FINDING INSPIRATION

This past March, I spent the day with the good people at Pats Peak, N.H. During lunch with the team, Pats Peak guest services director Brigid Howell got up three times to deal with guests trying to redeem lift tickets purchased with fraudulent payment, thus sowing the seed for an article in this issue, “Finding Fraud” (p. 32). Writer Bob Curley did an excellent job exploring the topic, offering cautionary tales and steps you can take now to protect your business.

That same day I toured the progress of the resort’s new state-of-the-art maintenance building, which is replacing an old, undersized facility. The new building will positively impact both staff morale and the guest experience. Read about the project and how it was planned out in “New HQs for Mountain Ops” (p. 66).

Speaking of projects, Liftblog.com editor Peter Landsman covers a representative sample of the record number of capital projects that happened at North American ski areas this summer in an expanded version of “Construction Site” (p. 54). From massive ropeway installations to building renovations, Landsman provides bucket loads of interesting, behind-the-scenes details. 

Also detailed in this issue are several of the record number of entries we received for our annual Terrain Park Contest (p. 48). Now in its 19th year, this collection of reader-submitted features, events, video edits, and park crews takes on more importance as one of the last remaining celebrations of the innovation, hard work, and ingenuity it takes to build these playgrounds in the snow.

Sustainability is a big topic, of course, which we cover from both the environmental angle in “It’s Electric” (p. 58), which offers an in-depth look at electrifying your resort’s on-snow vehicles, and the business angle in the fairly self-explanatory “Defining Summer Success” (p. 62). 

The SAM Family is Expanding

Eric and Katie with baby Finn.I am thrilled to share that our senior editor Katie Brinton and her husband Eric welcomed Finn Brinton Kelley on Sept. 13. Congratulations to the new parents!

Olivia Rowan
Publisher