SAM Magazine—San Francisco, May 6, 2015—NSAA handed out a variety of awards at the National Convention here.

SAM Magazine—San Francisco, May 6, 2015—The U.S. ski industry tallied an estimated 53.6 million skier and snowboarder visits this past season, making 2014-15 the second-worst since 2000-01, according to the National Ski Areas Association. The results represent a 5 percent decrease from 2013-14, and are down 3.8 percent from the five-season industry average of 55.7 million.

The only year of the past 15 that was worse was 2011-12, when there were 50.97 million skier and rider visits.

SAM Magazine—San Francisco, May 6, 2015—The U.S. Ski Team is assuming operational control of NASTAR through a partnership with the program’s owner, Active Interest Media (AIM). NASTAR is featured at 115 resorts nationwide, with more than 165,000 racer days each year.

SAM Magazine—San Francisco, May 6, 2015—Thredbo, Australia, has joined The Mountain Collective as a full resort partner for the 2015-16 season, making it the first resort outside of North America to be added to the multi-resort pass. The news comes on the heals of Vail Resorts’ purchase of Perisher last month and further indicates that North American ski areas see opportunity in the ski and ride market Down Under.

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., April 28, 2015—Vail Resorts has reported that for the 2014-15 season, total lift revenues, including an allocated portion of season pass revenue, were up approximately 8.5 percent, while total skier visits for the company's nine mountain resorts were down 2.8 percent compared to 2013-14.

Additionally, ancillary spending for the season outpaced skier visitation, with ski school revenue up 3.4 percent, and dining revenue up 3.3 percent. Retail and rental revenue for resort store locations was up 3.8 percent.

SAM Magazine—Rossland, B.C., April 27, 2015—Don Thompson has been promoted to president at Red Mountain. Thompson is the former vice president of operations and development and is now in charge of all aspects of resort operations, as well as project and property management.

SAM Magazine—Donnelley, Idaho, April 23, 2015—Brad Larsen is set to become the new general manager for Tamarack Resort. He is joining the team of Replay Resorts, which was chosen last month to run Tamarack by the resort’s owner, New TR Acquisitions Co. (NEWTRAC). Replay is taking over management on May 1 from the Tamarack Municipal Association (TMA), the homeowners’ association that stepped in to manage day-to-day ski operations in 2010.

In his new role, Larsen will be responsible for resort operations and real estate development and marketing.

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., April 23, 2015—The National Ski Patrol (NSP) has bestowed its Minnie Dole Award on Ed McNamara, chair of the NSP board of directors. The award is given to patrollers who exemplify a spirit of service, dedication, and sacrifice that was epitomized by the organization's founder, Charles Minot "Minnie" Dole.

"This was a total surprise, and it is an absolute honor to be placed in the same category as the other incredible recipients," said McNamara. "I am grateful to all who made this possible."

SAM Magazine—Denver, April 14, 2015—Despite mercurial temperatures and sporadic snowfall throughout the Rocky Mountain and Far West mountain resorts in February and March, resort lodging posted double-digit increases in revenue for the third straight winter, with summer reservations following a similar track, according to Denver-based DestiMetrics.

As of March 31, data collected by DestiMetrics for 19 mountain destinations in six western states showed actual occupancy for the winter season up 5.9 percent and revenues up 11.7 percent compared to the prior year.

SAM €ˆMagazine—Natick, Mass., April 14, 2015—SAM Magazine is proud to announce the 2015 SAMMY Leadership Award winners: Beth Howard, Ryan Locher, and Hiram Towle. The awards, now in their 19th year, are given each year to individuals who will shape the future of the mountain resort industry. This year saw a record number of nominations, and almost 3,000 votes were tallied for our 12 finalists. Winners will be presented with an award on May 3 at the SAMMY Awards event at the National Ski Areas Association conference in San Francisco, CA.

SAM Magazine—Squaw Valley, Calif., April 13, 2015—After years of negotiating, Squaw Valley has reached an agreement with private land owner Troy Caldwell to build a base-to-base gondola connecting Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows. The linkage traverses White Wolf, Caldwell’s land, and has been at the top of both parties’ wish list for years.

“Connecting Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows through White Wolf is literally bringing my long-time dream to fruition, I’ve waited years for this to happen,” said Caldwell.

SAM Magazine—Denver, Colo., April 9, 2015—New snow that swept California, Utah, and parts of the Northeast have allowed some ski areas to tack on a few more days to their seasons. Squaw Valley reset its closing date to April 19 thanks to 20 inches of new snow in the past week. The area has four lifts running on a 45-inch base, and officials said they might stay open longer if conditions permit.

SAM Magazine—Jackson, Wyo., April 6, 2015—Mountain bike riders in North America have crowned the top bike parks as part of the second annual "Best Bike Parks Riders' Choice Awards" produced by MTBparks.com, a comprehensive online guide to North American bike parks.

More than 3,000 riders cast votes this year on the top lift-served mountain-bike parks in eight separate regions: Western Canada, Eastern Canada, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic/Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, Northwest, and the Rocky Mountains.

SAM Magazine—Donner Summit, Calif., April 4, 2015—Rob Kautz, president and CEO of Sugar Bowl Resort, is retiring after nearly four decades at Sugar Bowl Resort. Kautz will stay on as president and CEO until Sugar Bowl Resort finds and trains a replacement, and will continue to work at the resort through June 2016. He will also remain on Sugar Bowl Corporation’s board of directors.

SAM Magazine—Carrabassett Valley, Maine—On the heels of the King Pine lift rollback two weeks ago, Sugarloaf has taken a second, similar lift out of service. The Timberline lift, the most similar to the design of the King Pine, was found to have abnormal wear on the driveshaft, which was the component that failed and initiated the King Pine incident.

SAM Magazine—Monarch, Colo., April 2, 2015—Monarch Mountain CEO Rich Moorhead is retiring effective April 30 following a 39 year career at the ski area. He was appointed manager and CEO in 2002 after PowderMonarch LLC purchased the ski area’s assets, and Moorhead obtained an ownership stake in the ski area. He will continue to serve an advisory role and maintain partial ownership of the ski area.

SAM Magazine—Mill Valley, Calif., April 2, 2015—This week, California Gov. Jerry Brown ordered mandatory water use reductions for the first time in California’s history, saying that the state’s four-year drought had reached “near-crisis proportions.” Nonetheless, ski industry officials in California told SAM that ski areas are not likely to be hit hard by water restrictions, though they caution that the final language of the mandate is still forthcoming.

SAM Magazine--Broomfield, Colo.—March 30, 2015—Vail Resorts (VR) has agreed to acquire its first international mountain resort, Perisher Ski Resort in New South Wales, Australia, for AU$176.6 million (approximately US$136 million). The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015 following the satisfaction of certain conditions.

SAM Magazine—Red Lodge, Mont., March 30, 2015—Red Lodge Mountain Resort resumed operations Sunday after a wildfire about three miles west forced officials to evacuate its slopes on Saturday. About 650 skiers were evacuated from the ski area, and residents were evacuated from nearby subdivisions as 60 mph winds fanned the West Fork fire in Custer National Forest.

SAM Magazine—Mill Valley, Calif., March 30, 2015—Bob Roberts, president and CEO of the California Ski Industry Association (CSIA), is retiring effective June 2015. Roberts has been at his post for 40 years. The CSIA executive committee is currently interviewing candidates, with plans to name a new director in the weeks to come.

“It’s been a great run. It’s always been about the relationships, the great people and the variety of challenges we’ve shared, that have made my life’s work so enjoyable and rewarding,” Roberts said.

SAM Magazine—Fort Collins, Colo., March 30, 2015—Colorado State University (CSU) has launched an online Ski Area Management Graduate Certificate of Completion program for students and current employees looking to further their careers in the ski industry.

Each of the six online courses in the ski area management certificate follows an accelerated eight-week schedule and incorporates industry knowledge and best practices. University officials said the curriculum was developed with input from ski area managers.

SAM Magazine—Park City, Utah, March 27, 2015—The Park City Planning Commission gave unanimous approval for Vail Resorts’ plan to build an interconnecting gondola between Park City and Canyons ski areas, among other capital improvements totaling $50 million. The end result will reportedly represent the largest single ski area in the U.S., with more than 7,300 acres of skiable terrain.

SAM Magazine—Carrabassett Valley, Maine, March 26, 2015—A team of investigators has determined that an inappropriately specified switch in one of the brake components on Sugarloaf’s King Pine lift contributed to the March 21 rollback accident that injured seven people.

SAM Magazine—Donnelly, Idaho, March. 26, 2015—New TR Acquisitions, the owner of Tamarack Resort, has named Replay Resorts to assume overall operational management of the resort with exception of the golf course. Replay takes over from the Tamarack Municipal Association (TMA). The management change goes into effect May 1, 2015.

SAM Magazine—Park City, Utah, March. 26, 2015—Powdr Corp. has aquired Human Movement Management (HMM), an active entertainment and event company that produces running races, festivals, triathlons, obstacle races, and outdoor events. Powdr officials say the move helps it further diversify its portfolio and expand its summer activities, events, and other programming at resorts.

SAM Magazine—Olympic Valley, Calif., March 23, 2015—Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is offering a “worry-free” rollover option for skiers and riders who purchase a 2015-16 Tahoe Super Pass. The option includes the ability to rollover up to four unused days during the 2015-16 winter season for credit toward the purchase of a 2016-17 Tahoe Super Pass. To gain this option, Gold- or Silver-level passes must be purchased by May 7.

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., March 23, 2015—Vail Resorts is expanding its program for fifth and sixth graders, formerly known as School of Shred, to include all kindergarten through fifth graders. Renamed “Epic SchoolKids Colorado Pack,” the program provides 16 days of free skiing—four days each at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, and Keystone.

SAM Magazine—Meribel, France, March 22, 2015—Strong season-ending finishes by Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin led the U.S. Ski Team women to reap three titles at the season-ending World Cup Finals held over the last week at Meribel.

Two of the globes went to Vonn, who claimed her 66th and 67th World Cup victories by winning both the downhill and Super-G. Vonn has now won 19 World Cup titles, the most of any woman in history, and tied with Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark.

SAM Magazine—Carrabassett Valley, Maine, March 22, 2015—Investigators from Sugarloaf working in conjunction with an engineer from the State of Maine Board of Elevators and Tramways have identified mechanical failures that led to the King Pine lift rollback, resulting in injuries to seven guests yesterday.

SAM Magazine—Carrabassett Valley, Maine, March, 21, 2015—A rollback incident today on Sugarloaf’s King Pine lift injured seven guests and sent three to the hospital with non-critical injuries. All three were reported in stable condition on Saturday afternoon, according to hospital spokeswoman Jill Gray.

SAM Magazine—Whistler, B.C., March 19, 2015—The provincial government of British Columbia is developing a Climate Change Action Plan aimed at helping B.C.’s 35 ski resorts better prepare for a future with less snow. Stakeholders involved with the plan met this week in Whistler as part of on-going discussions.

"This meeting was very much about the long term and how we’re going to manage climate change as an industry," said Arthur De Jong, mountain planning and environmental resource manager with Whistler Blackcomb.

SAM Magazine—Denver, March 18, 2015—The most recent results for western mountain lodging properties at 19 resort communities in six western states show revenues are up 12.3 percent compared to the same period last season, while occupancy is up 6.5 percent. The data include activity through Feb. 28 and are collected and reported on by DestiMetrics, a Denver-based mountain travel research firm.

SAM Magazine—Denver, March 16, 2015—Skier and snowboarder visits were up 3.7 percent for the first two months of 2015 among the 21 member ski areas of Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA). The gain in second period visitation boosted overall year-to-date results 1.9 percent ahead of last season, which was the best season on record for the state—12.6 million visits, including the members of CSCUSA along with Vail Resorts’ Colorado areas, which are not members of CSCUSA.

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., March 12, 2015—Vail Resorts (VR) reported net income for the second quarter of fiscal 2015 (ended Jan. 31, 2015) nearly doubled, to $115.8 million from $59.3 million. Total revenue increased to $530.2 million, up 17.1 percent compared to the same period in the prior year. Notably, the results this year include Park City, which was not part of the VR portfolio a year ago.

SAM Magazine—Denver, March 11, 2015—The season’s pass war for 2015-16 has begun, and major resorts are adding a number of new weapons to the fight. Perhaps the biggest development: the growth in limited-use passes. Choice is in.

But choice comes with a caveat: customers have to act soon to get the best prices.

Conglomerates Unite

SAM Magazine—Bear Lake, Calif., March, 11, 2015—Snow Summit’s summer operations will shift into a higher gear with the addition of a four-mile beginner mountain biking trail, a zip line, and a climbing wall. The announcement came in conjunction with the finalization of Mammoth Mountain’s $38 million acquisition of Snow Summit and Bear Mountain, first reported in September 2014.

SAM Magazine—Aspen, Colo., March 9, 2015—Law enforcement officials in Aspen, Eagle County, Steamboat Springs, and other Colorado ski towns are reporting a rise in credit card fraud in the past two months. It's thought to be coming from international cyber-crime organizations.

SAM Magazine—Telluride, Colo., Mar. 2, 2015—After a 47-to-1 vote, patrollers at Telluride ski area will now be represented for collective bargaining purposes by Communications Workers of America (CWA) District 7. The mail-in ballots were collected and counted last Thursday at the National Labor Relations Board in Denver.

SAM Magazine—Boise, Idaho, Mar. 2, 2015—Bogus Basin president and general manager Alan Moore resigned Feb. 28, and the resort is seeking his replacement. Nate Shake, director of human resources, will serve as interim general manager until the position is filled.

SAM Magazine—Denver, Mar. 2, 2015—How much PAC money would it take to persuade President Obama to make aiding the U.S. ski industry one of his highest priorities?

Leaders of the French government are backing a proposal to reschedule spring school holidays to allow families more time to go skiing. French ski resort operators said the move could result in a 3 percent boost to their overall revenues. French President Francois Hollande has reportedly given initial support, and French foreign minister Laurent Fabius is also backing the plan.

SAM Magazine—Durango, Colo., Feb. 26, 2015—Durango-based investor and resort entrepreneur James Coleman has completed his purchase of Durango Mountain Resort. He marked the occasion by declaring he will change the name of the area back to Purgatory.

SAM Magazine—Denver, Feb. 26, 2015—A Democratic state representative from Steamboat Springs has proposed a bill that would require noncommercial vehicles on a 130-mile stretch of I-70 through the mountains to have snow tires or chains from Nov. 1 to May 15, as the law now requires of commercial vehicles. This section of I-70 experiences chronic closures due to snow-related accidents, and has seen several such closures this winter. The goal is to reduce the incidence of accidents and smooth the flow of traffic during the snowiest months.

SAM Magazine – Denver, Colo., Feb., 20, 2015 – Business over the Presidents Day weekend and into this week has been a tale of opposites. In the West, temperatures remain warmer than average, and in the Northeast, Midwest, and South, the mercury fell to the bottom of the thermometer. But overall, ski areas are reporting that business for the week has been in the black.

SAM Magazine—Ithaca, N.Y., Feb., 19, 2015—Over the past couple of weeks, politicians, meteorologists, and even destination tourism officials in the Northeast have been giving snow a bad name, adding to the challenges resorts face in drawing visitors. Elected officials and meteorologists are advising people to not go outside, and a visitor’s bureau went so far as to recommend that people head to Florida.

SAM Magazine—Salt Lake City, Utah, Feb. 18, 2015—The Mountain Accord blueprint, which proposes to connect ski areas and other major recreation and economic centers via a multi-modal mountain transportation system in Utah’s Central Wasatch, is available for public comment through March 16. The Accord could have broad and varied impacts on the Wasatch resorts.

SAM Magazine—Denver, Colo., Feb., 18, 2015—Aggregated mountain lodging revenues at 19 participating resorts in six western states are poised to eclipse the record business levels of the pre-recession 2007-08 season, according to the most recent data released by Denver-based DestiMetrics.

SAM Magazine—Quebec City, Quebec, Feb. 16, 2015—The North American Snowsports Journalists Association (NASJA) honored four distinguished ski industry veterans during its Annual Meeting Feb. 7-11 at the Fairmont Chateau Frontenac, Quebec City.

SAM Magazine—Wintergreen, Va., Feb. 12, 2015—EPR Properties, a real estate investment trust (REIT), has purchased the assets of Wintergreen Resort in conjunction with its operator for the property, Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. Pacific Group Resorts will lease the property from EPR and manage the resort.

SAM Magazine—Seattle, Wash., Feb. 12, 2015—The Summit at Snoqualmie has closed Alpental, the only one of the four Snoqualmie resorts that was still open, due to the deteriorating snow conditions at the area, just before the President’s week holiday begins.

SAM Magazine—Denver, Colo., Feb., 9, 2015—Intrawest reduced its year-over-year second quarter loss for the period ending Dec. 31 and reported increased revenues for the quarter. The improvements were largely due to the company’s IPO in February 2014 and the acquisition of Blue Mountain, Ontario, in September 2014.

SAM Magazine—Littleton, N.H., Feb. 9, 2015—A community-wide effort is credited for bringing New Hampshire's Mount Eustis back into operation this season with a novel business plan: free skiing and snowboarding for all. Guests must sign a waiver, and the area is suggesting a $5 donation per day.

SAM Magazine—Chehalis, B.C., Feb., 9, 2015—Hemlock Resort will not open this season due to warm temperatures and precipitation that has come in the form of rain rather than snow, while Utah’s Cherry Peak remains closed while new owners continue renovations on the base lodge.

SAM Magazine—Telluride, Colo., Feb. 6, 2015—Members of the Telluride ski patrol will soon vote on whether to form a union, according to the Telluride Daily Planet. The report said patrollers filed a petition with National Labor Relations Board on Jan. 2 to have an election, which at least 30 percent of the group signed.

SAM Magazine—Denver, Colo., Feb. 6, 2015—Nearly 400 mountain tourism and ski industry executives from destinations spanning North America convened Jan. 28 at the SIA Snow Show as part of The Assembly, a one-day forum that presents both a fact-based and knowledge-based assessment of the 2014-15 season at the midway point and identifies emerging growth opportunities in the mountain travel industry.

SAM Magazine—Mesa, Colo., Feb. 4, 2015—Four years after the purchase of Powderhorn Mountain Resort by Gart Capital Partners and Andy Daly, the resort is planning to invest $5 million in the coming year to improve the slopes for winter and summer recreation.

Topping the list of capital investments is the installation of a Poma high-speed quad chairlift along the same alignment as the current Take Four lift, the area’s base-to-summit lift. Construction begins next summer, with completion planned for opening day in mid-December for the 2015-2016 season.

SAM Magazine—Fairport, N.Y., Feb. 4, 2015—Three new safety-related studies suggest that helmets reduce head injuries, ski and snowboard injuries overall are trending downward, and that terrain parks have not led to an increase in catastrophic injuries. All three studies are in the process of being published in the upcoming ASTM STP: Selected Technical Papers 1582, which will appear this spring.

SAM Magazine—Danbury, N.H., Feb. 3, 2015—Ryan Schramm has been named general manager of Ragged Mountain Resort. Schramm, 36, joined the staff in 2010 and most recently served as director of business development, information technology (IT), F&B, and competitions.

SAM Magazine—Denver, Colo., Jan. 28, 2015—There’s stoke, and then there is the opposite of stoke. When Bill Jensen, former CEO of Intrawest, told a crowd of nearly 400 ski industry executives that from his view, 150 ski areas were in “the sunset of their existence” and an additional 150 ski areas could also be out of business within the decade, it became an immediate water-cooler topic.

Jensen was speaking as part of The Assembly 2015, a one-day forum that took place on the first day of the SIA Snow Show held at the Colorado Convention Center.

SAM Magazine—Hancock, Mass., Jan. 27, 2015—State-wide travel bans in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York – all of which were subsequently lifted by mid-day Tuesday morning—were ordered in preparation for Winter Storm Juno that was expected to drop more than 2 feet of snow throughout the Northeast. The travel bans forced some ski area closures, proving that it is possible to have too much of a good thing. Juno brought up to 30 inches in some, mostly coastal and suburban areas.

SAM Magazine—Woodbury, Conn., Jan. 27, 2015—SAM and SIA are once again sponsoring Rental + Backshop + Uniform at the SIA Snow Show in Denver Jan. 29-Feb. 1. The three exhibits give buyers a one-stop overview of market trends and key offerings from more than 50 suppliers and offer the chance to compare products side by side, free from sales pressure. And for early birds, there’s an additional benefit: free breakfast.