SAM Magazine--December 6, 2012--A federal bankruptcy judge passed down a ruling finding Yellowstone Club, Mont., founder Tim Blixseth responsible for the financial collapse of the private club and ski area. According to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the judge said that "in a pattern of self-dealing," Blixseth used the Club for his own gain...

SAM Magazine—Dec. 6, 2012—Vail Resorts, Inc., will create its own skiers in the Midwest, announcing today that it has entered into agreements to purchase Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mount Brighton in Michigan, for total cash consideration of $20 million. According to the release, both ski areas serve major snow sports markets in the Mid...

SAM Magazine--December 4, 2012--Whistler Blackcomb Holdings Inc. and KSL Capital Partners, LLC (KSL) announced that an affiliate of KSL has entered into a purchase agreement with Intrawest to acquire Intrawest's 9,092,500 common shares of the corporation, representing approximately 24% of the corporation's issued and outstanding common shar...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Dec. 4, 2012 —Vail Resorts (VR) reported a loss of $60.6 million for the quarter ended October 31, 2012, compared to a loss of $55.7 million in the same quarter a year ago. Revenues were flat at $166.4 million for the period, a traditionally slow time for the company’s resorts. “We observed improving trends ...

SAM Magazine—Washington, D.C., Dec. 4, 2012—Organizers of the Bring a Friend Challenge are asking all of the estimated 100,000 people working full-time in the snow sports industry, as well as the many thousands who are working part-time, to take the “Bring a Friend” campaign personally. That means, bring a non-skiing or –riding friend to ...

SAM Magazine—Salt Lake City, Dec. 4, 2012— Utah officials have announced plans to bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics. The bid is contingent on an upcoming United States Olympic Committee decision regarding potential bidders, and could well face stiff competition from Reno-Tahoe and Denver. Both Reno-Tahoe and Denver had been pursuing a bid for th...

SAM Magazine--December 4, 2012--Mt. Spokane, Wash., received an amendment to its existing concession lease with the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission to pursue opening seven new runs, which would be serviced by a new chairlift, on an 850-acre parcel. The proposal was originally submitted in 2010 and has undergone several reviews. The...

SAM Magazine--December 4, 2012--The Summit Series announced yesterday that the group has agreed to purchase Utah's Powder Mountain. Published reports claim the price tag for the deal was $40 million. According to Wikipedia, Summit Series is an American organization that hosts events for young entrepreneurs, artists and activists. Events orga...

SAM Magazine—Mt. Hood, Ore., Nov. 21, 2012—Despite a relatively dry and warm start to the ski season nationwide, many resorts are opening as planned during the traditional Thanksgiving holiday period. Resorts in the Pacific Northwest have been aided by significant snowfalls in the past week. Alyeska, Alaska, and Crystal Mountain, Was...

MedFlight prepares to transport Russell Watts to Akron General Hospital after his arm was amputated while installing Clear Fork Ski Resort's new conveyor lift. / Jami Kinton/News Journal SAM Magazine--November 21, 2012--An unfortunate accident at Clear Fork Resort in central Ohio, cost an employee his arm on Tuesday, November 20. Clear Fork ...

SAM Magazine--November 21, 2012--Peak Resorts Inc. announces the purchase of Alpine Valley Ski Area in Chesterland, Ohio. The northeast Ohio resort opened in 1962 and has two chairlifts, as well as four surface lifts. “Alpine Valley fits strategically with how we are trying to grow our business in a market that we are familiar with,” sa...

SAM Magazine—Denver, Nov. 21, 3012—Occupancy at Western destination resorts was up 6.9 percent for the past spring and summer compared to year-earlier totals, and the daily rate rose 3.9 percent. But momentum has reversed for the upcoming winter, according to the Mountain Travel Research Program (MTRiP). As of Oct. 31, reservations for ...

SAM Magazine—Vail, Colo., Nov. 16, 2012—Snowfall and snowmaking temperatures have spread across the country in the past week, enabling several more areas to open for the season. Last Sunday, Nov. 11, Mountain High, Calif., joined the growing ranks. On Tuesday, Nov. 13, Brighton, Utah, followed, with several areas opening on Nov. 14: ...

SAM Magazine—McHenry, Md., Nov. 12, 2012—EPR Properties, the Kansas City-based REIT that owns most of the resorts managed and operated by Peak Resorts (and formerly known as Entertainment Properties Trust), has bid $20.5 million for Wisp Resort, kicking off what could become a competition to win the resort at a bankruptcy court hearing ...

SAM Magazine—Washington, D.C., Nov. 9, 2012—Tahoe-based PSIA-AASI instructors Heidi Ettlinger (Heavenly Resort) and Allison Ace (Northstar) have been named ambassadors for the Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month (LSSM) Bring a Friend initiatives, joining fellow Tahoe skiers Glen Plake and Daron Rahlves. All four will help spread the messag...