MT. ROSE FOR SALE In late January, after 45 years as majority owner, Fritz Buser, 95, put Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe up for sale. Over the last 15 years, Buser oversaw millions of dollars in capital improvements to the resort, including adding the Winters Creek Lodge, installing two high-speed six-passenger lifts, and expanding terrain. Day-to-day operations continue at the 1,200 acre resort. Details on the listing have yet to be released. LAUREL MOUNTAIN TO REOPEN After being shuttered since 2005, Laurel Mountain, Pa., is undergoing numerous capital projects thanks to an infusion of $6.5 million in state funds and an operating lease by Seven Springs, Pa., with plans to reopen in November. Improvements include a new modern lift, trail upgrades, doubling snowmaking capacity, and a new 27-million-gallon pond. MONT SUTTON SOLD? Ten years after the Boulanger family put it up for sale, Mont Sutton, Que., appears to be in the midst of a bidding war. In late January, a group of local investors offered a reported $4.3 million for the resort and debt repayment. A month later, another group swooped in with a $7 million offer, but had yet to officially speak to the Boulangers. A meeting of minority stakeholders is scheduled for March to vote on the initial offer. PEOPLE Kevin “Coop” Cooper is now senior communications manager for Heavenly and Kirkwood Mountain Resorts. … Olympic gold medalist Shaun White is now minority owner of Mammoth Resorts. In Colorado, Gabrielle Lerner Keown was named senior director of real estate development for Vail Resorts. ... Woodward Copper’s new operations manager is Adam Kisiel. … Copper Mountain welcomed John Monson as its director of sales and marketing. Jesse True continues to oversee sales, marketing, IT, e-commerce, and Woodward Copper, and takes on the Mountain Sports Division and Revenue Management Division. In Vermont, Thad Quimby has joined Mount Snow as the director of marketing and events. SnowSports Industries America (SIA) honored longtime president David Ingemie at the SIA Show in Denver. Ingemie began his career as the marketing director of SIA in 1976 and assumed the role of president in 1981. SIA also welcomed incoming president Nick Sargent. SOS Outreach hired Willy Tully as its new associate program director, and welcomed back Marty Tarantino as business and development coordinator. AWARDS Longtime ski racing journalist and broadcaster Steve Porino was honored with the FIS Journalist Award. Dan Egan was awarded the 2016 North American Snowsports Journalists Association Mitch Kaplan Award for Excellence in Snowsports Coverage. SUPPLIER NEWS Mfa, Ltd. Marketing & Public Relations has come onboard as the agency of record for SIA. At Burton, Donna Carpenter is now CEO, and John Lacy has taken the reins as president. Beth Steele has been promoted to vice president of sales for national accounts, working alongside Elisa Walk, who is the new vice president of sales for specialty accounts. Apex Ski Boots welcomed Kevin Tice as its new CEO and president, and Brian Ellwood as the new director of business operations. OBITUARIES Alain Lazard, longtime rep for France Neige International and liaison for Poma and other French manufacturers with U.S. resorts, died Oct. 24, 2015 at age 73. Lazard directed the Peugeot Far West Pro Tour and wrote knowingly about the US. and French ski industries. Ski racing champion George Mac-omber died Dec. 13, 2015. He was inducted into the U.S. Ski Hall of Fame in 1973. Legendary alpine skier Stein Erikson died on December 27, 2015, at his home in Park City, Utah. Erikson was famous for his medal finishes at the 1952 Winter Olympics and was often referred to as “the founder of modern skiing.” Paul Bousquet died on Dec. 31, 2015. He served as director and president of NESAC and served as chairman of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame selection committee. NSAA Sherman Adams Lifetime Achievement Award winner William “Bill” Gilbert died on Jan. 18, 2016. He was a founder of SMI, and was a part owner of Catamount Ski Area, N.Y. Ski jumping legend Rudolph “Rudy” Maki died on Jan. 17, 2016. Bill Johnson, who in 1984 became the first U.S. skier to win an Olympic downhill title, died on Jan. 22, 2016, after years of declining health following a major skiing accident in 2001. Ski racing legend Nelson Bennett died on Jan. 30, 2016, at the age of 102. He was inducted into the U.S. Ski Hall of Fame 30 years ago. Thomas Tropeano died on Feb. 13, 2016. He co-owned snowmaker Larchmont Engineering.
