SAM Coverage
Linda Goodspeed
-
An El Niño Year
Thanks for everything, or nothing. A monster El Niño wreaked havoc on the 2015-16 ski season, restoring normal snowfall and visitation to the Pacific…
-
Time for a Guinness
The Guinness Book of World Records is still evaluating the results of the World’s Largest Lesson (WLL), which drew about 6,000 first-time skiers and…
-
Busted!
When it comes to ticket scams, most resorts have seen it all. Scammers have long taken numerous routes to avoid paying full price—or pay…
-
Passing the Test
As season pass options continue to expand, purchases do, too. The pass wars continue to heat up, with more countries, more alignments, more partnerships…
-
Job Number One
Ski areas continue to search for new skiers and riders to replace the aging, and departing, Boomers. With the huge Baby Boom generation, which…
-
Pricing Summer
Pricing summer activities is the season’s hardest task. After another mediocre winter, resorts are happily turning their attention to summer. And if winter does…
-
A Wild and Crazy Year
It was the anti-Goldilocks year: too warm or too cold; too little snow, or too much. Yet many areas enjoyed record or above-average seasons.…
-
Gearing Up for LSSM and BAF
Resorts are taking a variety of approaches to boost trial and conversion. Entering its seventh year, the Learn to Ski and Snowboard initiative has…
-
Creating New Customers
Resorts roll out new conversion programs to put skier/rider numbers on a growth track. Terrain-based learning, ski giveaways, free season passes, affinity cards, coupon…