SAM Magazine—San Francisco, Oct. 1, 2014—Liftopia, which operates a consumer marketplace and resort technology platform for ski lift tickets and other mountain activities, has introduced the industry’s first tiered, dynamic pricing system for lift tickets. The company’s Value, Value Plus and Flexible options are now availabl...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Oct. 1, 2014—Vail Resorts (VR) is making it easier for skiers and snowboarders to plan their time on the mountain. A new slice of the EpicMix pie, called EpicMix Guide, generates a customized, step-by-step navigational guide to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge or Keystone in Colorado, Canyons in Park City...

SAM Magazine—Hartford, Conn., Oct. 1, 2014—The Connecticut skier safety act has been amended to require restraining bars for all chairlifts; padding or other protection for lift towers; and padding or fencing for all onslope snowmaking equipment, including above-ground snowmaking pipe. The changes went into effect today. The requirem...

SAM Magazine--September 29, 2014--Season's passes continue to evolve this year, as resorts entice ever more skiers and riders to commit their time and money ahead of the season to come. Intrawest has updated the options for its Intrawest Passport, a friends-and-family pass that allows up to 16 people to define their own family unit, in which...

SAM Magazine—Big Bear Lake, Calif., Sept. 24, 2014—Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, owner of Mammoth Mountain and June Mountain, has entered into an agreement to acquire Big Bear Mountain Resorts and its Bear Mountain and Snow Summit resorts, which host nearly 800,000 winter visits annually. The transaction will create one of the nation&rsquo...

SAM Magazine—Denver, Sept. 19, 2014—Wolf Creek ski area has been cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and fined $14,000 for failing to mitigate avalanche danger in the death patroller Colin Sutton last March 4, while Sutton was working outside the resort boundary. OSHA’s citation, which was obtained...

SAM Magazine—Patterson, N.Y., Sept. 18, 2014—After 20 years of operating Thunder Ridge Ski Area, located in the suburban New York City area, lessee-operators Mary and Bob Conklin are retiring and relinquishing operations to the area’s current owners, Dean and Wayne Ryder. The transition from the Conklins to the Ryders is alread...

SAM Magazine—Denver, Sept. 18, 2014—It’s almost a throwback in its simplicity: the Gems Card program features two-for-one lift tickets at eight Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) member areas, along with exclusive Flash Deal promotions throughout the season. At any Gems resort, card holders can purchase one adult full-day lift t...

SAM Magazine—Denver, Sept. 18, 2014— As of Aug. 31, occupancy for May through October among Western lodging properties in 19 destination resorts was up 5.4 percent compared to the same time last year, according to DestiMetrics, despite a slight 1.1 percent decline in September. Revenues for the six-month May to October period are up 10....

SAM Magazine—Collingwood, Ont., Sept. 12, 2014—Intrawest Resorts Holdings, Inc., which has held a 50 percent ownership in Blue Mountain since 1999, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the 50% interest in Blue Mountain Ski Resort that has been held by Blue Mountain Resorts Holdings Inc., for C$58 million. The resort has be...

SAM Magazine—Park City, Utah, Sept. 11, 2014—Vail Resorts, Inc. has acquired Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR) for $182.5 million. The deal ends an epic legal battle over PCMR’s lease for most of the on-mountain terrain, and removes the uncertainty that had hung over the resort for the past few years after a court ruled that PCMR had failed to renew its lease and eviction loomed.

 

SAM Magazine—Park City, Utah, Sept. 9, 2014—Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR) will pay the $17.5 million bond amount ordered by the Court last Friday, thus ensuring the resort will open as planned this season, scheduled for November 22, 2014. Negotiations between PCMR and landlord Vail regarding the long-term resolution of ownership and ...

SAM Magazine--Tully, N.Y., September 3, 2014--Song Mountain and Labrador Mountain, both located in central New York, have announced a merger. According to published reports, the two mountains will consolidate operations, but management and staffing will remain largely the same. The two areas will offer a new Inter-Mountain Passport. Peter Harris, w...

SAM Magazine—Park City, Utah, Aug. 27, 2014—District Judge Ryan Harris postponed until Sept. 3 a decision on the bond he would require Park City Mountain Resort to post if it wants to operate the resort for 2014-15. Harris cited the introduction of new information from both parties, and their continuing mediation effort, for the delay. ...

SAM Magazine--Woodbury, Conn., August 25, 2014--SAM's fifth annual Summer Ops Camp, to be held this year at Vail Mountain from September 3-5, 2014, has sold out. The event, which combines classroom learning and networking with hands-on experiences, provides attendees with the latest ideas and innovations in four-season recreation. From risk ...