SAM Magazine—Denver, May 24, 2016—Western resort destinations set all-time records for occupancy and revenue during the 2015-16 winter season, according to DestiMetrics. As of April 30, occupancy was up 4.4 percent and revenues were up 5.2 percent compared to last season. That surpassed the previous record set in 2007-08.

SAM Magazine—Nashville, Tenn., May 20, 2016—U.S. ski areas tallied an estimated 53.9 million skier and snowboarder visits during the 2015-16 season, up slightly from last season’s 53.6 million total, according to the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA). A record year in the Pacific Northwest and the Rockies was offset by steep declines in visitation in the eastern half of the country.

SAM Magazine—Nashville, Tenn., May 20, 2016—Judy Dorsey, the principal and founder of Brendle Group, a sustainability engineering and planning firm based in Colorado, received the Industry Impact Award from the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA).

SAM Magazine—Nashville, Tenn., May 20, 2016—Soda Springs, Calif., Gore Mountain, N.Y., and Aspen Skiing Co., Colo., earned the 2016 Golden Eagle Awards for Environmental Excellence, presented by SKI Magazine. Additionally, SKI named Kristyn Lingenfelter of Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows in California as the “Hero of Sustainability” honoree for 2016.

SAM Magazine—Nashville, Tenn., May 19, 2016—Since his first day on the job four months ago, SnowSports Industries America (SIA) president Nick Sargent has had to address the decision to shift the organization’s longtime Snow Show and On-Snow Demo from late January to early December, starting in 2017. Following comprehensive meetings with stakeholders, Sargent and the SIA board of directors unanimously decided to abandon the December time shift and maintain the January dates moving forward.

More than 500 lift mechanics, operations staff, managers, suppliers, and instructors attended the 45th annual Rocky Mountain Lift Association (RMLA) Spring Conference May 2-5 in Grand Junction, Colo. The theme was “Expanding Winter into Summer” but focus was clearly on lift maintenance training and winter operations. There were fewer sessions on risk management and guest service this year, and more about how to keep older lifts healthy.

It was 40 years ago that Jake Burton Carpenter began testing his early snowboards at Stratton Mountain, Vt., and launched snowboarding’s love/hate affair with winter resorts. Ironically, it was resorts’ initial wariness of snowboarding that set Burton on a course that has made the company Jake founded one of the best partners winter resorts have known.

SAM Magazine—Santa Fe, N.M., May 16, 2016—New Mexico’s nine alpine and four Nordic ski areas saw 938,000 skier visits during the 2015-16 season, up 3 percent year-over-year and 20 percent above the previous five-year average of 783,000. Ski area visitation contributed $524 million to the local economy, almost $17 million more than in 2014-15, according to Ski New Mexico.

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., May 16, 2016—The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) has named Crystal Mountain, Mich., and Taos Ski Valley, N.M., as recipients of its annual Sustainable Slopes Grant Program. Funds from the program target carbon emission reductions, snowmaking improvements, and climate adaptation at U.S. ski areas.

SAM Magazine—Boulder, Colo., May 16, 2016—The process of booking, organizing, and managing ski school reservations could get an upgrade thanks to a partnership between SNOW Operating and software firm SnowCloud.

SAM Magazine—Portage, Wis., May 16, 2016—Cascade Mountain is working on a $9 million expansion project that includes two new lifts, seven new trails, additional snowmaking, an expanded main lodge, paved parking, and base area improvements. And that is just the first part of what will be a three-phase expansion plan.

SAM Magazine—Pacific Palisades, Calif., May 11, 2016—Burton Snowboards has made a $50,000 contribution to Protect Our Winters (POW), which the organization says will be used “to invest in its operational capacity and ongoing advocacy efforts on behalf of the snow sports community.” Burton and POW have worked together since 2011, with POW l...

SAM Magazine—Bend, Ore., May 11, 2016—Powdr has appointed John McLeod as president and general manager of Mt. Bachelor, Ore. A longtime Bend resident, McLeod served as

A monthly roundup of the latest news about industry people and personalities.

SAM Magazine—Salzburgerland, Austria, May 9, 2016—The jury has always been out as to whether new lifts attract more people, but according to usage figures recently released by the Kitzsteinhorn glacier in Austria’s Salzburgerland, there may be evidence they do.