The magazine was born in May of 1962 at the same time and place as National Ski Areas Association. As Publisher of the one and Executive Secretary of the other, I have had two highly stimulating and instructive years of involvement in the ski area industry.
On April 1st (please, no cracks!) I shook hands with the Publisher and Associate Publisher of Ski Magazine—respectively Arnold Abramson and my associate of 14 years, Bill Eldred. The handshake signified the purchase of Ski Area Management—effective with the next issue—together with the Ski Area Management Clinics and Equipment Trade Shows, by Universal Publishing and Distributing Corp., publishers of Ski and Ski Business magazines. It also signified my return to Ski/Ski Business as a Vice President and Associate Publisher. Simultaneously, I resigned as Executive Secretary of National Ski Areas Association, but agreed to stay on in an interim capacity.
Your enthusiastic letters about Ski Area Management have been greatly appreciated. I can assure you that the future editorial package will be even more responsive to your wishes.
With regard to NSAA, its successful future is assured. The leading ski areas in the country are behind it, and it is only a matter of time and patience before the absolute necessity and inevitability of a strong NSAA is universally recognized.
It has been fascinating to have attended area operators’ meeting across the country. Each region tends to think its problems are unique. And yet, transcripts of such meetings would be virtually interchangeable. The very factors which pursuade operators in a given region to form an association, must, as horizons are advanced, pursuade these same operators to think and act nationally.
At the same time other frontiers are being pushed back. The ski area industry is awakening to the fact that it is a part of the whole ski industry. For a long time, area operators have assumed that they were the ski industry. Today it is increasingly recognized that other segments of the whole ski picture—the ski retailers, the ski clothing and equipment imports and manufacturers, the area concessionaires, etc.—have built large and prosperous businesses on the firm foundation of the multi-million dollar investments by ski areas.
The truth is that the ski area industry is no longer leading; it is being led. Until this magazine came along nobody called it the “ski area industry.” But an industry it is, and the members of it must think it and act it if they are to benefit from it.
For instance, the ski area industry plays no collective part in the general promotion of skiing. Too often it looks for its competition in the areas across the mountain, not understanding that the real competition is with Florida, the Caribbean and other outlets for the winter recreational dollar.
An industry association like NSAA represents the industry in discussions with the Forest Service, and in negotiations with the insurance industry. It bears its responsibilities in the field of safety. It looks after its own enlightened self-interest in the legal and legislative fields. It works with ski industry organizations like SIA in the promotion of the ski sport. In short, NSAA is the vehicle with which ski areas have a say in determining their long-range destinies.
I hope to see many of you at the NSAA Convention (see announcement below); and also at the two Ski Area Management Clinics and Equipment Trade Shows (see announcement Page 41). It is events such as these which help give strength and unity to our industry.
Thank you again for your support and encouragement over the past two years. I hope I can count on it in the future.
