SAM Magazine-The upward trend in lodging occupancy at major Western mountain destinations continued for January, with average occupancy up 5.8 percent compared to a year ago, according to the Mountain Travel Research Program (MTRiP). The figures are based on reports from 265 property management companies in 15 mountain destinations in Colorado, Uta...

SAM Magazine--February 14, 2011--Leitner Technologies has purchased 100 percent of the Swedish company Lenko Snow AB, Inc. along with developing an active participation with the South Tyrolean snowmaking company Demac. The purchase of Lenko includes its Austrian, Italian, U.S. and Canadian subsidiaries including a facility in Queensbury, New York. ...

SAM Magazine-Denver, Feb. 2, 2011-Intrawest is moving its headquarters to the Denver metro area in the coming off-season. An internal memo informed the company's Vancouver employees of the plan last week. While the memo said the move will take place by the end of 2011, the transition could begin as early as July, SAM has learned. Since Intrawest...

SAM Magazine-Denver, Feb. 2, 2011-The energy level was high at the 2011 SIA Snow Show here last week, reflecting a record-setting retail season that has drawn down inventories to the bare-wall level for many city and suburban stores. The shelf cleaning coincides with a major shift in hard goods, with rocker skis and snowboards on the rise, along wi...

SAM Magazine-Woodbury, Conn., Feb. 1, 2011-Cutter's Camp has opened registration for both of this year's sessions, at Mount Snow, Vt., April 4-8 and Timberline, Mt. Hood, Ore., May 9-13. Space will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration is processed on SAM's website at www.cutterscamp.com For the past eight years, Cutter's ...

SAM Magazine--January 28, 2011--After 29 years of employment at Northstar-at-Tahoe, Julie Maurer has resigned and accepted a position as VP of marketing and sales for Squaw Valley, USA. Powdr Corp today announced the promotion of Tim Brennwald to senior vice president and chief development officer. Brennwald, a 24-year ski industry veteran, h...

SAM Magazine--Bessemer, Mich., Jan. 17, 2011--In the wake of a fire that destroyed the main lodge at Big Powderhorn last Thursday, the resort has relocated all business, including ticket sales and gear rentals, to the Caribou Lodge at the area. The area was back in operation less than 24 hours after the fire, in fact. While the fire destroyed 10...

SAM Magazine-Middlebury, Vt., Jan. 14, 2011-Mike Hussey has accepted the position of director of the Carroll and Jane Rikert Ski Touring Center at Middlebury College, starting after this season. Hussey is a 17-year veteran of HKD Snowmakers, where he played "an integral role in building the company, brand and reputation," said HKD's Ian Jarrett. ...

SAM Magazine-Boulder, Colo., Jan. 14, 2011-Holiday outdoor sales surged to a record-breaking $1.1 billion in December, according to preliminary outdoor retail sales figures reported by Leisure Trends Group. Sales not only rebounded 13 percent from last December, but topped the December 2008 record by 8 percent. The strong holiday results pushed tot...

SAM Magazine--January 13, 2011--This morning, January 13, 2011, the Big Powderhorn lodge burned in a huge fire, reports the Midwest Ski Areas Association (MSAA). MSAA released an e-mail at 2:30 p.m. local Michigan time, saying the fire is still burning. Causes are unknown at this time. Likely a total loss, the base lodge included administ...

SAM Magazine-Ellicottville, N.Y., Jan. 12, 2011-Holiday Valley plans to build an Adventure Park, including an aerial ropes course and a mountain coaster, for the coming summer. The Aerial Park will open in June and the mountain coaster a bit later. Outdoor Ventures Group of Southport, Conn., will design and build the Aerial Park. Its platforms ...

SAM Magazine-Boise, Idaho, Jan. 12, 2011-Judge Terry Myers has removed Tamarack Resort from federal Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and sent the dispute over the resort's future back to state court. What this means for the area's long-term future is not immediately clear. A potential buyer has bid $40 million for the resort. But Credit Suisse, ...

SAM Magazine-McLean, Va., Jan. 12, 2011-Winter Trails, a series of free, learn-to events for snowshoe and cross-country organized by Snowsports Industries America (SIA), drew good crowds to more than 80 local events across the country on Saturday, Jan. 8. Favorable weather in almost every part of the country helped boost attendance at comparable ev...

SAM Magazine-Albany, N.Y., Jan. 11, 2011-Three privately-owned neighbors of state-owned Belleayre Mountain in the Catskills are crying foul over the number of free lift tickets Belleayre makes available to gain visits, often at the expense of the private areas. Hunter Mountain and Windham Mountain used the state Freedom of Information Law to unc...

SAM Magazine-Broomfield, Colo., Jan. 10, 2011-Vail Resorts (VR) reported increases in visits and revenues from several departments for the season through Jan. 6, 2011, compared to the prior year through Jan. 7, 2010, which was an historically weak period hampered by poor early-season snow. Total skier visits for VR's six mountain resort properti...