SAM Magazine-Boulder, Colo., Dec. 24, 2010-In November, snowsports retail sales grew by a remarkable 33 percent in dollars. Specialty store sales leapt 36 percent, chain chain stores grew by 31 percent, and Internet sales were up 27 percent. While the sales growth is somewhat misleading-November 2009 sales were very soft due to warm weather and ...

Bolton Valley, Vt., Dec. 17, 2010-The owners of Bolton Valley, Doug Nedde and Larry Williams, are seeking an equity partner or outright sale of the resort. The resort encompasses 700 acres, including six chairlifts and some commercial space-the administrative offices, retail and rental shops, and ski school. The resort leases a sports center and...

SAM Magazine-Olympic Valley, Calif., Dec. 6, 2010-As expected, KSL Capital Partners, LLC has closed its previously announced acquisition of substantially all of the shares of The Squaw Valley Development Company. The acquisition includes all facets of Squaw Valley USA ski operations, as well as the Village at Squaw Valley and related real estate ho...

SAM Magazine-Donnelly, Idaho, Dec. 6, 2010-Idaho bankruptcy court judge Terry Myers today approved a ski and snowboard season at Tamarack Resort, even as bankruptcy proceedings continue and lender Credit Suisse seeks to turn the bankruptcy proceedings into a liquidation. Hearings on that request continue in court tomorrow. Nonetheless, the Tamar...

SAM Magazine-East Burke, Vt., Dec. 3, 2010-In the first of what could be a wave of online deals this season, Burke Mountain sold 600 day tickets on Tuesday, Nov. 30, through discount coupon e-tailer Groupon as the "daily deal" in the Boston area. The Burke offer was a $26 discount off the full day ticket of $66, or $24 discount off the half-day ...

SAM Magazine-Salt Lake City, Dec. 2, 2010-Skytrac, Inc., which has started manufacturing lifts in the U.S., is the first new North American aerial ropeway manufacturer to be created in almost 30 years. It is headed by longtime lift builder Jan Leonard, and includes several lift industry veterans, among them Alan Hepner, John Pentesco, David Metivie...

SAM Magazine-Flagstaff, Ariz., Dec. 2, 2010-Arizona Snowbowl has won the latest round in its fight to install snowmaking, as the courts-this time a Federal District Court-have once again upheld Snowbowl's right to make snow with reclaimed water. In a statement, Snowbowl said it looks forward to starting construction of the snowmaking system, and...

SAM Magazine-Lakewood, Colo., Nov. 29, 2010-In an effort to keep winter resorts focused on the need to attract and retain newcomers to skiing and riding, the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) has launched the Conversion Cup Challenge, which recognizes resorts' efforts to create lifelong skiers and riders. NSAA has been calling on member ski ...

SAM Magazine-Olympic Valley, Calif., Nov. 23, 2010-KSL Capital Partners, LLC has entered into an agreement to acquire substantially all of the shares of The Squaw Valley Development Company, which includes all facets of Squaw Valley USA ski operations, the Village at Squaw Valley and related real estate holdings. The transaction is expected to clos...

SAM Magazine--November 18, 2010--Vail Resorts, Inc., announced the appointment of Bill Rock as the new COO of Northstar-at-Tahoe, Calif. Rock will assume responsibility for all mountain and village operations associated with the resort and report directly to Blaise Carrig, co-president of Vail Resorts' mountain division. Rock was most recently p...

SAM Magazine--November 17, 2010--The Idaho Land Board approved a deal between the Tamarack Municipal Association and primary creditor Credit Suisse to continue the resort's state lease deal through June 2011. According to the Idaho Statesman, a bankruptcy court still must approve the deal that would allow Tamarack to open for a 15-week season. ...

SAM Magazine--November 17, 2010--Tenney Mountain, N.H., will go to auction on December 15. The area owes $170,000 in back taxes dating back to 2008. According to the auction company (www.jospehfinn.com), not only is the ski area land up for grabs, which consists of 445 acres, but two other lots will be auctioned at the same time--a 39.48-acre undev...

SAM Magazine--November 16, 2010--During a visit to the Vatican by a group of ski instructors, Pope Benedict XVI praised skiing as one way that, "man recognizes the greatness of God." According to published reports, the Pope said that the sport of skiing teaches, "constancy in reaching objectives, respecting the rules, and tenacity in facing up t...

SAM Magazine--November 16, 2010-- Olympic Gold Medal skier will join Glen Plake as Ambassador for Learn to Ski and Snowboard month (LSSM). With five Olympic medals, two overall World Cup titles and four Discipline titles, Miller will provide a recognizable face to the campaign. LSSM will take place during January and is a national initiative to...

SAM Magazine-Wrightwood, Calif., Nov. 15, 2010-Karl Kapuscinski, president and CEO of Mountain High Resort Associates LLC, has purchased all remaining shares in the Mountain High Resort tenant-operator firm, making him the sole owner of the company that leases the resort from CNL Lifestyle Properties. Kapuscinski is entering his fifteenth season as...