November 1997

Featured Story

Ski Industry Consolidation Or Financing 90s Style

This expert says the ski industry's mode of consolidation is not the classic type seen in other industries, but a new way of doing business in today's market.

What's New?

Products include: Bio-stake (North American Green), the Powdermaker hand groomer, Prospeed professional sports radar (Decatur Electronics), the Carving...

An Inch In Space Saves Down Time

Doppelmayr provided Stratton, Vt., with a solution to prevent ice buildup from stopping their new six-passenger lift: an inch of clearance between the ...

The Next Big Thing?

Some trends come and go while some turn into industry standards. Here's a look at a few of the recent alternative activities capturing public attention...

What's In A Winning Rental Operation?

Wachusett Mountain, Mass., believing renters are their most important customers, leaves nothing to chance to keep them happy and the rental shop produc...

Consumer For A Day

An industry insider decided to find out what it was like to choose a destination for a family vacation from brochures ordered up from Ski magazine's re...

The Ultimate Flush

Sewage treatment was a growing problem at Sugarloaf/USA, Me., until they discovered Snowfluent, a process developed by Delta Engineering that uses snow...

Construction Site

Written by Heidi Schultz

Lifts are more powerful, buildings are bigger, snowmaking increases. . .but some construction techniques are regressing. Projects covered include: Lake...

Footloose And Debt Free

Written by Jennifer Rowan

A SAM "Profile in Profit," Ski Apache, N.M., has the highest lift capacity in the state, over 200,000 annual skier visits and operates in the black. Ow...

Sam Idea Files

Written by Olivia

Creative ideas from ski areas include: Christmas tree fences from Powder Ridge, Minn., rubber walkways from Buttermilk Ski Area, Colo., and an adjustab...

No Discount For Some Socal Areas

Written by Diane Scholfield

Three out of the four major Southern California ski areas are streamlining ticket prices and throwing out many discounts, but the biggest surprise of a...

Miller Buys Snow Country

Written by David Rowan

The New York Times sold off its tennis, ski and boating magazines--including Snow Country--to California-based Miller Publishing Group.

Boarding Gains Continue

Written by David Rowan

A survey of U.S. ski areas conducted by RRC Associates for NSAA and Transworld SNOWboarding Business examines the continuing gains in snowboarding visi...

A-Basin Sale Is Dundeed

Written by The Tooth Fairy

A wry look at Vail's recent sale--mandated by the Department of Justice--of Arapahoe Basin, Colo., to Dundee Realty for four million dollars.

Norm Sayler Runs Donner Ski Ranch The Old-Fashioned Way

Written by Robert Frohlich

An excerpt from Robert Frohlich's new book, Mountain Dreamers: Visionaries of Sierra Nevada Skiing. Photos by Carolyn Caddes.

Pre-Season Preparation For Boarders

Written by Dave Olcott

Studies from the SIA Snowboard Studies show that snowboarders are a dominant force in the early season. Here are some tips to attracting them during th...

Ski Area Coffee Break

Written by Rudy Miick, Fcsi

It may seem like a small thing, but good coffee and specialty coffee drinks can show guests a ski area's concern for quality. Nowadays, it's easier and...

Mountain High Holds Forest Fire At Bay

Written by Richard Fry

A firsthand account of how Mountain High Resort, Calif., ended a hectic summer by enduring a catastrophic forest fire.

Terrain Park Safely Defended

Written by Ken Castle

An examination of the first major court case in the United States involving the design of snowboard terrain parks, which ended in a victory for Sierra-...

Undefined, But It Brings People

Written by Heidi Schultz

A look at the explosive growth in the numbers of tubing areas and a summary of a panel discussion of tubing at the Ski Areas of New York fall meeting. ...

Skiing As Entertainment

Written by Sherry Dorward

During a trip to Korea, the author gets a whole new perspective on skiing as entertainment.

Conducting Transactions Online

Written by Rob Megnin

An explanation of how ski areas can set up shop on the Internet without racking up huge bills for hardware and software. Examines a variety of software...

Boss From Hell

Written by Seth Masia

A tongue-in-cheek look at what happens to ski areas that get big and go public, like "Whale."

1998 Directory Of Products And Services

Written by Olivia

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

Supplier Directory

Written by Olivia

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

Tubing Needs Legal Attention

Written by Jim Ruhl

Tubing is pushing the liability security envelope developed over the past 40 years by the ski industry. Though uphill safety requirements are similar, ...

Relevance Of Design Standards

Written by Jack Turner

Applying design standards for nordic and freestyle jumping competitions to terrain parks and terrain features at ski resorts is comparing apples and or...

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