In this issue we turned to one of our original SAMMY winners for his thoughts and comments—Tim Boyd. Boyd is the president of Peak Resorts, which in 1998 when he won the SAMMY award, encompassed Hidden Valley and Snow Creek in Missouri and Paoli Peaks, Ind. Since, Peak Resorts has added Mad River and Boston Mills/Brandywine in Ohio and travelled even further east where they picked up Crotched Mountain, N.H.
In this issue, Boyd shares his thoughts on such weighty issues as terrain parks, architecture and ethnic diversity. Boyd’s perspective, as someone who owns bustling day areas in two different regions, will resonate with many in the industry.
Also in this issue we tackle the high-tech world of radio frequency access gates at ski areas. RF cards are the wave of the future and everyone seems to be getting in on the game. Is our little corner of the world ready? As well, before the season starts, it might be a good time to review your accident investigation procedures. To that end, we asked a couple of experts to give us advice on being prepared. And there’s much more!
Mailed along with this issue is the latest Supplier/Buyer Directory. It’s a great resource that every manager should have on hand. No matter what you need, from hose couplings to helmets and from portable lifts to pass holders, you will find it all in one handy place.
Finally, as the leaves start to change and those wretched school buses are out to make us late for everything, it can only mean one thing—winter is coming. And what a winter it will be! The amount of renovations and work that was done over the summer is mind-boggling. Ski areas across the continent have one mission these days—make the guest as comfortable as possible. We look forward to your new fireplaces, lockers, bathrooms and rental equipment, but mostly, we can’t wait to get out on your slopes.
