SAM Magazine—Carrabassett Valley, Maine, March 22, 2015—Investigators from Sugarloaf working in conjunction with an engineer from the State of Maine Board of Elevators and Tramways have identified mechanical failures that led to the King Pine lift rollback, resulting in injuries to seven guests yesterday. The investigation began shor...

SAM Magazine—Carrabassett Valley, Maine, March, 21, 2015—A rollback incident today on Sugarloaf’s King Pine lift injured seven guests and sent three to the hospital with non-critical injuries. All three were reported in stable condition on Saturday afternoon, according to hospital spokeswoman Jill Gray. The incident occurred at...

SAM Magazine—Whistler, B.C., March 19, 2015—The provincial government of British Columbia is developing a Climate Change Action Plan aimed at helping B.C.’s 35 ski resorts better prepare for a future with less snow. Stakeholders involved with the plan met this week in Whistler as part of on-going discussions. "This meeting...

SAM Magazine—Denver, March 18, 2015—The most recent results for western mountain lodging properties at 19 resort communities in six western states show revenues are up 12.3 percent compared to the same period last season, while occupancy is up 6.5 percent. The data include activity through Feb. 28 and are collected and reported on by De...

SAM Magazine—Denver, March 16, 2015—Skier and snowboarder visits were up 3.7 percent for the first two months of 2015 among the 21 member ski areas of Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA). The gain in second period visitation boosted overall year-to-date results 1.9 percent ahead of last season, which was the best season on record for the ...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., March 12, 2015—Vail Resorts (VR) reported net income for the second quarter of fiscal 2015 (ended Jan. 31, 2015) nearly doubled, to $115.8 million from $59.3 million. Total revenue increased to $530.2 million, up 17.1 percent compared to the same period in the prior year. Notably, the results this year in...

SAM Magazine—Denver, March 11, 2015—The season’s pass war for 2015-16 has begun, and major resorts are adding a number of new weapons to the fight. Perhaps the biggest development: the growth in limited-use passes. Choice is in. But choice comes with a caveat: customers have to act soon to get the best prices. Conglomerates ...

SAM Magazine—Bear Lake, Calif., March, 11, 2015—Snow Summit’s summer operations will shift into a higher gear with the addition of a four-mile beginner mountain biking trail, a zip line, and a climbing wall. The announcement came in conjunction with the finalization of Mammoth Mountain’s $38 million acquisition of Snow Summi...

SAM Magazine—Aspen, Colo., March 9, 2015—Law enforcement officials in Aspen, Eagle County, Steamboat Springs, and other Colorado ski towns are reporting a rise in credit card fraud in the past two months. It's thought to be coming from international cyber-crime organizations. Detectives believe credit cards recently used at busin...

SAM Magazine—Telluride, Colo., Mar. 2, 2015—After a 47-to-1 vote, patrollers at Telluride ski area will now be represented for collective bargaining purposes by Communications Workers of America (CWA) District 7. The mail-in ballots were collected and counted last Thursday at the National Labor Relations Board in Denver. The move mea...

SAM Magazine—Boise, Idaho, Mar. 2, 2015—Bogus Basin president and general manager Alan Moore resigned Feb. 28, and the resort is seeking his replacement. Nate Shake, director of human resources, will serve as interim general manager until the position is filled. "As general manager, Moore streamlined operations and guided the or...

SAM Magazine—Denver, Mar. 2, 2015—How much PAC money would it take to persuade President Obama to make aiding the U.S. ski industry one of his highest priorities? Leaders of the French government are backing a proposal to reschedule spring school holidays to allow families more time to go skiing. French ski resort operators said the ...

SAM Magazine—Durango, Colo., Feb. 26, 2015—Durango-based investor and resort entrepreneur James Coleman has completed his purchase of Durango Mountain Resort. He marked the occasion by declaring he will change the name of the area back to Purgatory. Last October Coleman revealed a plan to buy both Purgatory and Arizona Snowbowl, comp...

SAM Magazine—Denver, Feb. 26, 2015—A Democratic state representative from Steamboat Springs has proposed a bill that would require noncommercial vehicles on a 130-mile stretch of I-70 through the mountains to have snow tires or chains from Nov. 1 to May 15, as the law now requires of commercial vehicles. This section of I-70 experiences...

SAM Magazine – Denver, Colo., Feb., 20, 2015 – Business over the Presidents Day weekend and into this week has been a tale of opposites. In the West, temperatures remain warmer than average, and in the Northeast, Midwest, and South, the mercury fell to the bottom of the thermometer. But overall, ski areas are reporting that business for...