First, we at SAM would like to wish you a Happy New Year! As we write this, it is mid-December and the early season has brought big snows to many states, such as Utah, California, New Mexico and Wyoming. Mother Nature, however, loves a balance and the warm weather and rain she thrust upon the East was less than welcome.
Undaunted, ski resorts up and down the seaboard took advantage of every temperature drop and managed to churn out enough snow to open their doors to the public, which we dutifully sampled at Okemo Mountain, Vt. And it was great. Every single crystal on the hill was a hard-fought battle and Okemo had clearly won. Smiling faces, giggling kids and our sore bodies don’t lie. Kudos to Okemo and the many other areas that moved heaven and earth to bring snow to the sliding public. You deserve a very white Christmas.
With the snow in place, the next thing we need to offer is the equipment. To that end, you will find our 2005/2006 Rental Buyer’s Guide along with the January issue. Suppliers have stepped up to the challenge of offering a better experience on the hill with some great new features that address comfort, ease of learning and durability. And rental techs are winners, too.
Another challenge in today’s world is keeping up with technology. We at SAM are generally too busy skiing and snowboarding to do that so we asked some experts to revamp our website. The good folks at Propeller Media Works out of Burlington, Vt., have created what we think is a slick, easy-to-navigate information center at www.saminfo.com. Along with fellow clients like Burton, Stowe and Ski Vermont, we think we are in good hands. Look for our launch in early February.
Lastly, as the season marches on, look around you and see whether you can identify any future leaders. Someone who, at mid-career, has what it takes to help this industry soar to the next level. If you are lucky enough to have someone like that on your team, nominate him or her for a SAMMY Future Leadership Award. Now in its eighth year, our SAMMY award program endeavors to not only identify future leaders, but to encourage them along the way by honoring their good works to date. We are proud of all the previous SAMMY recipients and we look forward to this year’s crop. To nominate someone, just go to our website at www.saminfo.com and click on the SAMMY icon.
Speaking of SAMMY honorees, in this issue you will find the thought-provoking comments of Lucy Kay, 2004 SAMMY winner, and our latest guest editor. Kay is the VP of marketing at Breckenridge and Keystone resorts and has helped re-energize and re-invent these two ski areas, making them the not-so-little-brothers-of-Vail anymore. Look for her editorials on diffusing angry clients, successful small ski areas and the future of the wintersports industry.
This issue will give you a lot to think about so we’ll let you get to it. Enjoy and we’ll see you on the slopes!
