MAMMOTH BUYS BEAR AND SNOW SUMMIT

Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, owner of Mammoth Mountain and June Mountain, has entered into an agreement to acquire Big Bear Mountain Resorts and its Bear Mountain and Snow Summit resorts, which host nearly 800,000 winter visits annually. The transaction will create one of the nation’s largest ski companies, with more than 2 million visitors per year.

INTRAWEST BUYS OTHER HALF OF BLUE MOUNTAIN

Intrawest Resorts Holdings, Inc., which has held a 50 percent ownership in Blue Mountain since 1999, entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the 50% interest in Blue Mountain Ski Resort that has been held by Blue Mountain Resorts Holdings Inc., for C$58 million.

SONG AND LABRADOR MERGE

Song Mountain and Labrador Mountain, both located in central New York, have merged. The two mountains will consolidate operations, but management and staffing will remain largely the same, including keeping the previous owners of Labrador, Bruce and Sue Wilson, on in their current

NEW LAWS FOR CT AREAS

The Connecticut skier safety act has been amended to require restraining bars for all chairlifts; padding or other protection for lift towers; and padding or fencing for all onslope snowmaking equipment, including above-ground snowmaking pipe. The requirement for lift tower and snowmaking padding applies to any equipment or tower located on a trail.

In addition to requiring chairlift restraining bars, the revised act requires resorts to post instructions that describe how to use the restraints, and to inform lift riders that use of the restraints is required by law.Snowstar has new owners Ski Snowstar, Ill., has a new ownership group of long-time GM Ed Meyer and Jim Bowman.

OWNERS OF THUNDER RIDGE ASSUME OPS

After 20 years of operating Thunder Ridge Ski Area, located in the suburban New York City area, lessee-operators Mary and Bob Conklin are retiring and relinquishing operations to the area’s current owners, Dean and Wayne Ryder.

PEOPLE

Sunday River, Me., appointed Sarah Devlin as director of communications. . . Lauren O’Reilly is the new snowsports school director at Shawnee Peak.

Omni Mount Washington Resort, N.H., hired Ellen Chandler as director of the Nordic Center.

Sugarbush, Vt., made several changes to its management team. Candice White is the new VP of communications and brand management. Ted Fisher has moved to VP of sales and marketing. John Hammond will add rental and repair operations to his duties as VP of mountain operations. Jim Westhelle will add real estate development to his role as VP of lodging and facilities.

Maple Ski Ridge, N.Y., announced that Karen Doyle is its new GM.

Winterplace, W.V., appointed Tom Wagner to executive VP.

Aspen Skiing Company, Colo., named Rana Dershowitz as general counsel and VP.

Vail Resorts named Bill Rock COO of Park City, Utah. Taking over Rock’s duties at Northstar, Calif., will be Beth Howard.

Hiram Towle was appointed GM of Mt. Ashland, Ore. . .Mt. Bachelor hired Spencer Weimar as director of sales, marketing and reservations.

In California, Benno Nager will be the new GM at Bear Valley.

SUPPLIER NEWS

nxtConcepts, Ltd., an interactive marketing firm, announced the addition of Stewart Jensen as a partner and VP. Jensen will work out of Burlington and can be reached at stew@nxtconcepts.com.

Snow Operating, LLC, has hired Hugh Reynolds as VP of marketing and sales.

Thom Perkins has created Thom Perkins Consulting, a firm specializing in Nordic areas and events. He can be reached at (603) 733-6563.

World Ski Awards announced an exclusive partnership with Leitner Ropeways, Prinoth and DemacLenko.

Axess North America has hired Michael Bisner as eastern sales manager.

After two years as CEO of the Tecnica Group SpA in Italy, Peter Weaver will continue as CEO of the Tecnica Group USA.

Snowflex, manufacturer of artificial sliding surfaces, celebrated its 5th year of operations at Liberty Mountain, Va.

OBITUARY

Rod Taylor, who created and ran the Woodbury Ski Area in Connecticut since 1972, died in early July, just two days shy of his 71st birthday.