SKIER VISIT NUMBERS IN
Based on preliminary estimates, ski areas in the U.S. tallied 57.1 million visits for the 20008/09 season, making it the fifth best season on record. While last year's record of 60.5 million still stands, this year’s number is still 0.8 percent above the 10-year average of 56.7 million visits.

Broken out, the Northeast was up 5.5 percent from its 10-year average with 13.8 million visits. The Southeast counted 5.62 million, up 3.8 percent from its 10-year average. The Midwest hosted 7.41 million visits, which is 1.1 percent down from its 10-year average; the Rocky Mountain region had 19.79 million, a 1.3 percent increase over its 10-year average; and the Pacific West dropped 5.8 percent off its 10-year average with 10.54 million visits.


SOLDIER TO REBUILD
Soldier Mountain Ski Resort, Ida., owned by actor Bruce Willis, will rebuild its base lodge and open for the 2009-10 season. The lodge burned to the ground on March 30 due to an accidental electrical fire.


HELMET USAGE UP
According to the 2008-09 NSAA National Demographic Study, helmet usage among skiers and riders in the U.S. increased 12 percent to 48 percent of all skiers and riders interviewed.

Other data includes: 77 percent of children 9 and under wear helmets; 66 percent of kids between 10 and 14 wear helmets; and 63 percent of adults over 65 don the head gear.

The annual demographic study is compiled from 130,000 interviews nationwide.


LE MASSIF GETS NEW INVESTOR
Daniel Gauthier, owner of Le Massif ski area in Quebec, announced that he has found another financial investor for his tourism project in Charlevoix. The investor is Gauthier’s long-time friend and business partner, Guy Laliberte, the founder of Cirque du Soleil. Laliberte is making a CDN $10 million private investment, which will give him 10 percent of capital shares.

The Charlevoix project is a CDN $230 million investment that will feature, among other things, a tourist train and rail shuttle, a 500-seat multifunction venue and 850 lodging units.


STOWE FOR SALE
Stowe Mountain Resort, owned by insurance giant and ward of the government AIG, is for sale. AIG spokesman Peter Tulupman said they have received “a surprising number” of unsolicited bids from qualified buyers, though no bidders have been named or identified. The asking price has not been revealed, though Killington sold in 2007 for $85 million. While Stowe hosts fewer visits overall, the area has valuable permits for future real estate development, including remaining portions of the nearly-completed $400 million expansion project at Spruce Peak.


AWARDS
The Pacific Northwest Ski Areas Association honored the following people: Mt. Baker’s Duncan Howat with the Lifetime Achievement Award; Mt. Hood Meadows’ Dean Hardman with the Tower of Excellence Award; Prinoth’s John Swarz with the Ski Industry Service Award; and Doug Jones took home the Forest Service Partner of the Year honor.

Frank Fidler from Steamboat Ski Resort was selected as the Mechanic of the Year by the Rocky Mountain Lift Association.


PEOPLE
Brad Larsen is the new director of sales and marketing at Sugarloaf in Maine.

Jiminy Peak, Mass., hired Raymond Boudreau as accounting and finance manager.

Hidden Valley, Pa., named Stewart Ireland F&B manager.

Jackson Hole, Wyo., appointed Chip Carey as chief marketing officer.

At Sun Valley, Ida., Peter Stearns was promoted to mountain manager.

At Vail Mountain, Colo., Paul Fillion was named senior director of mountain operations; Jeff Babb was named director of resort operations; and Pete Sonntag is the director of the Vail Snowsports School. . .At Steamboat, Andy Wirth moves into the newly-created position of senior VP of sales and marketing. . .Rob Perlman is the new VP of sales and marketing at Winter Park.


SUPPLIER NEWS
Brian “Tito” Alex and Sandy McPherson have combined expertise to create Snowmaking Efficiency, LLC. The new company provides information management systems for cost-effective snowmaking. They can be reached at www.snow­makingefficiency.com or (406) 261-6216.

Leisure Trends Group (LTG) signed an agreement with Nielsen Claritas that will integrate LTG’s Most Active Americans Panel of Alpha consumers with the widely-used Prizm market segmentation created by Nielsen Claritas.