HEADLINE NEWS

FEATURED STORY

  • SAM Taps Whistler Blackcomb to Host 2025 Summer Ops Camp

    SAM Magazine—Whistler, British Columbia, March 18, 2025—SAM’s Summer Ops Camp will be held at Whistler Blackcomb, Sept. 2-4, 2025, offering three days of education, networking, and hands-on learning focused on the future of summer operations at mountain resorts. This year’s camp will also feature a partnership with the Canada West Ski Areas Association (CWSAA), bringing together a dynamic mix of resort professionals from across North America.   Whistler Blackcomb has been at the forefront of year-round recreation development, balancing business innovation with environmental sustainability. With a robust lineup of summer attractions—including the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, Peak...

    Read More

Get SAM Headline News delivered to your inbox. It's not just another email—it's industry news and special reports that matter to you, coming from the industry's trusted resource. 

GetNewsButton

 

Utah Ski Areas Record Second-Most Skier Visits in State’s History

SAM Magazine—Salt Lake City, Utah, July 10, 2024—Utah’s 15 alpine ski areas saw a total of 6,746,008 skier visits during the 2023-24 winter season, the second highest visitation total in the state’s history behind the 7.1 million skier visits in 2022-23, according to state trade association Ski Utah.  “We are immensely proud of this sea...

Vista Fire Nears Mt. Baldy

SAM Magazine—Mount Baldy, Calif., July 10, 2024—After it was first reported Sunday, July 7, at 10 a.m. PDT, the Vista Fire has grown to nearly 2,500 acres and has prompted evacuation orders for Mt. Baldy Resort east of Los Angeles as the fire approaches the ski area. As of Wednesday afternoon, it was zero percent contained. The latest report s...

Monarch's No Name Expansion Gets USFS Approval

SAM Magazine—Salida, Colo., July 10, 2024—Monarch Mountain has received United States Forest Service (USFS) approval for its No Name Basin terrain expansion project, as its Memorandum of Agreement has been finalized and the USFS has signed the Decision Notice. The project will add 377 acres, bringing Monarch's special use permit to 1,146 acres...

Dave Amirault Joins SNOW Partners as Chief Innovation Officer

SAM Magazine—Montville, N.J., July 9, 2024—Snow Partners has hired Dave Amirault as chief innovation officer for all its related businesses. He started July 1. In this newly created role, Amirault will lead Snow Partners’ innovation strategy for Mountain Creek Resort and Big Snow American Dream, N.J., SnowCloud resort management software, and...

PSAA Lift Maintenance Seminar Series Kicks Off at Seven Springs

SAM Magazine—Seven Springs, Pa., July 2, 2024—Pennsylvania Ski Areas Association (PSAA) held its biannual lift maintenance seminar at Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Pa., June 25-26, 2024.  Attendance from Pennsylvania ski areas is near 100 percent for the program, which stresses hands-on training. Participation is free for employees of Pennsy...

Doppelmayr USA to Double Size of Utah Headquarters

SAM Magazine—Salt Lake City, Utah, July 2, 2024—Doppelmayr USA will expand its Salt Lake City headquarters with the addition of a new facility that will nearly double the size of its existing building, allowing Doppelmayr USA to take a larger role in manufacturing and accommodate a growing workforce. “The current facility has served us well ...

MND Opens New Production Site in Savoie, France

SAM Magazine—Savoie, France, July 2, 2024—French industrial group MND opened a new cable transport production and assembly facility in Savoie, France. The facility cost 10 million euros (roughly $10.5 million) and is dedicated specifically to production of the group’s new Orizon range of gondolas and chairlifts. “This is an important step ...

Indy Adds 10 Ski Areas, Will Reopen Limited Pass Sales

SAM Magazine—Granby, Colo., July 1, 2024—After adding 10 new ski areas to its roster for the 2024-25 season, Indy Pass will release a limited number of passes starting July 1.  “With the addition of these great new partners, we are excited to release additional passes during this short window,” said Indy founder Doug Fish, adding that “...

DOJ Scrutinizing Alterra’s Planned Arapahoe Basin Acquisition

SAM Magazine—Denver, June 28, 2024—Alterra Mountain Company’s planned acquisition of Arapahoe Basin, Colo., is reportedly being reviewed by the Department of Justice (DOJ), which has issued a civil investigative demand to the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) and RRC Associates seeking data from the association’s annual surveys on ski a...

LMOE Draws Record Attendance, Adds Vehicle Maintenance

SAM Magazine—South Lake Tahoe, Calif., June 27, 2024—The 2024 Ski California Lift Maintenance and Operations Education (LMOE) conference set a record for attendance, with 368 ski industry professionals descending upon South Lake Tahoe, June 4-6, for education, training, and networking. The event moved from Palisades Tahoe to a new location thi...

Leitner-Poma of America Opens New Skytrac Facility in Utah

SAM Magazine—Tooele, Utah, June 25, 2024—Leitner-Poma of America (LPOA) opened a new $27 million, 130,000-square-foot Skytrac manufacturing facility last week in Tooele, outside of Salt Lake City.  The new campus will serve primarily as the headquarters and sole manufacturing base for ropeway company Skytrac, an LPOA subsidiary, as well as pr...

Annual ISAA Conference Draws Record Attendance

SAM Magazine—Red Lodge, Mont., June 25, 2024—The 2024 Intermountain Ski Areas Association (ISAA) Conference, held June 10-12 in Red Lodge, Mont., attracted a record attendance of 246 ski industry business professionals. Red Lodge Mountain GM Jeff Schmidt accepts the Outstanding Contribution Award at the ISAA Conference.The event provided a plat...

Liftblog’s Peter Landsman Has Now Visited Every Ski Area in North America

SAM Magazine—Dawson City, Yukon, June 20, 2024—Liftblog.com creator Peter Landsman completed his mission to visit every ski area in North America last night when he stopped in at Moose Mountain in Canada’s Yukon territory to grab a picture of the municipal hill’s T-bar. Landsman has been documenting lifts in North America for more than two ...

Visitation to Vermont’s Alpine Ski Areas Flat, XC Visits Down by Half

SAM Magazine—Montpelier, Vt., June 20, 2024—Despite a slow start to the season and inconsistent weather, Ski Vermont reported that the state’s alpine ski areas welcomed 4.1 million skier visits for 2023-24, down less than half a percentage point from the 2022-23 season.  Visitation was 4 percent above Vermont’s 10-year average and outpace...

New Mexico Ski Area Closes as South Fork Wildfire Approaches

SAM Magazine—Ruidoso, N.M, June 19, 2024—Approximately 8,000 people have been forced to evacuate in central New Mexico as the South Fork / Salt Fire complex spreads across Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Reservation, home to the ski town of Ruidoso. Ski Apache, the local mountain resort, has closed its summer operations until further no...