How Green Is That Scorecard?
The Ski Area Citizens’ Coalition (SACC)’s annual Ski Area Environmental Scorecard has created more than its share of headaches for ski areas lately. First, previous years’ scorecards were used by two university professors to evaluate the effectiveness of NSAA’s Sustainable Slopes program. The professors used the SACC data from 2001 and 2002 because they considered it the only available source of unbiased third-party information, but they backpedaled some after their report was criticized by areas on several grounds: first, SACC data does not reflect the environmental activities fostered by Sustainable Slopes, second, because the data is often based on inaccurate estimates made by SACC, and third, SACC is not exactly unbiased.
More recently, SACC has released its report for 2004 and, despite some changes to give weight to positive energy and water conservation steps, its results were little changed. Generally, areas that are planning or undergoing expansion received low marks, while those that are not received high marks. Receiving “A’s” this year are Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk, Alpine Meadows, Calif., Sundance, Mount Bachelor, Wolf Creek, Sierra at Tahoe, and Timberline. Winter Park entered the top 10 with a B grade. Crested Butte, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Crystal Mountain, Wash., Vail, and Silver Mountain, all received F’s; Brian Head, Keystone, Kirkwood and Grand Targhee, each got D’s.
Undaunted, both Aspen and Vail–at opposite ends of the SACC spectrum–both supported state Amendment 37, which aimed to force Colorado utility companies to increase their reliance on renewable energy sources.
Make Turns, Not War
Reports out of Kabul indicate that Afghan warlord Izatullah Atif Rooz plans to build a $100 million Swiss-style resort in his fiefdom. After an eye-opening visit to Switzerland a few years ago, Izatullah has decided to use his proven organizational and leadership skills for peaceful means. More specifically, he views himself as a captain of capitalism, and a resort as his domain. His troops have surrendered their arms to U.N. peacekeepers and Izatullah is seeking European financing to help put his 2,000-man army to work building the resort. Izatullah reportedly has some funds accumulated during his warlord days as well.
While the occasional stray bullet might put off some developers–the Taliban has an outpost not far away–Izatullah is undaunted. Many of the region’s homes have been destroyed in decades of fighting, and there’s little left to do but rebuild. He envisions 600 homes in Phase 1, which will surround the shore of Lake Qargha at the base of the sunbaked mountain that will host the winter sliding. Phase 1 could be ready in three years if all goes well, which is a pretty big if.
Will the Yakima Nation Go Big?
Speaking of unlikely developers, how about an alliance between the Yakima Indian Nation and Mt. Hood Meadows Development Corp. (MHM)? MHM has proposed building a mega-resort on Mount Adams, Washington, which would have 5,700 vertical and the potential for nearly year-round operation. The MHM plan calls for eight chairlifts, a gondola and a tram, plus casino, spa and three 18-hole golf courses. Everything from building design to cafeteria food to a Yakima Nation Institute of Learning would reflect and promote Yakima culture. The 10,000 member Yakama Indian Nation is considering the proposal and is said to be split on it. Local environmental groups have already decided that it would be, in the words of one, “an outrage,” and vow to fight it.
Bringing the Outdoors Indoors
The massive Meadowlands Xanadu sports and entertainment complex, which recently broke ground on what is slated to include America’s first indoor skiing venue, seems bent on moving several diverse outdoor activities indoors. These include reality-style tailgate parties at which folks watch “live television remotes for their favorite NFL pre-game show,” skydiving in an indoor silo/simulator, racing around an indoor track in F1-styled “race-karts,” and boating. But the main show will be the 250,000-square-foot Snow Dome, home to a year-round indoor slope covered with machine-made snow–the closest thing to a real experience available in Xanadu. To celebrate the project’s launch at a media event in early October, pro rider Tyler Emond and professional skier Paul Cotter busted some real moves on an indoor jump (complete with falling snow) provided by Mountain Creek and New Hampshire’s Snow Magic. How Xanadu will bring clear blue skies and fresh mountain air into the Meadowlands is not yet known.
TV’s “Mountain” Imitates Life
The new WB TV show “The Mountain” has been widely panned as little more than Dallas set in the mountains. The story line, about a greedy, big-money developer who wants to take over an independently-run maverick ski area, is such a cliché. Right?
Actually, it sounds an awful lot like what’s happening at Wolf Creek, where multimillionaire and Fortune 400 member Red McCombs is planning to build 2,200 residential units and 220,000 square feet of commercial space smack in the middle of the Wolf Creek permit area. The Pitcher family, long-time owners of the area, had partnered with McCombs on the project when it included just 208 units. Now, they are claiming that they were hoodwinked in the deal, and firmly oppose it. So does Colorado Wild (CW), the Durango-based environmental group, which has teamed with the Pitchers to stop the project. How complicated is this plot? One small example: in July 1999, the Pitchers agreed to obtain permits for an access road to the McCombs property (which is surrounded by National Forest) in return for land the Pitchers wanted for a lift expansion. But in August 1999, the Pitchers agreed with Colorado Wild to not develop the road, in return for CW’s support for their lift expansion.
Why battle over the road? Because the proposed development is on private land, and thus outside of Forest Service jurisdiction, and is speeding toward final approval from Mineral County (population: 800). The road would connect the development parcel and the nearest road (ironically, the Wolf Creek parking lot), 250 feet away across the national forest. Forest Service approval is expected, and speedily–the Forest Service is bound to provide “reasonable access” in this case and McCombs, a prominent Republican, has friends in high places.
If “The Mountain” ever runs out of plot devices to tie its sex scenes together, we know where they can find new material.
More magazines on the Horizon
The number of magazines that serve the ski and ride audience is growing faster than the audience itself. Will all create a niche and increase their readers’ attachment to winter sports? Snowboard Journal debuted this season, and next year we’ll have an as-yet-unnamed snowboarding pub being organized by Fran Richards, the former VP of marketing and sales for TransWorld Snowboarding. He’s backed by Future Networks USA, which has several successful gaming, computer and music titles. Richards says the snowboard magazine will be more “inclusive” than current titles, focusing on consumer needs and interests and not just on elite athletes. Listen for more publishing developments, too: We’ve heard talk of another proposed title aimed at both skiers and riders.
Gravity Games Return to Winter
Good news, sports fans: OLN is reviving the Winter Gravity Games, created in 2000 as a competitor to the ESPN Winter X Games. Copper Mountain is the host area, and the dates are March 3-6, 2005. Gravity events will include halfpipe and slopestyle events for skiers and riders, plus boardercross and skiercross. Why revive an event that was held only once before, five years ago? OLN sees an unsated (and growing) appetite for action sports in TV land. The Winter games stem from the ratings success of OLN’s Summer Gravity Games. The network believes that the wintry mix of snowboarding and skiing, music, and a variety of sponsor-driven events will also be a hit with younger TV audiences. If so, the Gravity Games will generate valuable new exposure for snow sports–OLN is currently in 61 million homes. The Winter games also solidify OLN as a key player in winter sports; the network also airs World Cup and other USSA Skiing events.
SHORT TURNS
He liked the company so much he decided to run it himself: Scott Mellin, former SIA marketing director, has become CEO of Factory Design Labs (FDL), the marketing company that Mellin hired to produce SIA’s snowlinkjr.com website and much of the organization’s marketing materials for the past two years. Mellin became a client of FDL prior to joining SIA, as head of Fondreist Framesets. He will continue to work (indirectly) for SIA as the organization’s agency of record. Cozy!
