• Miscellaneous
• Lifts

"I just wanted to thank you for all that you have done to foster such vibrant and helpful collaboration between industry leaders. It is truly inspiring to be on a call knowing that our smallest mountains and largest resorts are wrestling with the same issues and working together to solve them." – Tom Butler, Sugarloaf The pandemic is behind u...

• Ski School
• Lifts

SAM Magazine—Woodbury, Conn., Dec. 22, 2017—Josh Bremer’s “Junkyard Dog” feature at Whitecap Mountain, Wis., and the Scott Delforte Park Jam at Bristol Mountain, N.Y., are the winners of the 13th annual SAM 2017 Terrain Park Contest. The contest drew nearly 30 entries from around the world.

The I AM a Snowmaker contest—sponsored by HKD Snowmakers—highlights the hard work, determination and camaraderie of snowmakers, and recognizes their critical contributions to the alpine, Nordic, snowboard, and winter tubing industry. I AM a Snowmaker was launched in 2013, and has highlighted the expertise and character of a wide variety of sno...

• People
• Events
• Conferences / Trade Shows
• Marketing

  SPONSORED CONTENT             The Snowball Effect Group Launches t...

• Ski Area Profiles
• Lifts

November 2024 Making Snow The Cross-Country Way Low-snow winters have convinced some operators to embrace small snowmaking systems.  When it comes to natural snow, the climate these days isn’t always forthcoming. It was espec...

• Ski Area Profiles
• Summer

  The I AM a Snowmaker contest—sponsored by HKD Snowmakers—highlights the hard work, determination and camaraderie of snowmakers, and recognizes how critical they are to the success of the mountain resort industry. I AM a Snowmaker was started in the winter of 2013-14, and has since had various forms, all in keeping with this mission. Seven ...

• Lifts
• Personnel Issues

Congratulation Nick Gilbertson from AZ Snowbowl SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Aug. 23, 2022—In a tight race, the lift maintenance team from Arizona Snowbowl and its featured lift mechanic Nick Gilbertson have won the 2022 Rise Up Challenge, sponsored by Leitner-Poma of America. Gilbertson and the Snowbowl team will be awarded a $3,500 education...

• Resort Development

  10 Under 30 from July 2024 ...

• Safety

September 2024 Words To Live By “Culture statements” form the backbone of a strong company culture and talent development strategy at Arizona Snowbowl. The difficulties facing those who enter mountain resort life are well do...

• Environment
• Miscellaneous

EJH Distribution Ltd. Great Glamping Giveaway 2023 – OFFICIAL RULES NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. MAKING A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW. 1.  PROMOTION DESCRIPTION: The Great Glamping Giveaway ("Contest") begins on July 10, 2023 12:00pm and end...

• Miscellaneous
• Legal

Summer Ops Camp and EJH Distribution Ltd., a premium supplier of creative structures, are excited to offer a great glamping giveaway to camp attendees.* One lucky resort will win a starter glamping set up that includes two De Waard tents—the Big Oak and the Round Holly. Enter the contest between July 10 and Sept. 1 to be considered.  Details: ...

• Lifts
• Ski Patrol

Capture and sell quality photos and videos of your adventure experience!     Action Photo Systems provides a fully automated image capture and a sales platform that is simple for guests to use and requires no staff involvement. We have over a decade of experience partnering with adventure tour experiences across America - specializing in tho...

• Marketing

The 2022 SAMMY Leadership Award honorees symbolize actions, approaches, and operations that have grown in importance during the past two tumultuous years—small, family-owned ski areas; diversity, equity, and inclusion on our mountains; and transparent marketing communications and technology. This year’s honorees are: Constance Beverley, champio...

• Ski Area Profiles
• Legal

Meet the 2022-2023 Summit Series mentee class hailing from resorts across North America, large, mid-size, and small, independent, and corporate, and represent departments ranging from mountain ops to marketing. Thank you to everyone who applied to be a part of our fourth mentee class. 

• Trail Maintenance
• Grooming
• Racing

 Meet the 2023-24 Summit Series mentee class hailing from resorts across the United States, large, mid-size, and small, independent, and corporate, and represent departments ranging from mountain ops to marketing. Thank you to everyone who applied to be a part of our fourth mentee class. 

• Legal
• Marketing

                     The 2022-23 Summit Series leadership development program brings together mentors from across the U.S. and Canada, from resorts large and small, independent and corporate, and drive and destination, to share their experiences and stories with a group of peer- and self-nominated mentees. We are incredibly for...

• Legal
• Marketing

                    The 2023-24 Summit Series leadership development program brings together mentors from across the U.S., from resorts large and small, independent and corporate, and drive and destination, to share their experiences and stories with a group of peer- and self-nominated mentees. We are incredibly fortunate to h...

• Racing

Congratulation Leah Parkes from Craigleith, winner of the 2021 Rise Up Challenge    SAM Magazine—Barrie, Ont., Aug. 10, 2021—The lift maintenance team from Ontario’s Craigleith Ski Club and its featured up-and-coming lift mechanic Leah Parkes won the inaugural Rise Up Challenge sponsored by Leitner-Poma of America, garnering nearly 1,...

• Marketing
• Ski Area Profiles

Packages are all-inclusive of two nights of lodging at the Steamboat Grand, all meals, sessions, workshops, outdoor demos, drink tickets, activities, a welcome bag, and a complimentary year-long subscription to our sister magazine, Adventure Park Insider. All package prices are per person. Double occupancy packages will need two registrants to comp...

• Resort Development
• Lift Maintenance

Last week at Cutter's Camp at Timberline Lodge, Ore., pro skier Drew Petersen spoke about mental health. Drew has been a vocal advocate in raising awareness of mental health issues in mountain communities, using his own very powerful story of battling suicidal thoughts, anxiety, and depression to put the crisis into perspective. When we watch...

• Ski School

Through the success of Lumina Night Walks, mountain resort and outdoor activity operators have successfully created multimedia experiences that appeal to a larger demographic, thereby increasing and diversifying attendance. These magical, immersive attractions also allow them to leverage existing infrastructure to create an entertainment offering t...

• Lifts

For businesses that earn the bulk of their revenue from snow and cold weather, is it possible to remain profitable without either of the two? While mountain resorts are bustling during the winter months, summer tourism can also be a lucrative venture. To fully capitalize on warm-season business, multi-use facilities in key locations are a vital par...

• Marketing

SAMMY Leadership Award 2021 honorees embody many of the mountain resort industry’s hallmarks: creativity, work ethic, entrepreneurship, selflessness, and involvement. The class of 2021 includes: Katie Brown, an involved mentor, promoter, and champion for female leaders; Robert McClendon, a coach and jack-of-all-trades; Jon Schaefer, an innovator ...

• Marketing
• Lifts

Running a ski area is like operating 20 different businesses in one. It takes an amazing variety of highly skilled passionate people to run a ski area. From snowmakers to patrollers, instructors to guest services, marketing, accounting, lift ops, maintenance—the list goes on. Aspenware CEO Rob Clark always says that running a ski area is like op...

• Ski Area Profiles
• Marketing

CUTTER'S CAMP 2024 TIMBERLINE, MT. HOOD MAY 13-17 Airport transfers will be on Monday, May 15, and Friday, May 19. The shuttle schedule will be as follows.*Departing PDX on Monday, May 15:10:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m. Departing Timberline Lodge on Friday, May 19:7:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m.*Please book your flights accordingly. If you miss...

• Ski Area Profiles
• Marketing

November 2024 SAM Terrain Park Contest 2024 Our annual contest shows how park builders flexed their creativity and ambition during the 2023-24 winter season.  Every year, as we sift through the dozens of entries we receive for ...

• Racing
• Ski Area Profiles

Lift Operations Articles November 2024 Construction Site :: November 2024 New lifts and snowmaking upgr...

• Legal

 A deep dive into big tourism’s marketing and sales strategies and how to apply them to the ski industry.  By Casey Parliament, Intouch It’s no secret that Disney, Marriott Hotels, Sundance Resort, The Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art) and every other brand name attraction or experience uses its good name to attract visitors. But how do the...

• Snowmaking
• Area Management

accesso sponsored content   How to improve guest experiences, increase revenue, and stress less in 2022 By Phil Schwartz As ski areas grapple with an ever-changing business landscape, it’s important to keep a close eye on consumer trends. In a world of Instacart and Amazon, guests have become accustomed to seamless online transactions that...

The 2021-2022 Summit Series mentee class hail from resorts across North America, large, mid-size, and small, independent, and corporate, and represent departments ranging from mountain ops to marketing. Thank you to everyone who applied to be a part of our fourth mentee class. 

• Personnel Issues
• Racing

Businesses have spent much of the past 18 months adapting to extraordinary circumstances. Now, amid continued uncertainty, one thing is certain: 2021-22 will be the time to reimagine, reinvent, and reset. With strong leadership guiding the way, our company cultures, productivity, guest experience, green growth, technology, labor, and resiliency...

• Resort Development
• Lift Maintenance

Summit Series Bootcamps   These online learning experiences include:  Five pre-recorded sessions with the 2021-22 Summit Series mentors and mentees. Lessons organized into bite-sized conversations so you can proceed at your own pace, day or night, as your schedule permits––a progress checker keeps you on pace and holds your spot when ...

• Resort Development

The Summit Series Bootcamps are so pleased to be working with these fabulous speakers who will be sharing their thoughts and insights throughout the Bootcamp program.

• Area Management

The 2021-22 Summit Series program brings together mentors from across the U.S. and Canada, from large and small resorts, independent and corporate, day visit and destination markets, to share their experiences and stories with our mentees. We are incredibly fortunate to have this accomplished group of individuals leverage their knowledge and expertise to help guide, mentor, and advise participants throughout the Summit Series as we look toward the future of the mountain resort industry.

Thank you to our premiere sponsor, MountainGuard, for their support of this program. 

• Grooming
• Trail Maintenance
• Snowmaking

September 2024 Funding the Fight Against Wildfires Western ski areas are figuring out how to fund costly, but necessary, vegetation management projects to mitigate wildfire risk. With the increased need for wildfire mitigation ...

• Miscellaneous
• Safety

November 2024 Envisioning An AI-Powered Future What does the growth of AI mean for the winter sports industry? AI tools are already reshaping the way we search, shop, schedule, and synthesize data. Whether you actively seek out ...

• Area Management

accesso sponsored content There’s a lot of preparation involved when planning an upcoming snow adventure, from browsing different options and purchasing tickets to choosing whether to overpack or under pack (who knows, maybe you will end up needing five extra pairs of socks).  For an excited guest, minor inconveniences—like long lines to...

• Lift Maintenance

This year’s SAMMY Leadership Award honorees embody many of the mountain resort industry’s hallmarks: creativity, work ethic, entrepreneurship, selflessness, and involvement. The class of 2020 includes Danielle Kristmanson and MJ Legault, the guiding lights of some of our most successful brands, Ken Gaitor, a respected and influential operations...

• Ski Area Profiles

    With more than 250 installations, the Wiegand Alpine Coaster is the world’s leader in the mountain coaster industry. The brand creates outstanding revenue for customers worldwide and sets the standard for future resort installations. The Wiegand Alpine Coaster is the only mountain coaster that is designed and engineered to meet DIN, AST...

• Miscellaneous

Choosing your next summer attraction or service is made easier with company and product descriptions, videos, testimonials, and contact information. Click on a logo to learn more.   Defining De...

• Lifts
• Marketing

Choosing a technology supplier is made easier with company and product descriptions, videos, testimonials, and contact information. Click on a logo to learn more or view our full Tech Supplier overview from the November issue.   ...

• Racing

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• Lifts

  Rise Up Challenge ...

  Adventure Park Insider ...

• Resort Development

The Risk of Not Investing in Tech A look at the costs of investing—or not investing—in the latest the latest software and what the future may bring. ...

• Ski School

Check out the 2024 Groomer Report along with all our grooming articles—in one place! ...

• Snowmaking
• Lifts

  Snowmaking Articles ...

Explore key themes and insights discovered by Metric Centric during the customer listening sessions they held over the past year.   ...

• Lifts

  A good lift mechanic is hard to find. Leitner-Poma of America wants to help the industry rise up to the challenge of supporting the next generation of lift mechanics, with the fourth annual Rise Up Challenge. Six lift maintenance teams were chosen to participate in the 2024 Rise Up Challenge: Berkshire East, Mass., Crystal Mountain, Wash.. ...

• Area Management

Welcome to our spotlight on tech products and services to help operators continue to enhance their guests' experience, collect important information digitally, and streamline commerce. We will continually add to this list, so check back often. If you have a product or service you’d like SAM to profile, email cole@saminfo.com for details. MODER...

• Ski Area Profiles
• Resort Development

SAM has joined forces with Senan Gorman of North Pole Design and the Tiki Task Force for a live event at the 2021 virtual NSAA Winter Show. Join us on Wednesday, February 3 at 4 p.m. EST for a live chainsawing of a ski tiki of YOUR choice. Check out the designs, fill out the poll below, and join us on Wednesday to watch the winning design be u...

• Miscellaneous

By Paul Thallner, High Peaks Group “This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” - Winston Churchill Many of us ...

• Racing
• Ski School

Welcome to the Capacity Management Video Series brought to you in partnership with SNOW Operating. In this 4-Part video series, we will share some insights on how resorts can manage capacity. Using real data collected at Big SNOW American Dream, SNOW Operating will illustrate how to use basic Lean Six Sigma concepts in helping to plan your physical...

• Miscellaneous

Welcome to our spotlight on products and services to help operators navigate this winter season during the pandemic. We will continually add to this list, so check back often. If you have a product or service you’d like SAM to profile, email cole@saminfo.com for details. COVID-19 STAFF TRAINING AND PROTOCOLS   PuroClean of South R...

• Ski Area Profiles

     The I AM a Snowmaker contest highlights the hard work, determination and camaraderie of snowmakers, and recognizes how critical they are to the success of the mountain resort industry. I AM was started in the winter of 2013-14, and has since had various forms, all in keeping with this mission. CONGRATULATION BRISTOL MOUNTAI...

• Area Management
• Safety

The I AM a Snowmaker contest highlights the hard work, determination and camaraderie of snowmakers, and recognizes how critical they are to the success of the mountain resort industry. I AM was started in the winter of 2013-14, and has since had various forms, all in keeping with this mission.This season the I AM is celebrating the legacy of Herman...

• Resort Development
• Grooming
• Trail Maintenance

The I AM a Snowmaker contest highlights the hard work, determination and camaraderie of snowmakers, and recognizes how critical they are to the success of the mountain resort industry. I AM a Snowmaker was started in the winter of 2013-14, and has since had various forms, all in keeping with this mission.In 2022 the I AM a Snowmaker contest celebra...

• Ski Area Profiles

As different as this winter will likely be, it also presents opportunities. Improving processes, leveraging technology, and making genuine connections with new guests are just some of the efforts resorts have been focusing on. Resorts are also exploring alternative, revenue-driving activities to offer those new guests, because many will be seeking ...

• Marketing

...

  Thank You for Registering Thank you for registering for the 2020 Summit Series Bootcamp: Resilient Leadership Training. You will receive access to the program within 48 hours, so stay tuned for a registration email from Paul Thallner of High Peaks Group.  The entire program is built to be flexible to work with your schedul...