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.

Sessions at the conference range from the usual (beginner conversion) to the novel (how to deal with an active shooter on-site). Overall, though, the focus has definitely shifted to legal/liability issues: beyond the jam-packed active-shooter session, risk management topics dominated: employment law, lift safety, cyber security, tubing risk management, terrain park design, handling explosives and avalanche blasting—lots of risk management, notably more than usual. The lineup reflected the elevated level of fear that permeates the U.S. currently, from the presidential campaign to the front-page stories in hometown newspapers.

Ironically, in an otherwise gangbusters season, attendees were greeted with a rain/snow mix on the opening day of the show, and the resulting conditions put a damper on the planned “first tracks” program at Squaw on the second day. But in a demonstration of the power of modern grooming, conditions recovered tremendously for day three's first-tracks events at Alpine Meadows and Northstar.

The exhibit hall was as busy as ever both days, with lots of sharing of information, news, and scuttlebutt. And the discussion continued well into the informal evening networking at the bar.

Here are a few shots from the show...

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