SAM Magazine-Vail, Colo., June 2, 2008-Vail Resorts has recently mandated across-the-board cuts in energy use of at least 10 percent for all departments by 2010. In a company memo, CEO Rob Katz said, "The issue of energy usage needs to be a company-wide imperative. Now, when you waste energy, you are not only impacting the environment and squand...

SAM Magazine-Schladming, Austria., June 2, 2008-This Austrian resort outpolled Vail/Beaver Creek and will host the 2013 Alpine World Ski Championships. The decision emerged from the FIS 46th International Ski Congress in Cape Town, South Africa. Schladming defeated competing bids from St. Moritz, Switzerland and Cortina, Italy, in addition to Vail....

SAM Magazine-Snowbird, Utah, June 2, 2008-On the heels of an epic winter, it should come as no surprise that Snowbird is adding more days to its season, which is shaping up to be one of the longest in North America. The resort will now stay open through Sunday, June 15, for weekend skiing and riding. "Consistent snowfall throughout the winter p...

SAM Magazine-Vail, Colo., June 2, 2008-In yet another headline-making move, Vail Resorts has axed the company's relationship with Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA), the non-profit marketing group which represents the state's ski industry. CSCUSA plans to continue operations on behalf of its 22 remaining members, but with a much smaller budget. R...

SAM Magazine-Minturn, Colo., May 27, 2008-Residents of this small mountain town between Vail and Beaver Creek voted 87 percent in favor of development of a private ski and golf resort outside of the community. The ski resort and golf community, a project spearheaded by the Ginn Company, will feature approximately 1,700 homes and condos, an 18-hole ...

SAM Magazine-Revelstoke, B.C., May 27, 2008-The first season was a good one for Canada's newest resort. Revelstoke Mountain ceased winter operations on April 27, chalking up 44 percent more skier visits than expected. Selkirk Tangiers Helicopter Skiing, owned by the resort, also posted strong numbers, with skier visits up 20 percent. Revelstoke...

SAM Magazine-Dubai, UAE, May 27, 2008-Ski Dubai, the indoor skiing center in the most unlikely of locations, has hosted its two-millionth visitor, reaching the mark after just two and a half years of operation. "It was very exciting for us to welcome our two millionth customer here," said Mike Mahoney, GM at Ski Dubai. "The figure proves that we...

SAM Magazine-Mammoth Lakes, Calif., May 27, 2008-Mammoth Mountain has eliminated 15 primarily middle-management positions, cutting the year-round workforce by five percent. The job cuts are expected to save the company approximately $1 million in benefits and salaries, and were, according to resort officials, a response to the weakening economy. Th...

SAM Magazine-Mammoth Lakes, Calif., May 26, 2008-Skiers and snowboarders have one more week to enjoy spring conditions at Mammoth Mountain. Cool temperatures and a foot of fresh snow over the Memorial Day holiday spurred the resort to stay open anothr week, through June 1. "I know this is very last minute, but so was the snow," said Mammoth M...

SAM Magazine-Bend, Ore., May 22, 2008-GM Matt Janney and three other executives at Mt. Bachelor have lost their jobs after a disappointing season punctuated by persistent operational problems and customer dissatisfaction with a 30 percent increase in season pass prices over the past two seasons. The changes come less than a year after Janney, a...

SAM Magazine-Mt. Buller, Australia, May 19, 2008-Australia's first sixpack highlights more than $25 million (AUD) worth of investment across the country as the 2008 ski season is primed for kickoff. The lift, at Mt. Buller, is the first of its kind for the nation. Other investments include a whopping AUD $16.25 million in snowmaking improvements at...

SAM Magazine-Denver, May 19, 2008-With snow still falling in the Rocky Mountains and the bean counters working overtime at many resorts after record seasons in both snowfall and skier days, a few areas are keeping the good times alive by reopening or extending their seasons. New York State's Windham Mountain is reopening on Saturday, May 24 to h...

SAM Magazine - Denver, Co., May 15, 2008 - Colorado Ski Country USA President and CEO Rob Perlman has announced that he will be departing the industry marketing group to take a position at Steamboat Ski Resort. Perlman, who headed up the statewide marketing organization for six years. At Steamboat Perlman will assume the position of vice presid...

SAM Magazine--Woodbury, Conn., May 16, 2007--SAM Magazine has announced the recipients of the 2008 SAMMY Leadership Awards and the third annual SAM Diversity Award. They are: 1) David Amirault, Interactive Services Manager at Freeskier magazine. Dave, also known as Digi Dave, is a web genius who has been pioneer online for resorts and now freesk...

SAM Magazine-Lake Wanaka, New Zealand, May 15, 2008-Cardrona Valley has received approval to build New Zealand's first access gondola. The $16.6 million gondola project will transport visitors from the Cardrona Valley floor to the ski facilities on the Pisa Range-Snow Park NZ, Waiorau Snow Farm and a third planned ski area, Roaring Meg Resort. The ...

SAM Magazine-Georgetown, Colo., May 15, 2008-Loveland ski resort is taking a look at the Dry Gulch area northeast of the ski area's lift-accessed terrain for a snow cat skiing operation. The Dry Gulch sector is part of the resort's permitted area, and a 1997 USFS master plan for the ski area identifies the area as suitable for guided skiing operati...

SAM Magazine-Portland, Me., May 15, 2008-The state of Maine, along with New Hampshire areas Loon Mountain and Bretton Woods, has joined the chorus of Eastern areas announcing record visits last winter. Maine's ski and snowboard industry tallied 1.42 million visits during the 2007-08 winter season. That beats the previous record of 1.36 million ...

SAM Magazine-Queenstown, N.Z., May 9, 2008-While resorts in North America are winding down their seasons, New Zealand areas are gearing up for opening day next month. Storms are starting to roll into New Zealand's mountains as resorts in the southern hemisphere: both Mt. Hutt and Coronet Peak are reporting more than 10 cm of snow from the first rou...

SAM Magazine-Telluride, Colo., May 9, 2008-You can't always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need. Colorado's only heli operation didn't get everything it wanted from the Bureau of Land Management, but still received a preliminary nod from the feds for expansion. Telluride Helitrax had asked the BLM for a ten-year permit to serv...

SAM Magazine-McLean, Va., May 9, 2008-The snow sports products market grew by $280 million to reach $2.97 billion for the 2007-08 season, up from approximately $2.69 billion in all channels last season, according to the SIA end-of-season Retail Audit conducted by Leisure Trends Group. Above average snowfall for the season, and an early start in man...

SAM Magazine-Denver, Colo., May 9, 2008-With Maine's Sugarloaf and Colorado's Loveland ceasing operations last weekend, several resorts remain open: Arapahoe Basin, Snowbird, Mammoth, Squaw Valley, Mt. Hood Meadows, Mt. Bachelor, and Brundage (and of course, Timberline, which operates year-round except for a few weeks in September for maintenance a...

SAM Magazine-Telluride, Colo., May 2, 2008-A Leitner-Poma quad will highlight Telluride's expansion this summer into Revelation Bowl. The quad will access above-treeline terrain on the other side of the ridge from the area's existing Gold Hill terrain. Situated above tree line, the wide-open bowl offers advanced and expert skiing. Constru...

SAM Magazine-Peru, Vt., May 2, 2008-John Cueman, president of Bromley Mountain, is assuming the position of vice president of real estate planning and ceding the president's post to Richard Wiseman, formerly GM of Camelback Ski Area, Pa. "Bromley's real estate potential is critical to Bromley's future," Cueman said. Cueman started at Bromley in ...

SAM Magazine - West Dover, Vt., May 1, 2008 - One hundred and fifty new fan guns highlight a $5 million snowmaking investment by Vermont's Mount Snow this summer. The upgrades come on the heels of substantial investments in snowmaking last summer, which saw the resort install 101 of the energy efficient SMI guns. Officials at the resort say that th...

SAM Magazine - Orinda, Ca., May 1, 2008 - A web poll conducted by OnTheSnow.Com, threw up some surprises for those who watch the industry. While the choice of Whistler Blackcomb as the top resort in North America may have been expected (the Canadian ski resort consistently scores high rankings in reader's polls conducted by such stalwarts as Ski an...

SAM Magazine-Alta, Wyo., April 25, 2008-Grand Targhee Resort has proclaimed its entire base area will become smoke free as of June 1. The resort's official summer operating season begins June 21. The policy asks all visitors and employees of the resort to refrain from smoking anywhere at the resort except for location at the east end of the mai...

SAM Magazine-Vail, Colo., April 23, 2008-North American search and rescue organizations are taking a harder look at RECCO technology as the system continues to prove itself across the Atlantic. The systems have been widespread in Europe for the last decade, with two avalanche victims being rescued alive this year using the system. According to ...

SAM Magazine-McLean Va., April 25, 2008-Snow Sports product sales are closing in on $3 billion by season's end, according to Kelly Davis, director of research for SnowSports Industries America (SIA). Sales figures are from the SIA Retail Audit, conducted by Leisure Trends Group of Boulder, Colo. Through February, apparel and accessories showed g...

SAM Magazine-Ludlow, Vt. April 22, 2008-Okemo, Vt., Whiteface, N.Y., and Jiminy Peak, Mass., are reporting their best seasons in history, demonstrating that the rebound in visits in the northeast was widespread this winter. Okemo reported skier days up nearly 25 percent over the late-starting 2006-07 season, and up six percent over the resort's ...

SAM Magazine-Salt Lake City, April 22, 2008-Despite a slow start in November, Utah resorts had a very strong season, benefiting from excellent snow conditions from December through February. Final attendance figures at Utah's 13 ski and snowboard resorts should fall somewhere near last season's record-setting 4,082,094 skier days, said Ski Utah pre...

SAM Magazine-Park City, Utah, April 16, 2008-Park City Mountain Resort plans $10.5 million in improvements for the 2008-09 winter season, including a new Doppelmayr CTEC high-speed chair lift, terrain enhancements and renovation of the Mid-Mountain Lodge. "Our goal is to have more of our guests explore the diverse terrain that our mountain ha...

SAM Magazine-Aspen, Colo., April 16, 2008-The Aspen Skiing Company is replacing the Sheer Bliss double at Snowmass with a new Leitner-Poma high speed quad, to the tune of $7 million. The new lift will be realigned to provide easy access to the entire Big Burn and Sheer Bliss areas. This region of Snowmass encompasses nearly 700 acres of terrain and...

SAM Magazine-Lyndonville, Vt., Apr. 14, 2008-How's your succession planning going? If it needs a boost, the second annual Resort Industry Leadership Institute (RILI) June 3-5 at Lyndon State College can help. It provides middle and upper level managers an opportunity to improve their leadership ability through a combination of workshops, keynotes, ...

SAM Magazine-Winter Park, Colo., April 14, 2008-With many ski resorts wrapping up their seasons, two of Clorado's biggest players are looking to lock in passholders for next year with a variety of discounted season pass offers. Following on the heels of Vail Resorts' various offers, Intrawest is courting skiers with a $399 Rocky Mountain Super P...

SAM Magazine-Broomfield, Colo., April 14, 2008-Vail Resorts will utilize a new state-of-the-art radio frequency technology with all of its season passes for next season-the Epic, Colorado, Summit and Heavenly season passes-to provide "easy scan" lift access. The technology makes it possible for skiers and snowboarders to keep their pass zipped insi...

SAM Magazine - Carrabassett Valley, Maine, April 9, 2008 - Sugarloaf has announced a $5 Million investment package at the resort this summer. The initiative will focus on improving snowmaking and the base area. According to the resort, a significant portion of the $5 million will go directly toward the snowmaking system, including upgrading water i...

SAM Magazine-April 9, 2008--With many resorts across the nation shuttering for the season, some ski area operators just can't quit. Idaho's Brundage Mountain Resort has announced that they will extend their winter with weekend operations on April 19-20 and April 26-27. With the news, the resort joins Colorado's Monarch Mountain and Okemo, Vermont, ...

Sam Magazine - Donner Summit, CA, April 9, 2008 - A Doppelmayr quad chair will highlight $2.6 million in improvements at California's Boreal. The new Castle Peak Quad will replace the existing Gunnar's double chair, increasing base area capacity on beginner/novice runs and evolution terrain parks. The new lift will take skiers and riders to a slig...

SAM Magazine, Carrabasett Valley, ME, April 8, 2008 -A series of avalanches in Sugarloaf's backside area on March 31 ran up to 200 feet wide and 200 feet long. The incidences were closed to the public, and the patrol was doing control work at the time. "They were small slides, which we have seen before in this area when base depths are large...

SAM Magazine-Ludlow, Vt., Mar. 31, 2008-Okemo Mountain Resort revealed today that it has been a recent target of criminal efforts to gain access to credit data by infiltration of its computer network. Okemo believes the intruder gained potential access to credit card data, including cardholder names, account numbers and expiration dates. An e...

SAM Magazine-Boulder, Colo., Mar. 27, 2008-In a series of staff changes at Mountain Sports Media, Ski magazine has named Greg Ditrinco editor, and Jake Bogoch has become editor of Skiing. Former Ski editor Kendall Hamilton becomes development editor for parent company Bonnier Corp.'s lifestyle and travel magazines. Ditrinco has been a key figure...

SAM Magazine--Newry, Maine, March 26, 2008--Sunday River announced that the first chondola in the Northeastern U.S. will be installed at the resort and will be up and running for the 2008-2009 season. The chondola will transport winter and summer guests from the South Ridge Base Area to the summit of North Peak, a trip that took two lift rides. Dop...

SAM Magazine-Aspen, Colo., Mar. 20, 2008-Aspen Highlands, Colo., and Cranmore, N.H., have joined the ranks of areas that are extending their seasons. Highlands will run weekends through April 27, providing two "bonus weekends" of operation. Cranmore will operate through April 6, with tubing operations on weekends through April 27. With over 120 ...

SAM Magazine-Taos, N.M., Mar. 20, 2008-Taos Ski Valley opened its slopes to snowboarders yesterday, and thousands of riders turned out to hit the famous slopes and steeps. The end of the snowboard ban at the 53-year-old area leaves just three areas that remain closed to snowboarders: Mad River Glen, Vt., and Deer Valley and Alta, Utah. Sherman P...

SAM Magazine-Vail, Colo., Mar. 18, 2008-The highly competitive Colorado market is known for ultra cheap season passes as giants Intrawest (Winter Park, Copper Mountain and Steamboat) and Vail Resorts (Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone) battle for visits. And the battle has escalated once again. Vail Resorts has thrown the latest punc...

SAM Magazine-Denver, Mar. 18, 2008-Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) says that a snowy January and February fueled a 6.7 percent gain in skier visits over the prior season for the period. In total, Colorado resorts racked up an estimated 5,540,464 visits during January and February. The increase puts the state on track to match last winter's record...

SAM Magazine-Bormio, Italy, Mar. 14, 2008-To complete an historic World Cup haul for the U.S., Olympic champion Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) joined Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) and Bode Miller (Bretton Woods, NH) as a 2008 World Cup champion Friday. This is the first time three American ski racers have won World Cup titles in the same season. The trio ...

SAM Magazine - Golden, B.C., March 10, 2008 - Kicking Horse resort in British Columbia has announced the launch of a new "Big Mountain Centre." Scheduled to open March 22, the Centre is an attempt by the resort to improve and enhance the big-mountain skiing and snowboarding educational experience. With sponsorship from Red Bull, Peak Performance, N...

SAM Magazine-Wolf Creek, Colo., March 14, 2008-Colorado Ski resort Wolf Creek and New England area Loon Mountain have joined Monarch Ski Area in extending their seasons. Others, including Jiminy Peak, Mass., are ready to do the same; for now, though, Jiminy is saying only that it will operate "well into April." The reason for lengthening the sea...

SAM Magazine - Heavenly, Ca., March 14, 2008 - Heavenly Ski Resort has announced the creation of the Heavenly Flyer, the longest zip line in the continental U.S. The year-round ride will propel riders at speeds up to 50 mph and features two separate lines and has a 525 vertical foot drop, matching that of the Space Needle. At 3,300 feet, the Heaven...

SAM Magazine-Princeton, Mass., March 14, 2008-Ski and snowboard equipment demos are regular events at ski areas across the country, but none are like Wachusett Mountain's annual "Ride 'Em & Rank 'Em!" No other equipment preview is available for the general public.   Since its inception six years ago, this consumer demo has given Wachuset...

SAM Magazine-Boise, Idaho, Mar. 14, 2008-Investment bank Credit Suisse is suing Tamarack Resort, claiming the resort has failed to repay $262 million in debt and interest. The company is asking the court to foreclose on the property an award it to Credit Suisse; in anticipation of just such a move, Tamarack filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protectio...

SAM Magazine-Hancock, Mass., Mar. 11, 2008-EOS Ventures, LLC, co-owned by Jiminy Peak CEO Brian Fairbank, is partnering with Sustainable Energy Developments, Inc. (SED), which installed the wind turbine at Jiminy in the summer of 2007, to promote the development of renewable energy.   "More than three years ago, we embarked on a journey and ...

SAM Magazine-Keystone, Colo., Mar. 11, 2008-Keystone Resort has expanded its commitment to the environment by serving sustainable seafood at several of its restaurants. Keystone's move will help support the long-term viability of the ocean and individual marine species; according to a recent United Nations report, nearly 25 percent of the world's s...

SAM Magazine-Bartlett, N.H., Mar. 10, 2008-Peak Resorts is offering a variety of combination passes at its Northeastern resorts for 2008-09, placing them in competition with the Threedom Pass (Waterville Valley, Bretton Woods, and Cranmore) and New England Pass (Sunday River, Sugarloaf, and Loon Mountain). The Nor'easter Pass ($549 to $849, depe...

SAM Magazine-Findley Lake, N.Y., Mar. 10, 2008 -Peek'n Peak Resort and Spa has named Steven R. Lempke president of the resort. Lempke will oversee the entire resort with a strong focus on the customer experience.  "I am pleased that Steve has joined the team at Peek'n Peak," said Paul Kiebler, owner of the resort. "He will be an excellent ...

SAM Magazine-Broomfield, Colo., Mar. 10, 2008-Vail Resorts officials blamed dismal early-season conditions for a drop in the company's net income in the fiscal second quarter, which ended Jan. 31. The company reported net income of $51.3 million compared with prior year net income of $53 million. The company's flagship resort, Vail, opened appro...

SAM Magazine-Broomfield, Colo., Mar. 10, 2008-Poor early-season conditions and a decline in real estate income led to a three percent drop in Vail Resort's net income in the fiscal second quarter, which ended Jan. 31. The company reported net income of $51.3 million compared with prior year net income of $53 million. The company's flagship resor...

SAM Magazine--March 6, 2008--Woodbury, CT--Deadline Nears for the SAMMY and Diversity Leadership Awards Time is running out to send in nominations for two important industry awards: the SAMMY Leadership Award and the Diversity Leadership Award. Both awards close at the end of this month, March 31st, 2008. Nominees for the SAMMY Leadership Awa...

SAM Magazine-Telluride, Colo., Mar. 3, 2008-Telluride has opened Palmyra Peak for the first time in the resort's history. The new hike-to terrain comprises more than 200 acres and nearly 2,000 vertical feet of north facing expert only skiing off of the 13,320 foot peak. The mountain, which towers above Black Iron and Prospect Bowls, was form...