SAM Magazine-Krasnaya Polyana, Russia, Mar. 1, 2007-Russian president Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit to Krasnaya Polyana during the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Evaluation Commission for the XXII Winter Olympics inspection tour of the resort and nearby city, Sochi. "Sochi is the only place in Russia with a combination of develop...

SAM Magazine-Park City, Utah, Mar. 1, 2007-American Skiing Company founder Leslie B. Otten has resigned from the company's board of directors, effective as of late February. "I leave the board with mixed feelings," Otten said in a prepared statement. "It's been a pleasure to serve and help guide the company and I wish everyone well. I truly enjo...

SAM Magazine - Bansko, Bulgaria. February 21, 2007 - Eastern Europe is experiencing a boom in skiing, lead by the Bulgarian resorts of Pamporovo and Bansko. Most of the action in Bansko has been in real estate, with a property boom fueled by an influx of buyers from the UK. Increasing development has led to criticism from the World Wildlife Federat...

SAM Magazine-McLean, Va., Feb. 22, 2007-Overall sales for both specialty and chain stores were down 3 percent to $1.46 billion for the August through December period of 2006, compared to $1.50 billion reported last year, according to the SIA Retail Audit. Unit sales were down 9 percent. "Strong sales in the Rockies, California and the Pacific North...

SAM Magazine-Vancouver, BC., Feb.21, 2007-Intrawest has made three executive management team appointments in the Intrawest Mountain Resorts Division, with one long-time employee departing in conjunction with the changes to the corporate structure. The new structure will serve to align management with the strategic direction and growth objectives of...

SAM Magazine--Park City, Utah, February 20, 2007--American Skiing Company (ASC) announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Killington and Pico resorts in Vermont to SP Land Company, a major area land owner, for $83.5 million. SP Land Company, which has been in partnership with Killington since 2004 on a large develo...

SAM Magazine--Santa Fe, New Mexico, February 20, 2007--What a difference a year makes. New Mexico is enjoying great ski conditions with more than 15 feet of snow so far this year. Thanks to strong El Nino storms, New Mexico has seen a 60 percent increase in ski visits over last season, which was a season the region would rather forget. A storm l...

SAM Magazine-Park City, Utah, Feb. 16, 2007-Following weeks of speculation, Peak Resorts has entered a purchase agreement for Mount Snow and Attitash with American Skiing Company for $73.5 million. When completed, the deal will leave Peaks with 11 resorts in Missouri, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Ohio. The agreement comes on ...

SAM Magazine-Aspen, Colo., Feb. 6, 2007-Aspen Skiing Company (ASC) has promoted John Rigney to vice president, sales and events and Connie Hamlin to director of sales. Also promoted are Auden Schendler, to executive director, community and environmental responsibility, and Matt Hamilton, to manager of community and environmental responsibility and ...

SAM Magazine-Lakewood, Colo., Feb. 2, 2007-The American Snowsports Education Association (ASEA, doing business as PSIA and AASI) and the National Ski Patrol (NSP) are ending their 17-year agreement for joint management, and will each have their own separate, dedicated management teams by July 1. Mark Dorsey, currently executive director for both...

SAM Magazine - Keystone, Colo., January 24, 2007 - Keystone resort has named Doug Lovell as the new director of mountain operations. Lovell makes the move to Keystone from Beaver Creek, and brings more than 13 years of mountain operations and guest services experience in the ski and snowboard industry to his new position. Lovell started at Beav...

SAM Magazine--New York, February 1, 2007--With state-owned ski areas already exempt from sales taxes on equipment and energy purchases, the time may have come for private ski areas in New York to reap some tax benefits of their own. Under a bill proposed by State Senator Elizabeth Little, private resorts could see tax relief from sales and use taxe...

SAM Magazine-Mammoth Lakes, Calif., Jan. 30, 2007-With one of the strangest winters on record making things tough for resort operators on both the west and east coasts, June Mountain shuttered its doors for the season on Jan. 29 due to a lack of snow. The mountain currently has a mere 3-18 inch base, and a reopening is unlikely even if the Sierra M...

SAM Magazine-New York, Jan. 26, 2007-Bonnier Magazine Group and its U.S. partner, World Publications, are buying the 18 magazines Time Inc. put up for sale last September. The group includes Ski, Skiing, TransWorld Snowboarding, and the rest of the TransWorld stable. Estimated sale price is $220 million to $230 million. Bonnier said the acquisit...

SAM Magazine - Les Arcs, France, January 25, 2007 - Intrawest is committing to a second project in the French resort of Les Arcs. The company, which is close to finishing its first project at the resort, Arc 1950 Le Village, has announced that the new project will be located at Arc 1800 and will be called Edenarc 1800. Edenarc will be a four-st...