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  • Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. Submits Top Bid for Jay Peak at $76 Million

    PGRI president and CEO Vern Greco shares his thoughts on the acquisition with SAM. SAM Magazine—Jay, Vt., Sept. 8, 2022—Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. (PGRI) made the highest and best final bid to buy Jay Peak, $76 million, following an auction with multiple bidders. PGRI president and CEO Vern Greco told SAM that after three years spent pursuing the acquisition, PGRI is poised to bring renewed stability to the resort and its staff, and tap into its passion and energy. The prevailing bid remains subject to approval by the United States District Court in Southern Florida during a final hearing scheduled for Sept. 16. Judge Darrin P. Gayles, who has presided over the receivership in federal...

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Midwest Ski Areas Association Summer Meetings and Tradeshow 2018

More than 450 ski area and supplier members attended the Midwest Ski Areas Association Summer Meetings and Trade Show, Aug. 19-22, at Boyne Highlands Resort in northern Michigan.MSAA president Amy Reents with two-time Olympic medalist, and Midwesterner, Nick Goepper. Photo: Dave Gibson, Propeller Mediaworks The event was NSAA president Kelly Pawla...

Independent Areas Top SKI Resort Rankings

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Oct. 31, 2024—Snowbasin, Utah, earned the top spot in the West and Mad River Glen, Vt., repeated as the best in the East in the 2025 SKI Reader Survey Awards. There were a few big movers in the rankings, both up and down, as well as a continued affinity for independent resorts. Rankings are based on responses from S...

Mountain Collective Adds Sunday River, Megève

SAM Magazine—New York City, Oct. 30, 2024—The Mountain Collective Pass has expanded its network of resorts with the additions of Sunday River, Maine, and Megève, France, for the 2024-25 season, bringing the total number of resort partners to 27 worldwide.  “These two world-class resorts complement our existing network perfectly,” said Mo...

SAM Launches Ski Area Summer Operations Survey

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Oct. 23, 2024—SAM invites ski area operators to participate in a new survey aimed at gathering insights into summer business and operations. The survey, launching today, seeks to capture the latest trends and challenges faced by ski areas as they continue to evolve their operations. Responses are requested by Monday,...

Indy Pass Adds 30 Partner Resorts in Six Countries

SAM Magazine—New York City, Oct. 24, 2024—Indy Pass has added access to 30 more alpine, cross-country, and indoor ski areas for the 2024-25 season, including Loveland Ski Area, Colo., and 12 resorts in Innsbruck, Austria. The additions were revealed at a media event in New York City Wednesday night. With the additions, Indy Pass will release a...

Massachusetts’ Ski Ward Opens for Early Season Turns, Colorado Ski Areas to Follow

SAM Magazine—Shrewsbury, Mass., Oct. 21, 2024—Thanks to its all-weather snowmaking system, Massachusetts’ Ski Ward has staked its claim as the first ski area in North America to open for lift-served skiing and snowboarding for the second year in a row.Courtesy of Ski Ward Several Colorado ski areas also appear ready to drop ropes in the comin...

Homewood Suspends Operations for this Winter

SAM Magazine—Homewood, Calif., Oct. 14, 2024—Homewood Mountain Resort will not operate for 2024-25 after its financial partner withdrew its support for this upcoming winter season, the Lake Tahoe ski area said in an announcement published on its website. Homewood cited financial viability and delays in approvals to proposed updates of the resor...

Indy Pass Acquires Black Mountain in New Hampshire, Plans For a Co-op Model

SAM Magazine—Jackson, N.H., Oct. 5, 2024—At a standing room only crowd at Black Mountain, Indy Pass and Entabeni Systems announced they have purchased Black Mountain from the Fichera family, who have owned and operated the ski area for the past 30 years. Indy Pass managing director and Entabeni Systems founder Erik Mogensen, who spoke at the co...

North Carolina Ski Areas Sustain Minimal Damage from Helene, Communities Not as Lucky

Photo courtesy of Kim Jochl.SAM Magazine—Banner Elk, N.C., Oct. 2, 2024—Ski areas in the mountains of western North Carolina appear to have suffered relatively minimal damage from Hurricane Helene, which caused historic flooding after dropping 1-2 feet of rain, or more, through a wide swath of mountain communities in a short time, Sept. 26-27. ...

Vail Resorts Launches Efficiency Plan to Prepare for Global Growth

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Oct. 1, 2024—Vail Resorts has unveiled a "resource efficiency transformation plan" that will save $100 million over the next two years, and then $100 million a year after that. The plan is designed to improve organizational effectiveness through a combination of scaled operations, global shared services, and exp...

Vail Resorts Epic Pass Sales Were Flat Through Summer

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Oct. 1, 2024—Vail Resorts' Epic Pass product sales through Sept. 20, 2024, for the upcoming 2024-25 North American ski season decreased approximately 3 percent in units and increased approximately 3 percent in revenue in sales compared to the prior year through Sept. 22, 2023. Pass sales dollars are benefiting...

Vail Resorts Details a Difficult Fiscal 2024

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Oct. 1, 2024—Vail Resorts reported its Q4 and full-year 2024 results last week for the fiscal year ending July 31, detailing what was a difficult 2023-24 season across North America and in Australia. Even so, VR fared relatively well compared to the record fiscal year 2023 that preceded it. VR also revealed a "r...

2025 I AM a Snowmaker Contest Nominations Now Open

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Sept. 30, 2024—Ski areas across North America are invited to nominate their snowmaking teams to participate in the 10th annual “I AM a Snowmaker” contest, presented by HKD Snowmakers. The “I AM” contest offers the opportunity for a handful of resorts to showcase their snowmaking teams and the work they do via...

PNP Supply Partners with Demaclenko on TRM Pipe Distribution

SAM Magazine—Greenwood Village, Colo., Sept. 23, 2024—PNP Supply reached a partnership agreement with Demaclenko that will support and expand North American distribution of TRM (Tiroler Rohre GmbH) ductile-iron pipe for snowmaking systems. TRM is based in Tirol, Austria, and PNP Supply LLC has been the exclusive North American importer of the ...

Western Lodging Revenue, Occupancy Showing Signs of Strength

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Sept. 17, 2024—Lodging properties in Western mountain destinations eased back on daily rate increases over the summer and successfully boosted summer occupancy. The same strategy has sparked a significant boost in early bookings for the upcoming winter. That's the latest news from the monthly Market Briefing fro...

Extent of Fire Damage at Mountain High “Too Soon to Tell,” Says Karl Kapuscinski

SAM Magazine—Wrightwood, Calif., Sept. 13, 2024—Leadership at Mountain High were able to return to the resort over the last two days to start assessing the damage from the Bridge Fire, which moved through the ski area Tuesday night and remains active in Angeles National Forest.Courtesy of Mountain High Karl Kapuscinski, CEO of California Mount...

Indy Pass Launches New Employee Pass Program

SAM Magazine—Granby, Colo., Sept. 13, 2024—Indy Pass is offering a new employee pass program that the company said is designed to help its partner ski areas recruit seasonal staff and retain year-round employees. Like the consumer Indy Pass product, employees at Indy Pass partner ski areas that opt-in to the program can redeem two days of skiin...

Wildfires Threaten Mountain High, Mt. Baldy, and Others Across the West

SAM Magazine—San Bernardino, Calif., Sept. 11, 2024—The Bridge Fire, burning in the Angeles National Forest, grew exponentially on Tuesday, surging into Mountain High resort and the communities of Wrightwood and Mt. Baldy, which are under mandatory evacuation orders. Credit to ALERTCalifornia An update from the Wrightwood Fire Safe Council at...

Davis Fire Nears Mt. Rose – Ski Tahoe, Sky Tavern Also Ordered to Evacuate

SAM Magazine—Reno, Nev., Sept. 9, 2024—Evacuation orders are in place for Mt. Rose –Ski Tahoe and neighboring Sky Tavern as firefighters work to contain the Davis Fire. A screen capture from the ALERTNevada webcam on top of Slide Mountain, the peak of Mt. Rose – Ski Tahoe. The 6,500-acre wildfire, which started in the Washoe Valley south ...

Alterra Capital Investments Ahead of 2024-25 Season Total More Than $300 Million

SAM Magazine—Denver, Sept. 6, 2024—Alterra Mountain Company has invested more than $300 million in capital improvements ahead of the 2024-25 season. The capital investment cycle included major projects at Deer Valley, Utah, and Winter Park, Colo., among others. The first phase of the East Village expansion at Deer Valley will debut this winter...

Ski Resort AI Bootcamp to Prepare Resorts for the Future

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Sept. 6, 2024—SAM Magazine is offering a virtual Ski Resort AI Bootcamp this fall, aimed at informing resort personnel of the available artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and teaching practical AI skills, including the pros and cons of the various tools. The bootcamp, led by Mike Lannen of the digital agency ...

Alterra Appoints Amy Ohran President and COO of Palisades Tahoe

SAM Magazine—Denver, Sept. 4, 2024 – Alterra Mountain Company has named Amy Ohran the new president and COO of Palisades Tahoe. She succeeds Dee Byrne, who is retiring after 40 years in the industry.  “I am very excited for this new opportunity at the legendary Palisades Tahoe,” said Ohran, in part, in a statement. “I look forward to le...

Middleton to Retire as Big Sky Resort President and COO, Nedved to Succeed Him

SAM Magazine—Big Sky, Mont., Sept. 4, 2024—After nearly three decades leading Big Sky Resort, president and chief operating officer Taylor Middleton will step down from day-to-day responsibilities on Oct. 1, 2024.Taylor Middleton and Troy Nedved Current general manager Troy Nedved will succeed him, assuming both the president and COO positions....

Brundage Creates Its Own Fire Department, Expands EMS Services

SAM Magazine—McCall, Idaho, Sept. 4, 2024—Brundage Mountain Resort has established a new fire department based at the resort and will soon be a licensed EMS transport provider, creating its own independent emergency response agencies that will serve the resort area. The new Brundage Mountain Fire Protection Association (BMFPA) hired a fire chi...

SAM Names Summit Series Mentors, Mentee Applications Due Sept. 13

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Sept. 4, 2024—Nine mentors have been named for the seventh annual SAM Summit Series leadership development program, which will explore the theme “Leadership During Times of Constant Change” this year. In the mentor/mentee program, emerging resort leaders engage and learn from top industry veterans on a variety ...

Fatzer AG Acquires Rocky Mountain Lift Services & Supplies Inc.

SAM Magazine—Canmore, Alberta, Aug. 30, 2024—Switzerland-based wire rope manufacturer Fatzer AG has acquired Canada-based Rocky Mountain Lift Services and Supplies Inc., aka Rigging Specialties. Rocky Mountain Lift Services and Supplies Inc. (RMLSS) provides products and services for rope rigging applications as well as rope installations, mag...

National Ski Patrol Now Accepting First Responder Credentials, Not Just OEC

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., Aug. 30, 2024—National Ski Patrol (NSP) is expanding its membership to include working patrollers who have first responder credentials, such as emergency medical technicians (EMTs), wilderness first responders (WFRs), and paramedics. NSP had previously only opened membership to those who intended to take or had alr...

The Winner of the 2024 Rise Up Challenge is…

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Aug. 28, 2024—The 2024 Rise Up Challenge, sponsored by Leitner-Poma of America, highlighted up-and-coming lift mechanics and their lift maintenance teams from six ski areas across North America: Berkshire East, Mass.; Crystal Mountain, Wash.; Mount Sunapee, N.H.; Palisades Tahoe, Calif.; Purgatory, Colo.; and Snowbir...

Ikon Pass Adds Sierra-At-Tahoe, Expands Taos Access for Winter 2024-25

SAM Magazine—Denver, Colo., Aug. 27, 2024—Sierra-at-Tahoe has joined the Ikon Pass for winter 2024-25. It will be one of six California ski resorts offered on the Alterra Mountain Company-owned pass this winter.  “We are excited to expand Ikon Pass access in California by offering even more in the Tahoe area,” said Erik Forsell, chief mar...

Shawnee Mountain Commits to Four-Year REC Deal

SAM Magazine––Shawnee on Delaware, Pa., Aug. 27, 2024––Shawnee Mountain Ski Area has entered a four-year renewable energy credit (REC) purchase agreement with ENGIE Resources, a subsidiary of ENGIE North America. Under the agreement, Shawnee will claim 6,000 annual RECs, equivalent to 6,000,000 kWh of electricity delivered to the grid from ...

Southern Hemisphere 2024 Ski Season: Early Snow for Some, Late or Little Snow for Others

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Aug. 27, 2024—Massive fall snowstorms set South America’s ski season off on what has been the best winter this century for many centers there, the majority of which opened weeks early in May.Courtesy of La Parva It was a more challenging first month or so in Australia and New Zealand, though snowmaking pulled ski a...

SAM and MMGY Origin Release Outlook on Resort Marketing Report

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Aug. 27, 2024—Drawing insights from a survey of ski area marketers across North America, the inaugural "Outlook on Resort Marketing" report, created by SAM Magazine and MMGY Origin, is now available exclusively for SAM subscribers. Designed as a key resource for marketing professionals in the ski industry, the repor...

POWDR to Sell Killington Resort / Pico Mountain, Put Mt. Bachelor, Eldora, and SilverStar Out to Bid

Updated at 11:15 a.m. on Aug. 22, 2024. SAM Magazine—Killington, Vt, Aug. 22, 2024—POWDR has agreed to sell Killington Resort and Pico Mountain to a group of local investors. The sale is expected to close this fall. Following news of the sale, sources report that POWDR also plans to put several of its other ski resort properties—Eldora, Col...

Travel Patterns Stabilizing at Western Destinations

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Aug. 16, 2024—Rates and occupancy are leveling out in the West, according to the latest Monthly Briefing from DestiMetrics, the business intelligence division of Inntopia. The latest report highlights just how rate sensitive summer guests have become, as a slight uptick in rates last month led to a modest dip in...

Rock Snowpark Rebrands, Reverting to Original Crystal Ridge Name

Crystal Ridge general manager Riley May at the Midwest Ski Areas Association show.SAM Magazine—Franklin, Wis., Aug. 14, 2024—Rock Snowpark has rebranded as Crystal Ridge, which was the ski area’s original name when John Kaishian first opened it in 1987. The new name goes into effect immediately and the rebrand includes a new Crystal Ridge log...

SAM Partners with NSAA, Taos Ski Valley, and Mountain Towns 2030 on Climate Solutions Summit Arrival-Day Event

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Aug. 7, 2024—SAM has partnered with the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), Taos Ski Valley, N.M., and Mountain Towns 2030 to welcome key stakeholders in the mountain resort community to the 2024 Climate Solutions Summit in Jackson, Wyo., Oct. 15-16 with a free arrival-day program at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort....

Pennsylvania Ski Areas Association Rebranding to Encompass Outdoor Recreation, Welcomes New Executive Director

SAM Magazine—White Haven, Pa., Aug. 5, 2024—The Pennsylvania Ski Areas Association (PSAA) is rebranding as the Pennsylvania Outdoor Recreation Association (PORA). The new entity will welcome a broad scope of outdoor-focused businesses to its membership and support the state’s outdoor recreation economy by expanding employee education, promoti...

Voting Opens for 2024 Rise Up Challenge

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Aug. 5, 2024—Voting is now open for the fourth annual Rise Up Challenge, a video contest highlighting a handful of skilled young lift mechanics who will keep chairs spinning at resorts for decades to come. This year, six resorts were chosen to submit a video, each featuring an up-and-coming mechanic from the reso...

Jasper Fire Update: Marmot Unscathed, Fire Remains Uncontained

SAM Magazine—Jasper, Alberta, Aug. 1, 2024—In an update shared to social media, Marmot Basin confirmed that its infrastructure was left undamaged by the Jasper Complex Wildfire.  While the fire still rages uncontained in Jasper National Park, the ski area reassured patrons that it intends to operate this coming winter.  “This will take mu...

Red Mountain Resort Begins Construction of New Bike Park

SAM Magazine—Rossland, B.C., July 29, 2024—Red Mountain Resort has begun construction on the first phase of the new Red Mountain Bike Park. The resort partnered with Gravity Logic to design and develop the multimillion-dollar lift-accessed bike park. Red Mountain CEO and owner Howard Katkov said the bike park marks "not just a pivotal moment i...

Wildfires Ravage Jasper, Marmot Basin Evacuated

SAM Magazine—Jasper, Alberta, July 25, 2024—A fast-moving wildfire complex blazed through popular resort town Jasper Wednesday evening. More than 5,000 residents and 20,000 tourists were evacuated from the town and surrounding area earlier this week. Among the many businesses at risk from the fires is Marmot Basin, Jasper National Park’s onl...

Salt Lake City Awarded 2034 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games

SAM Magazine—Salt Lake City, Utah, July 24, 2024—The Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games will return to Salt Lake City in 2034.  After awarding the city exclusive negotiating rights for the games last year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially ratified Salt Lake City as the host of the 2034 Winter Games following a Wednesday m...

Skidata Sold to Swedish Access Solution Group Assa Abloy

SAM Magazine—Stockholm, Sweden, July 23, 2024—Swedish locking and security systems manufacturer Assa Abloy Group has entered into an agreement to purchase Skidata from Swiss business technology firm the Kudelski Group.  Skidata provides access management solutions to mountain resort operations and others in the sport and entertainment industr...

Hot Fourth of July Weather, and Business, for U.S. Ski Areas

SAM Magazine—Cambridge, Vt., July 17, 2024—While it’s hard for many to believe we’ve passed the 4th of July mile marker, the classic (and historically lucrative) summer holiday has now come and gone, leaving many operators grateful for water-based amenities and a continued interest in live music events.  For example, Snow King Mountain, W...

Schweitzer Buys Selkirk Powder’s Sidecountry Operation

SAM Magazine—Sandpoint, Idaho, July 15, 2024—Schweitzer has acquired Selkirk Powder’s resort-based backcountry operation, which offers guided snowmobiling and cat skiing in the terrain off the backside of the resort. The outfit has operated from the summit of Schweitzer for 21 years through a long-term concession agreement with the resort and...

Stable Rates Fuel Summer Growth in West

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., July 15, 2024—Stable rates helped fuel a continued uptick in occupancy at Western mountain destinations in June, according to the monthly Market Briefing from DestiMetrics, the business intelligence division of Inntopia. The growth comes as lodging properties have bowed to consumer pricing concerns and travel pa...

Utah Ski Areas Record Second-Most Skier Visits in State’s History

SAM Magazine—Salt Lake City, Utah, July 10, 2024—Utah’s 15 alpine ski areas saw a total of 6,746,008 skier visits during the 2023-24 winter season, the second highest visitation total in the state’s history behind the 7.1 million skier visits in 2022-23, according to state trade association Ski Utah.  “We are immensely proud of this sea...

Vista Fire Nears Mt. Baldy

SAM Magazine—Mount Baldy, Calif., July 10, 2024—After it was first reported Sunday, July 7, at 10 a.m. PDT, the Vista Fire has grown to nearly 2,500 acres and has prompted evacuation orders for Mt. Baldy Resort east of Los Angeles as the fire approaches the ski area. As of Wednesday afternoon, it was zero percent contained. The latest report s...

Monarch's No Name Expansion Gets USFS Approval

SAM Magazine—Salida, Colo., July 10, 2024—Monarch Mountain has received United States Forest Service (USFS) approval for its No Name Basin terrain expansion project, as its Memorandum of Agreement has been finalized and the USFS has signed the Decision Notice. The project will add 377 acres, bringing Monarch's special use permit to 1,146 acres...

Dave Amirault Joins SNOW Partners as Chief Innovation Officer

SAM Magazine—Montville, N.J., July 9, 2024—Snow Partners has hired Dave Amirault as chief innovation officer for all its related businesses. He started July 1. In this newly created role, Amirault will lead Snow Partners’ innovation strategy for Mountain Creek Resort and Big Snow American Dream, N.J., SnowCloud resort management software, and...

PSAA Lift Maintenance Seminar Series Kicks Off at Seven Springs

SAM Magazine—Seven Springs, Pa., July 2, 2024—Pennsylvania Ski Areas Association (PSAA) held its biannual lift maintenance seminar at Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Pa., June 25-26, 2024.  Attendance from Pennsylvania ski areas is near 100 percent for the program, which stresses hands-on training. Participation is free for employees of Pennsy...

Doppelmayr USA to Double Size of Utah Headquarters

SAM Magazine—Salt Lake City, Utah, July 2, 2024—Doppelmayr USA will expand its Salt Lake City headquarters with the addition of a new facility that will nearly double the size of its existing building, allowing Doppelmayr USA to take a larger role in manufacturing and accommodate a growing workforce. “The current facility has served us well ...

MND Opens New Production Site in Savoie, France

SAM Magazine—Savoie, France, July 2, 2024—French industrial group MND opened a new cable transport production and assembly facility in Savoie, France. The facility cost 10 million euros (roughly $10.5 million) and is dedicated specifically to production of the group’s new Orizon range of gondolas and chairlifts. “This is an important step ...

Indy Adds 10 Ski Areas, Will Reopen Limited Pass Sales

SAM Magazine—Granby, Colo., July 1, 2024—After adding 10 new ski areas to its roster for the 2024-25 season, Indy Pass will release a limited number of passes starting July 1.  “With the addition of these great new partners, we are excited to release additional passes during this short window,” said Indy founder Doug Fish, adding that “...

DOJ Scrutinizing Alterra’s Planned Arapahoe Basin Acquisition

SAM Magazine—Denver, June 28, 2024—Alterra Mountain Company’s planned acquisition of Arapahoe Basin, Colo., is reportedly being reviewed by the Department of Justice (DOJ), which has issued a civil investigative demand to the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) and RRC Associates seeking data from the association’s annual surveys on ski a...

LMOE Draws Record Attendance, Adds Vehicle Maintenance

SAM Magazine—South Lake Tahoe, Calif., June 27, 2024—The 2024 Ski California Lift Maintenance and Operations Education (LMOE) conference set a record for attendance, with 368 ski industry professionals descending upon South Lake Tahoe, June 4-6, for education, training, and networking. The event moved from Palisades Tahoe to a new location thi...

Leitner-Poma of America Opens New Skytrac Facility in Utah

SAM Magazine—Tooele, Utah, June 25, 2024—Leitner-Poma of America (LPOA) opened a new $27 million, 130,000-square-foot Skytrac manufacturing facility last week in Tooele, outside of Salt Lake City.  The new campus will serve primarily as the headquarters and sole manufacturing base for ropeway company Skytrac, an LPOA subsidiary, as well as pr...

Annual ISAA Conference Draws Record Attendance

SAM Magazine—Red Lodge, Mont., June 25, 2024—The 2024 Intermountain Ski Areas Association (ISAA) Conference, held June 10-12 in Red Lodge, Mont., attracted a record attendance of 246 ski industry business professionals. Red Lodge Mountain GM Jeff Schmidt accepts the Outstanding Contribution Award at the ISAA Conference.The event provided a plat...

Liftblog’s Peter Landsman Has Now Visited Every Ski Area in North America

SAM Magazine—Dawson City, Yukon, June 20, 2024—Liftblog.com creator Peter Landsman completed his mission to visit every ski area in North America last night when he stopped in at Moose Mountain in Canada’s Yukon territory to grab a picture of the municipal hill’s T-bar. Landsman has been documenting lifts in North America for more than two ...

Visitation to Vermont’s Alpine Ski Areas Flat, XC Visits Down by Half

SAM Magazine—Montpelier, Vt., June 20, 2024—Despite a slow start to the season and inconsistent weather, Ski Vermont reported that the state’s alpine ski areas welcomed 4.1 million skier visits for 2023-24, down less than half a percentage point from the 2022-23 season.  Visitation was 4 percent above Vermont’s 10-year average and outpace...