Browse Our Archives

• Obituary

On August 31, Sel Hannah, who pioneered the art and science of designing ski mountains, died at the age of 78. To become familiar with his accomplishments is to begin to understand the very heart and soul of the ski industry itself. Presented are some recollections from people who knew him and worked with him. ...

• Resort Development

A comprehensive review of the proposed mega-resort Valbois, in the small county of Valley in Idaho. This feature lends full editorial support to the planned resort and covers the current issues of permitting and the initial development process. ...

• Architecture
• Safety
• Ski Patrol

When a new base area was being planned in Canada at Mt. Norquay, Alberta, key ski patrollers helped design an ideal, state-of-the-art first aid building. A look at how ski patrol veterans were allowed to play a major role in the design of their facility. The result was exactly what the patrol needed. Includes floor plan, photos. Add a commen...

• Lifts
• Resort Development

A look at the costruction of the world's fastest chairlift that was installed at Sugarbush North, in Vermont. This feature covers the entire project, including the need for a variance from the state tramway board to exceed 1,000 fpm rope speed. Includes photos, specifications. ...

• Tools

This familiar tool is important for a variety of jobs at ski areas. From tests of 11 models in the 1/2-inch size, here are recommendations for appropriate applications. Includes photos of the drills and a chart of specifications and prices. ...

• Finance
• Resort Development

A long-time perception in the ski industry is that banks find the ski business unattractive for investments. There are, however, ways to get bank financing, both for expansion and acquisitions. Topics covered include: management/ownership, real estate, leverage, collateral and fallback, and future trends. ...

• Resort Development

Ski resorts on the Pacific Rim are realizing a level of development and sophistication that Western resorts might have realized in better times. This is the first of a two-part series. A look into the mass development of high-tech, four season resorts all over Asia. Covers the Gala Yuzawa, Dragon Valley and Muju resorts. Includes photos. Add...

Ski areas can find many ways to use natural gas and, in the process, save money and enhance the environment. Here are some applications for this fuel source. Topics covered include: Direct-drive gas engines, cogeneration plants, transporting gas, gas logs, fireplaces and appliances, compressed natural gas vehicles and what's ahead in the future. In...

• Consumer Equipment
• Rental
• Retail

A look at the experimental new "Snow Runners" that are a combination boot and ski, seen as a way to bring in new skiers who are not interested in getting cumbersome equipment. These short boot-skis will be allowed at 10 Colorado resorts this coming winter for market testing. ...

• Marketing
• Snowmaking

A major commitment has been made by some California ski resorts to educate their skiing public on the merits of early season machine-made snow. With the droughts of the last few years, more far western areas are investing in this technology. The early machine-made snow will be backed by a substantial marketing campaign through print media, consumer...

• Marketing

A look at a travelling ski show that will be touring Eastern shopping malls touting the sport and providing specific information to passerbys. Created by Killington, Snow Country, Jeep, Rossignol and Smith optics, the campaign is expected to cost $500,000, with the interactive display accounting for half of the cost. ...

A suggestion to incorporate the color red into trail signs. Along with the green, blue and black, red could be used to direct the skier towards lifts and other skier services. This is especially important for ski areas that cover a large or elongated mountain. ...

A review of three cash register systems for food and beverage operations, ranging from the most basic registers to advanced point-of-sale computers that can track labor and food costs indefinitely. ...

• Miscellaneous

A listing of products and services and their suppliers within the ski industry. ...

• Miscellaneous

Names, addresses and key contacts for the suppliers of products and services to the ski industry. ...

• Marketing

A look at some of the promotional plans that will be filling the void in the absence of a national marketing campaign by USIA. Run mostly by state and regional associations, these campaigns have high expectations. Some plans involve extensive corporate sponsorship. ...

An update on the current state of affairs at the national association headquarters. With the October board meeting successfully completed, the future is looking brighter than it has for the past two years. ...

• Rental
• Retail

A comparative look at the resort side of the industry vs. the retail side. Due to an oversupply of hard goods, suppliers extended credit where it wasn't warranted and retail outfits overextended their budgets. Meanwhile, on the resort side, a slight decrease in the number of skier days has been offset by other encouraging signs. Add a commen...