SAM Magazine—Olympic Valley, Calif., April 18, 2016—No need to spend time hunting for a closer parking spot on your next trip to Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, so long as you bring at least three friends. The resort has partnered with Protect Our Winters (POW) to offer free premium close-in parking to guests who carpool with at least four passengers in the vehicle.

SAM Magazine—Killington, Vt., April 14, 2016—The trend of expanding summer business at mountain resorts has gained traction at Killington in Vermont. The resort plans to invest $850,000 this summer to install dual zip lines, summer tubing lanes, and a 40-foot tower jump. Also included is a new rental fleet of mountain bikes, six new mountain bike trails, upgrades to food and beverage facilities, and kids camps.

SAM Magazine—Burke, Vt., April 14, 2016—The last 24 hours have been dramatic in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, culminating with the Securities and 

Exchange Commission charging Q Burke and Jay Peak co-owners Ariel Quiros and Bill Stenger with fraud. The charges are the result of an investigation performed by the agency into the partners’ use of EB-5 foreign investor funds.

Woodbury, Conn., April 14, 2016—SAM Magazine has selected four outstanding individuals to receive 2016 SAMMY Leadership Awards: Halley O’Brien, Elia Hamilton, Phoebe Mills, and Steve Wright. The awards, now in their 19th year, recognize individuals who, in mid-career, are influencing the future of the mountain resort industry. The four will receive their awards on May 20 at the SAMMY Awards during the National Ski Areas Association conference in Nashville, Tenn.

SAM Magazine—Snowbird, Utah, April 13, 2016—Snowbird was granted unanimous approval by the Utah County Board of Adjustment on two conditional use permits involving resort expansion in American Fork Canyon. The plans call for a new gondola, two new chairlifts, 500 acres of new terrain, and a zip line.

SAM Magazine—Newbury, N.H., April 6, 2016—Today Mount Sunapee N.H., received approval from the state to move forward with its West Bowl Expansion, which will add 56 acres of skiing terrain down the west flank of the mountain into the town of Goshen. There will be four top-to-bottom intermediate to advance intermediate runs, all with snowmaking, serviced by a 5,100’ high-speed quad chairlift.

SAM Magazine—Burke, Vt., April 6, 2016—In the employment-starved Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, a major development project funded by a program designed to create jobs has resulted in a loss of jobs and much squabbling between the state and the developers, Bill Stenger and Ari Quiros. 

This begins SAM’s monthly series of updates on important happenings about prominent people in the ski and snowboard industry. This will include awards, promotions, obituaries, and recognitions.

SAM Magazine—East Rutherford, N.J., April 5, 2016—Developer Triple Five and resort operating group SNOW Operating are partnering to operate North America’s first indoor snow center, “Big SNOW America,” at American Dream when the megaplex at the Meadowlands Sports Complex opens in 2017.

SAM Magazine—Whistler, B.C., April 6, 2016—Big things are in the works at North America’s biggest ski resort with Whistler Blackcomb planning to invest $345 million over three phases of development. Called “Whistler Blackcomb Renaissance,” the investment will add new, year-round attractions and activities, see major on-mountain winter and summer improvements, offer new real estate developments, and improve Blackcomb’s upper and lower base areas.

SAM Magazine—Carrabassett Valley, Maine, April 4, 2016—While only a handful of New England ski resorts remain open, several are planning to continue operations for weeks, if not a month or more.

Natick, Mass., April 1, 2016—After much anticipation and more than 66,000 votes tallied, SAM Magazine and HKD Snowmakers are honored to announce the Sunday River, ME, Snowmaking Crew as the winner of the 2016 I Am a Snowmaker Award. When asked to share their team motto, Sunday River responded, “We’re not just a team; we’re a brotherhood!” To view Sunday River’s complete profile as well as the five other teams nominated, click here.

SAM Magazine—Dover, Vt., March 29, 2016—Mountain ops crews at ski areas in the eastern half of the continent have put in a herculean effort this winter to keep the ski season going and provide a quality product for visitors. In most areas out West, the snow hasn’t really stopped falling, so resorts are keeping winter rolling.

SAM Magazine—Big Sky, Mont., March 25, 2016—The shortage of affordable housing in resort communities across the U.S. has become a major issue—one that the recently formed Big Sky Community Housing Trust (BSCHT) aims to address by growing the inventory of such residences for the town’s local workforce.

SAM Magazine—Zermatt, Switzerland, Mar. 25, 2016—High-altitude resorts across the Alps are preparing for and investing in summer operations, according to Patrick Thorne's SnowHunter World Weekly Snow News. The strategies are, not surprisingly, diverse.

SAM Magazine—Bend, Ore., March 23, 2016—As of March 16, Mt. Bachelor president and general manager Dave Rathbun no longer holds a position with the resort, and nobody knows why. Rathbun said he was unable to speak about the circumstances surrounding his departure and directed questions to John McCloud, the resort’s director of finance, who Rathbun said had been appointed acting general manager.

SAM Magazine—Wildwood, Mo., March 23, 2016—With 14 properties located in the snow-starved eastern half of the country, Peak Resorts’ results for the third quarter ending Jan. 31 summed up the difficult winter it’s been. The company reported a Q3 profit of $3.7 million, and the $38.7 million of revenue is down 16 percent from the same quarter last year. Nonetheless, Peak’s net income rose 13 percent year-over-year.

SAM Magazine—Washington, D.C., March 23, 2016—Despite this winter’s challenging snow year in the eastern half of the country, participation in January Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month (LSSM) programs topped 166,000 in 2016, up from 118,000 a year ago. Numbers are based on results from the annual LSSM resort survey.

SAM Magazine—Denver, March 15, 2016—According to a recent report by DestiMetrics, winter business is on its way to a strong finish at western resorts and their surrounding communities. Bookings made in February for arrival in February were up a dramatic 19.2 percent compared to the same time last year.

SAM Magazine—Denver, March 16, 2016—Colorado Ski Country USA’s 21 member resorts reported an uptick in skier visits of 3.8 percent during the second period of the season, defined as Jan. 1–Feb. 29, compared to the same period last season. From opening day through Feb. 29, member resorts are up a total of 6.2 percent in skier visits compared to last season.

SAM Magazine—Frisco, Colo., March 16, 2016—Copper Mountain just moved up the list for families with kids ages 6 to 12 after the resort unveiled its new Kids Ski Free season pass offer. With the purchase of an adult season pass ($399 for ages 18+, no blackout dates) kids 6 to 12 get a free season pass. The offer ends after June 1.

SAM Magazine—Sutton, Que., March 9, 2016—The sale and purchase of Mont Sutton Ski Area is now complete. Today, the Superior court has confirmed the acquisition of Ski Sutton Inc. by Jean-Michel Ryan, Pierre Chesnay and Sylvain Gervais for C$7.5 million. This amount includes the purchase of all Ski Sutton Inc. shares, the debt and other entities related to the Boulanger family.

SAM Magazine—Laguna Hills, Calif. March 14, 2016— The 41st annual Mountain Travel Symposium (MTS) April 3–9 in Keystone, Colorado, will welcome it largest audience ever, as registered attendance has topped 1,000. That number includes an international contingent from 38 countries, providing an indication of how important group business is for destination resorts—and group travel buyers.

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., March 10, 2016—After more than 75 years in operation, Wilmot Mountain, Wis., is about to get a $13 million overhaul courtesy of new owner Vail Resorts. The plan covers upgrades to on-mountain infrastructure, base area facilities, and a learning terrain expansion.

SAM Magazine—Santa Fe, N.M., March 9, 2016—New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez signed Bill 193 yesterday, which will allow consumption of alcoholic beverages in controlled access areas on the grounds of ski areas. The bill takes effect July 1. Currently, ski areas can have liquor licenses that allow alcohol to be served only in lodges or other buildings.

SAM Magazine—Minneapolis, Minn., March 8, 2016—Amy Reents will take over as president/executive director of the Midwest Ski Areas Association effective May 1.

SAM Magazine—Sutton, Que., March 8, 2016—During a Ski Sutton Inc. shareholders meeting this morning, 97 percent of those in attendance voted to approve an offer by a group of local investors to purchase the company, which includes Mont Sutton Ski Area. The investor group is led by current Mont Sutton GM Jean-Michel Ryan, and also includes Pierre Chesnay and Sylvain Gervais.

SAM Magazine—Wildwood, Mo., March 4, 2016—With seven properties from Pennsylvania to New Hampshire, including newly acquired Hunter Mountain in New York, Peak Resorts has consolidated its season pass products for what it refers to as its northeast region. The new Peak Pass family of products takes an approach akin to American Skiing Company’s All 4 One passes and Vail’s Epic Pass, providing access to multiple resorts for a low price relative to the rest of the market.

SAM Magazine—Sutton, Que., March 4, 2016—After what appeared to be the beginning of a bidding war for Quebec’s Mont Sutton (see earlier Breaking News story), the company’s board of directors announced it has rejected the offer by the Thirion-Beauregard group and will move forward with the approval process to finalize the initial offer agreed upon with the Ryan Group.

SAM Magazine—Yosemite, Calif., March 1, 2016—The federal government has decided to change the names of several iconic businesses in Yosemite National Park—including Badger Pass Ski Area—rather than risk those businesses getting shut down during a legal battle over trademark rights. The concessionaire that until today had a contract to operate hotels, trail rides, bus service, and more in Yosemite National Park is asking for $51.2 million as “fair value” for trademarked names it has owned since it took over the contract in 1993. The government says the assets are worth $3.5 million.

SAM Magazine—Winchester, N.H., March 1, 2016—After 30 years as executive director of the Cross Country Ski Areas Association (CCSAA), Chris Frado is retiring, effective Oct. 7, 2016. She will be succeeded by current SnowSports Industries America (SIA) nordic director Reese Brown, who is also an elected representative to the CCSAA board of directors.

SAM Magazine—Donner Summit, Calif., March 1, 2016—After going missing on Jan. 14 following an afternoon of skiing with his brother, the body of 23-year-old Sugar Bowl ski instructor Carson May was located Monday afternoon by search and rescue teams in an area about a quarter-mile beyond the resort’s boundaries.

SAM Magazine—Queenstown, New Zealand, March 1, 2016—Jet-setting Mountain Collective pass holders can now add New Zealand to the list of possible destinations next season, thanks to the addition of Coronet Peak and The Remarkables to the multi-destination pass starting in 2016-17. New Zealand is the fourth country to be included on the pass.

SAM Magazine—Davis, W.Va., Feb. 26, 2016—Following a chairlift failure at Timberline Resort (W.Va.), on Saturday, Feb. 20, caused by an entire cross arm sheave train assembly detaching from the top of a lift tower and falling to the ground, resorts nationwide have been inspecting other lifts of similar vintage and design and built by the same manufacturer.

SAM Magazine—Sutton, Que., Feb. 26, 2016—Ten years after the Boulanger family put Mont Sutton, Que., up for sale, an offer to purchase the resort by a group of local investors was approved by the family in late January. In a bit of a dramatic twist, another investment group swooped in yesterday and made public an offer that exceeds the original group’s number—apparently by quite a bit.

SAM Magazine—Dover, Vt., Feb. 24, 2016—If one common thread can be found in reports from various regions of the country, it’s that President’s Week 2016 brought some interesting weather. In some places, lackluster visitation reflected miserable weather conditions; in others, weather was less of a factor.

SAM Magazine—Jackson, Wyo., Feb. 24, 2016—The deadline to vote for your favorite downhill mountain bike park in the “MTBparks.com Best Bike Parks Rider Survey” is drawing near. This annual survey names the top five bike parks in eight different regions across North America.

SAM Magazine—Davis, W.Va., Feb. 22, 2016—Shortly after the Thunderstruck triple chair at Timberline Resort, W.Va., opened on Saturday morning, an entire cross arm sheave train assembly detached from its perch atop a tower and fell to the ground, bringing with it the haul rope and a handful of chairs. Twenty-five people came in contact with the snow as a result, with nine of them experiencing minor injuries. Seven were treated on-site, and two others were transported to a nearby hospital before being released later that day.

SAM Magazine—Denver, Feb. 16, 2016—January was a strong month for Rocky Mountain and Far West mountain destinations, according to a recent report from DestiMetrics. Local and regional visitors are credited with an uptick in bookings, with aggregated occupancy and reservations from November through April up 3.4 percent, and revenues up 4.7 percent compared to the same time last winter.

SAM Magazine—Saint-Sauveur, Que., Feb. 16, 2016—Mother Nature will dictate how much Quebec skiers and riders will pay for an evening lift ticket tonight at Mont Saint-Sauveur. The total ticket price will depend on how much snow accumulates as of 3 p.m. today from the winter storm hitting the area, with the resort planning to charge $1 per centimeter of snow.

SAM Magazine—Denver,  Feb. 16, 2016—Nora Pykkonen, who purchased Echo Mountain Resort in 2012 with plans to develop a private ski racing training facility, has filed for bankruptcy, citing $1.45 million in debt to the resort's top 20 creditors, consisting mainly of $100,000 to $200,000 loans. The mountain continues to operate.

SAM Magazine—Tupper Laker, N.Y., Feb. 16, 2016—During a winter in which lean natural snowfall and mild conditions have made snowmaking a necessity in the East, not having the ability to make snow has officially ended any hopes of opening Big Tupper Ski Area in the Adirondacks for skiing and riding.

SAM Magazine—Boulder, Colo., Feb. 18, 2016—After 13 years in print, SNOWBOARD Magazine will be printed no longer. The company, owned by Storm Mountain Publishing Group, has decided to drop its print version to focus on its digital, social, and custom-content formats.

SAM Magazine—Palmerton, Pa., Feb. 5, 2016—Following a variety of recent capital improvements, Blue Mountain Resort is planning yet another major project—a much-needed lodging property at the summit of the mountain. Described as a “4-star luxury condominium hotel,” the Vista Lodge Residence Club will be the only major lodging property within a 30-minute drive of the resort.

SAM Magazine—Denver, Colo., Feb. 5, 2016—Intrawest Resorts Holdings, Inc. reported a 26.9 percent decrease in skier visits across its mountain properties during the second quarter ending Dec. 31. Revenue across all divisions decreased by $16.9 million, to $104 million,  over the same period, with the challenging start to winter at its Eastern properties clearly the reason for the shortfall.

SAM Magazine—One Hundred Mile House, B.C., Feb. 5, 2016—The recently formed Mountain Playground Group—a consortium of community and independent small ski areas—has added a new member. The non-profit Mt. Timothy, located in the Cariboo Range of British Columbia, became the seventh such operation to join.

SAM Magazine—Manchester Center, Vt., Feb. 5, 2016—The International Skiing History Assn. (ISHA) is honoring several broadcasters, filmmakers, writers, and historians for their achievements during the 24th annual ISHA Awards in Aspen on April 7.

SAM Magazine—Timberline, Ore. Feb. 5, 2016—Registration is now open for the 2016 session of Cutter's Camp—the industry’s longest running gathering of terrain park professionals—which will be held at Timberline, Mt. Hood, Ore., May 9-13.

SAM Magazine—Mammoth Lakes, Calif., Feb. 4, 2016—It’s not every day a guy gets to own a piece of the resort where he learned to snowboard, but then again, Shaun White isn’t your everyday snowboarder. The two-time Olympic gold medalist and San Diego native now owns a minority stake in Mammoth Resorts, which recently acquired Bear Mountain and Snow Summit—the SoCal resorts where White, 29, began riding at age 6.

SAM Magazine—North Conway, N.H., Jan. 28, 2016—The biggest ski town/resort news could just happen at quaint, historical Cranmore Mountain in the coming years. In a group press conference on Wednesday, Boston entrepreneur Joe O’Donnell, along with his partner, the father-son team of Brian and Tyler Fairbank (of Jiminy Peak, Bromley, and Cranmore) detailed a $50 million project and improvement plan that they hope to break ground on this spring.

SAM Magazine—Sutton, QC Jan. 27, 2016—A group of Quebec investors has reached an agreement with the majority shareholders, the Boulanger family, to acquire Ski Sutton Inc., the owner of the Mont SUTTON ski resort. The investors include Jean Michel Ryan, Mont SUTTON’s General Manager, Sylvain Gervais of Enterprises Larry, and Pierre Chesnay, a former member of Uni-Select’s senior management.

SAM Magazine—Reno, Nev., Jan. 27, 2016—After 45 years as majority owner, Fritz Buser, 95, has decided it’s time to sell Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe and retire.

Marketing director Mike Pierce said resort staff was informed of Buser’s intention to put the property up for sale early last week before a statement was released on Saturday.

SAM Magazine—Snowshoe, W.Va., Jan. 25, 2016—The first headline-making winter storm to hit the eastern U.S. started with much fanfare on Friday morning and didn’t end for many until late Saturday night, leaving behind as much as three feet of much-needed snow at many Mid-Atlantic and Southeast ski areas.

While resorts welcomed the glut of snow, the timing of the storm and the sheer volume of it created some immediate operational challenges.

With plentiful snowfall across most of the West this winter, NSAA’s annual winter conference and trade show Jan. 19-21 at Squaw Valley’s Resort at Squaw Creek drew a large and largely upbeat crowd. NSAA reported a total of 660 attendees represented by 79 ski areas and 129 supplier companies.

SAM Magazine—Dover, Vt., Jan. 22, 2016—Whistler Blackcomb, Okemo, and Stowe were recognized recently as great places to work. For the fifth consecutive year, Whistler Blackcomb was honored by the editors of “Canada’s Top 100 Employers” in an annual competition that recognizes employers offering the nation's best...

SAM Magazine—Denver, Jan. 22, 2016—The 2016 Assembly, focused on how North American resorts and communities can manage the peaks and valleys of summer visitation and increase visits overall, takes place Jan. 28 at the SIA Snow Show in the Colorado Convention Center. And it’s shaping up as the biggest Assembly yet.

SAM Magazine—Woodbury, Conn., Jan. 22, 2016—Rental World/Backshop, co-hosted by SAM Magazine and SnowSports Industries America (SIA), presents a broad overview of the rental equipment marketplace at the SIA Snow Show in Denver Jan. 28-31. The exhibit includes alpine and snowboard gear, helmets, XC, backshop tools and products, and racking systems.

SAM Magazine—Jackson, Wyo., Jan. 19, 2016— Five independent community ski areas have banded together to form the Mountain Playground Group, a new consortium created by the Mountain Rider’s Alliance to cultivate a viable niche market in small resort skiing by promoting “the authenticity and uniqueness of soulful ski areas,&rd...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Jan. 19, 2016—Vail Resorts’ most recent acquisition in the Midwest has the Windy City’s estimated 800,000 skiers and riders within close proximity. Wilmot Mountain, Wisc., located 65 miles north of Chicago, is the third Midwest resort in VR’s portfolio. Terms of the acquisition were not ...

SAM Magazine—Denver, Jan. 15, 2016—According to the most recent data released by Denver-based DestiMetrics, as of Dec. 31, actual occupancy and future reservations at Western destination resorts are up 2.5 percent for the season, with revenue up 3.7 percent compared to last winter. DestiMetrics credits strong snowfall in the Rocky Mount...