SAM Magazine - Boulder, Colo., December 6, 2006 - While the methodology used remains controversial (ski areas are docked points if they have a master plan which could lead to additional terrain being developed, even if the resort has no plans to develop said terrain), the Ski Area Citizens Coalition (SACC) released its annual ranking of how "green"...

SAM Magazine - Vail, Co, December 5, 2006 - With western resorts opening more terrain by the day (the ropes drop on Vail's Back Bowls today and November was a record month for snowfall in Whistler), Eastern resorts are regrouping and European ski areas are wondering when winter will arrive. The guns are hard at work at Seven Springs.  In ...

SAM Magazine - McLean, VA, December 5, 2006 - SnowSports Industries America's (SIA) Winter Feels Good campaign and SnowMonsters are partnering to teach children how to dress for snow sports activities with a new interactive tool on the winterfeelsgood.com website. The tool is also featured on all SnowMonsters sites provided to more than 100 resorts...

SAM Magazine - Wolf Creek, CO, December 5, 2006 - Nordic skiers at Wolf Creek have found their groomed trail options limited as the conflict unfolds between the owners of the resort and a developer behind the Village at Wolf Creek project. The dispute revolves around access across land owned by the developer, Texas businessman B.J. McCombs, and ...

SAM Magazine--December 5, 2006, Mt,. Hood, OR - Mt. Hood Meadows will open for the 2006/07 season this Saturday, December 9, after a glacial outburst washed out the area's public access on November 7. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) announced today that highway 35 will reopen at 5 a.m. Saturday, allowing access to the resort for the ...

SAM Magazine--December 1, 2006, Korea (SnowHunter)--Korea's newest resort, scheduled to open today, December 1, is Land's High 1 in Gangwon Province. The resort has 18 trails, more than half of them graded black or double black diamond, served by five chairlifts named after Greek gods (Zeus, Apollo, Hera, Athena and the previously unknown Victoria)...

SAM Magazine--December 1, 2006, Snowhunter--The first stone of "Les terrasses d'Eos," the first building within the new Intrawest resort village being built at Flaine in France, has been laid. Les terrasses d'Eos is a four-star tourism residence made up of 91 apartments, the first part of Flaine Montsoleil village, which will ultimately have 2,...

SAM Magazine--December 1, 2006, Snowhunter--"Where to Ski and Snowboard", one of the world's leading guidebooks to ski resorts around the planet, is well known for pulling no punches. In its very first edition, back in 1994, the "skier's bible" labelled the French resort of Les Menuires 'The Ugliest Resort in the Alps'--in contrast to the resort's ...

SAM Magazine - Pennsylvania, December 1, 2006 - Laurel Mountain will not fire up the lifts this winter. The Pennsylvania resort, which has been operated by nearby Seven Springs since 2004 has been plagued by a lack of snow and mediocre weather which has prevented snowmaking. The announcement is the latest in a long string of bad news for the resort...

SAM Magazine - Alyeska, AK, November 29, 2006 - Alaska's Alyeska resort has been sold. The purchaser, John Byrne III, a hardcore skier who regularly tops 100 days each winter, says he'll be a very hands-on owner who will play an active roll in the resort. Byrne, who currently lives in Alta, Ut, purchased the resort from Japanese company Seibu Holdi...

SAM - Magog, QC, November 28, 2006 - An eleventh hour deal struck by Québec Environment Minister Claude Béchard has saved Québec's Mont Orford's season. The resort was in the throes of a labor dispute, and the differences between management and the union which represented ski area workers seemed intractable. In fact, the situation was so ...

SAM Magazine - Wittenburg, Germany, November 28, 2006 - The world's largest indoor halfpipe is slated to open the second week of December in Wittenburg, Germany. The pipe is the prime feature of SnowFunPark, Germany's fifth indoor ski area. The facility is scheduled to open December 8. The indoor skiing facility is one of the largest in the world a...

SAM Magazine--Elk Meadows, Utah, November 28, 2006--The controversial Mount Holly Club planned for the defunct ski area at Elk Meadows, Utah, has received conceptual approval from the Beaver County Planning and Zoning Commission. The resort, which opened in 1971, went into bankruptcy in 2004. It has 420 skiable acres and 1,400 feet of vertical drop...

SAM Magazine - Northstar-At-Tahoe, November 27, 2006 - Northstar-At-Tahoe has teamed up with legendary snowboard icon Jake Burton to design a natural jib run called The Stash. The run, developed by Burton and his team riders, features trees, jibs and road jumps constructed with wood logs and other materials native to the Lake Tahoe region. "I've...

SAM Magazine - Salt Lake City, UT, November 21, 2006 - You've heard of them: Blogs. The web logs that are written by somewhat anonymous personalities about every subject under the sun. The best Blogs have become alternative sources of news and commentary, vaulting their authors into the limelight and providing valued insights. At their worst, Blogs merely waste bandwidth. After all, who really cares about the daily adventures of Aunt Martha's cat? Still, as resorts come to grips with new technology and the power of the Internet, Blogs can provide another weapon in the marketing war. And, if you have a Blog that combines the elusive combination of authenticity and mass appeal, they can become powerful voices for your brand.