SAM Magazine-Golden, B.C., Dec. 29, 2011-Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR) has completed its purchase of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, buying the area from Ballast Nedam, the initial owner and developer. RCR is one of the largest private ski resort owner/operators in North America. The two companies first revealed they were in negotiations reg...

SAM Magazine--December 26, 2011--Peak Resorts Inc. has purchased Jack Frost Mountain and Big Boulder Ski Area from Blue Ridge Real Estate Company. Peak Resorts has leased and managed the ski resorts since 2005, the contract has a purchase price of 9 million dollars for the two resorts. Peak Resorts operates 12 ski areas through the Midwestern, N...

SAM Magazine--December 17, 2011--Calgary-based, Resorts of the Canadian Rockies have entered into discussions to potentially acquire Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, based in Golden, B.C. Subject to certain regulatory approvals, the transaction is expected to be completed by the end of this year. Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is the first, four-se...

SAM Magazine--December 16, 2011--Homewood Mountain Resort, Calif., got approval of its redevelopment plan by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) on December 14. Homewood, which is owned by JMA Ventures, a minority investor in Alpine Meadows and Squaw Valley, will undergo a transformation to an "upscale boutique resort" with a five-star hotel,...

SAM Magazine-Denver, Dec. 11, 2011-A first-ever winter concert, Winter on the Rocks, will add a new wrinkle to the SIA Snow Show in Denver Jan. 27. Hip-hop dynamo Atmosphere headlines the event, along with actor-rapper Common, Grieves & Budo and Get Cryphy. Local boutique ski manufacturer Icelantic helped bring the show to fruition, along with its ...

SAM Magazine-Los Angeles, Dec. 11, 2011-The L.A. Ski Dazzle wrapped up a successful season for the nation's consumer ski and snowboard shows. The event drew 90,000 Dec. 1-4. Once La Nina kicks in and starts to deliver snow and colder temperatures across the U.S., resorts, too, should see evidence of pent-up demand. The Ski Dazzle was "above aver...

SAM Magazine--December 8, 2011--Nova Scotia's government plans to pass legislation introduced on December 6 that would require all skiers and snowboarders to wear helmets. The proposed law, which would not go into effect until next season, would fine individuals CDN$250 each time they are caught without protective headgear. The bill would requir...

SAM Magazine--December 8, 2012--Peak Resorts, Inc., announced that it has postponed its Initial Public Offering that was expected to price and close this week, due to volatile market conditions. Peak Resorts owns and manages 12 resorts in the East and Midwest. A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the Securiti...

SAM Magazine-Lakewood, Colo., Dec. 6, 2011-Several new product suppliers and a growing list of organizations are backing Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month (LSSM) this January. The support broadens the program's outreach to newcomers and adds to the promotional possibilities. LSSM executive director Mary Jo Tarallo anticipates that this growing suppo...

SAM Magazine-McLean, Va., Dec. 6, 2011-Snowsports retail sales jumped 14 percent in dollars during the pre-season sales period, August through October, compared to very strong sales in the same period in 2010, according to SnowSports Industries America (SIA) and The Leisure Trends Group. Total snow sports pre-season sales increased from $565 millio...

SAM Magazine-Denver, Dec. 2, 2011-Colorado-based Eco-Groomer is initiating production of its first 60 energy-efficient snow processing units. These units add two additional "outrigger" tillers to a standard snowcat and increase the coverage area by 200 percent. The units are said to increase the fuel efficiency of grooming operations by 35 percent ...

SAM Magazine--December 2, 2011--Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows, Calif., have commenced a pilot study to determine the possibility of creating backcountry access gates that would allow on-snow travel between the two resorts. During the upcoming season, the management and ski patrols at the two ski areas, along with the U.S. Forest Service, will inv...

SAM Magazine-Lincoln, N.H., Nov. 22, 2011-Big snow in the Northwest, up to 28 inches at Whistler Blackcomb, has helped some areas in the region open earlier than planned. In the East, a warm spell forced several areas to delay openings last weekend. But with colder evening temperatures and with up to a foot of snow forecast for northern New England...

SAM Magazine--November 21, 2011--The Wall Street Journal reported that Peak Resorts announced today that it is offering 5 million common shares and expects the initial offering price to be between $16 and $18 per share. The company hopes to raise $85 million in the IPO and command a market value of $152 million. In addition, Peaks Resorts plans to ...

SAM Magazine-Boulder, Colo., Nov. 18, 2011-In a sign of health for outdoor sports, preliminary Outdoor RetailTRAK data from Leisure Trends Group indicate that outdoor retail sales gained 14 percent over October 2010, spurred by especially strong apparel sales. Sales continued on pace with September's record total, as outdoor stores posted largest-e...