SAM Magazine-Beloeil, Quebec, May 27, 2010-After more than 30 years as the driving force behind Ski Press, Jean-Marc Blais has left the company. "The time has come for a new chapter in my life. I am leaving Ski Press today for new and exciting challenges," he told friends via email.

Blais got his start in publishing in 1979 when, as a ski club operator, he launched Ski Press's club newsletter. It grew into a magazine that, at its peak, distributed more than 900,000 magazines four times a year throughout Québec, Canada, the U.S. and Germany. He also published the SIA Snow Show Daily for eight years and launched the skipressworld.com website.

But the economic recession in the U.S. and the advertising downturn that has affected many consumer publications has taken its toll. Ski Press was put into bankruptcy last year and underwent a financial restructuring.

Blais told SAM that the investors who now control the publication plan to continue to operate it as a Canada-only magazine. The first issue of is ready and will appear as scheduled, he added.