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INDUSTRY EVENTS SAVMI 2008 A record 343 attendees showed up for the 23rd annual SAVMI Conference and Trade Show in Grand Junction May 12-15 at Two Rivers Convention Center. Good snow and, therefore, business in New Mexico and Arizona helped boost attendance.The program consisted of tightly organized workshops and seminars, ranging from basic mechanics and science to the specifics of working on PistenBully, Prinoth and Zaugg machines—and even Rexroth and Sauer Danfoss hydraulic pumps. Forward-looking seminars described current and future advances in such areas as biodiesel and GPS-guided snowgrooming. And as always, attendees had ample opportunities to pick the brains of their peers. Safety programs, including a session on snowmobile safety, also saw growing attendance. Safety has always been a part of the program, but it continues to receive increasing attention at the conference. On the GPS front, Chuck Norman of Hans Hall told a sizeable audience that after several false starts, GPS systems will soon become integral to grooming operations. Hans Hall expects to introduce a system by fall, and other manufacturers are also working on systems. In general, all these will improve the bottom line by tracking snowcat operations continuously, which will result in the adoption of practices that increase efficiency and reduce idling time (typically about 20 to 25 percent of a cat’s operating time). In the not-too-distant future, GPS-equipped cats will record snow depth and integrate with snowmaking operations, to direct where snowmaking should take place and to make projections of snow loss/changes much more precise. GPS can also help cat driver make sure they are working in the precise locations assigned to them, and working in the most effective manner. Norman noted that some drivers are concerned GPS will simply be used to keep track of them in a big-brother way. “It doesn’t have to be a tattle-tale thing,” Norman said. “GPS should be used for fine-tuning cat operations. There are a lot more positive uses than negative.” In discussing biodiesel, Conor Hobbs of Blue Sun Biodiesel discussed a range of issues around this fuel, from the best crops for producing it to its beneficial properties. These include: a 78 percent “lifecycle” reduction in CO2, lower cost currently than petroleum-based diesel, extended engine oil life, and even a 3 to 7 percent increase in fuel efficiency. In addition, he noted that Blue Sun’s refining process produces a fuel that meets (and often exceeds) the federal standard for diesel, which means its use can not void any manufacturer’s warranty. Blue Sun’s standard refining process creates a fuel with a cold filter plug point of -20º F.; additives can take this down to -30º F. And it’s reliable: Aspen has been using a Blue Sun B20 blend for five years, and Durango Mountain Resort for four years. With petroleum-based diesel at its current price level, biodiesel looks like an increasingly economical, as well as environmental, option for resorts. During the annual awards ceremony, Rick Sramek of Breckenridge received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Other honorees are noted in the photo gallery.
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EVENTS WRAPUP 
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