SIA ANNOUNCES EARLIER DATES
The board of directors for SnowSports Industries America (SIA) has voted to shift the SIA Snow Show dates to an earlier, mid-January time slot beginning in 2013. That year, the show will begin Saturday, Jan. 12 and run through Tuesday, Jan. 15 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. The On-Snow Demo will follow January 16-17. In 2014 and subsequent years, the show will follow the same mid-January, Saturday-through-Tuesday pattern.

Specialty retailers aren’t sold on the concept. “We are disappointed once again that show dates are being chosen based on the needs of manufacturers rather than retailers,” said NSSRA board chairman Brad Nelson. “For many reasons, these dates do not work for specialty snow sports retailers.


VILLA OLIVIA SOLD
Villa Olivia in suburban Chicago was purchased by Bartlett, Illinois Park District. Villa Olivia offers golf and 12 lighted trails in the winter that are serviced by a quad and six rope tows.


eldora clears first hurdle
Eldora Mountain Resort’s 2011 Master Plan has been accepted by the U.S. Forest Service. Eldora has been working on its updated Master Plan for more than two years, during which time it conducted research, solicited public input and studied the impacts of future projects from both business and environmental perspectives.

While this represents a first step toward future improvements, as always, the implementation of any individual project is contingent upon site-specific environmental analysis and project approval via the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process.


VAIL PLANS EXPANSION AT NORTHSTAR
Vail Resorts (VR) plans to invest $30 million on capital improvement projects at Northstar-at-Tahoe, Calif. VR aims to enhance the guest experience both on the mountain and in the Village at Northstar for the 2011-12 winter season.

Plans include the installation of a new backside high-speed chair that will serve expanded gladed terrain and additional ski trails, increasing the skiable terrain by 10 percent; construction of a 500-seat on-mountain restaurant, with an outdoor deck and 200 more seats; and the addition of Patagonia and Burton retail outlets, as well as a signature restaurant, to the Village at Northstar.


AWARDS
SAM Magazine announced the 2011 SAMMY Future Leadership Awards. Joe Hession, GM, Mountain Creek, N.J.; Kim Jochl, VP marketing and merchandising at Sugar Mountain, N.C.; Christian Knapp, resort marketing director at Keystone, Colo.; and Jody Ream, GM at Boston Mills/Brandywine, Ohio are this year’s recipients.

Dan Fuller, president of Bristol Mountain Resort, N.Y., is this year’s recipient of the Sherman Adams award.

Mark Anderson received the Professional Ski Instructors of America and the American Association of Snowboard Instructors Lifetime Achievement Award.


OBITUARIES
Cecile Ryden Johnson, painter of Winter Olympic scenes, died Nov. 26, 2010. Johnson was the official artist to paint five Olympic Games.


PEOPLE
The National Ski Patrol promoted Christine Albertson to marketing and events director.

Ski Utah appointed Brandon Ott to content editor for the www.skiutah.com website.

Jason Gibbs has been named director of marketing for Ski Vermont, the Vermont Ski Areas Association.

Brent Larson, VP of mountain ops at Sunday River, Me., has been nominated to serve on the Maine Board of Elevator and Tramway Safety.

J. Adam Filson is now general counsel for Jiminy Peak, EOS Ventures and Cranmore.

Christina “Riley” Polumbus is the new PR manager at Whitefish, Mont.

Elizabeth Latenser is the new PR coordinator at Heavenly, Calif.


SUPPLIER NEWS
Johnson Controls has hired James Voskuil as GM for the North American market.

CHS Snowmakers and Triton Lining Technologies have partnered to bring a new pipe repair service to the ski industry. See www.tritonpipelining.com for more information.

Emerson Bearing now has a 210-page print catalog available. For more information, contact Steve Katz at 1-800-225-4587.

Rossignol has appointed Nick Castagnoli PR and product information contact for Rossignol, Dynastar, Look and Lange.

Harusch Lifts is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.