SAM - Magog, QC, November 28, 2006 - An eleventh hour deal struck by Québec Environment Minister Claude Béchard has saved Québec's Mont Orford's season. The resort was in the throes of a labor dispute, and the differences between management and the union which represented ski area workers seemed intractable. In fact, the situation was so ...

SAM Magazine - Northstar-At-Tahoe, November 27, 2006 - Northstar-At-Tahoe has teamed up with legendary snowboard icon Jake Burton to design a natural jib run called The Stash. The run, developed by Burton and his team riders, features trees, jibs and road jumps constructed with wood logs and other materials native to the Lake Tahoe region. "I've...

SAM Magazine - Salt Lake City, UT, November 21, 2006 - You've heard of them: Blogs. The web logs that are written by somewhat anonymous personalities about every subject under the sun. The best Blogs have become alternative sources of news and commentary, vaulting their authors into the limelight and providing valued insights. At their worst, Blogs merely waste bandwidth. After all, who really cares about the daily adventures of Aunt Martha's cat? Still, as resorts come to grips with new technology and the power of the Internet, Blogs can provide another weapon in the marketing war. And, if you have a Blog that combines the elusive combination of authenticity and mass appeal, they can become powerful voices for your brand.

SAM Magazine, Boulder, CO, November 20, 2006 - Eastern ski resorts are back on track as cold weather returned to the region over the weekend and resorts have resumed snowmaking operations. Numerous resorts delayed opening dates last week as warm weather stymied snowmaking and Mother Nature failed to cooperate. But with colder temperatures in store...

SAM Magazine--Boston, Mass., November 17, 2006--This year's BEWI Award luncheon had one of its largest crowds ever to honor Bernie Weischel and Philip Gravink. The location was Gillett stadium where they were busy trying to get the field repaired after last Sunday's muddy game. Left to right: Herbert Schneider, Billy Kidd, Bernie Weichsel, Phil ...

SAM Magazine - Lake Louise, Alberta, November 17, 2006 - Lake Louise has gotten the go-ahead to host the first men's World Cup Downhill race of the season. The event is scheduled for November 25 and 26. The resort recently passed a hill inspection by the FIS and met the conditions to host the DH. Given the speeds at which World Cup DH racers re...

SAM Magazine--Aspen, Colo., November 16, 2006--Pat O'Donnell, president and CEO of the Aspen Skiing Company, has moved up his retirement, which is effective immediately. O'Donnell joined Aspen in 1993 and became CEO in 1996. During his tenure, O'Donnell brought the environment to the forefront of industry thinking, as well as customer service. "...

SAM Magazine--Burlington, Vt., November 16, 2006--After four years of tracking helmet use among skiers and snowboarders at three Vermont Ski areas, the Vermont Snow Sports Research Team announced it is expanding its project to up to eight additional Vermont resorts, thanks to a collaboration with the Vermont Ski Areas Association (VSAA). The res...

SAM Magazine - Sugarloaf/USA and Sunday River, Maine, November 14, 2006 -Sugarloaf/USA and Sunday River have become the largest purchasers and consumers of wind power in New England. Both Maine resorts have jointly chosen to offset 100 percent of their resort operations' electricity usage with energy generated from wind. Wind energy exclusively wil...

SAM Magazine - Vail, Colorado, November 14, 2006 - Resorts have faced a mixed bag of weather over the past week. With snow and cold temperatures in the west and warm eastern temps, the outlook for Thanksgiving openings is mixed. Groomers putting final touches on Winter Park slopes.  The situation is the best in the western region of Nort...

SAM Magazine-Yellowstone, Mont., Nov. 8, 2006-Tim Blixseth, the developer of Montana's Yellowstone Club, is being sued by three-time Tour de France champion Greg LeMond. LeMond, an early investor in two of the companies that control the Yellowstone club, claims that Blixseth has cheated him out of millions of dollars. Blixseth has counter-sued L...

SAM Magazine-Middlebury, Vt., Nov. 8, 2006-Middlebury College Snow Bowl is raising the bar on carbon dioxide offsets. According to Middlebury College assistant treasurer and director of business services Tom Corbin, "The Middlebury College Snow Bowl may well be the first ski area to take carbon neutrality to this level by offsetting electric, gas, ...

SAM Magazine - Keystone, CO, November 7, 2006 - Vail Resorts has named Patricia Campbell the new chief operating officer of Keystone Resort. Campbell will report directly to Roger McCarthy, co-president of Vail Resorts' mountain division and chief operating officer of Breckenridge. Patricia Campbell For the past six years, Campbell has been...

SAM Magazine - Denver, Co, November 7, 2006 - It's a gutsy, innovative move that could change the face of skiing and snowboarding. It's also the kind of bold action that you'd expect from Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, who made his fortune as an entrepreneur in the restaurant business. Hickenlooper was the most famous face among many city of De...

SAM Magazine--Findley Lake, N.Y., November 6, 2006--The new ownership group of New York's Peek'n Peak Resort and Conference Center expects to pump massive infusions of cash into the resort over the next ten years. The investment is part of a revitalization plan for the resort implemented by Kiebler Recreation, LLC and Kiebler Properties. The group,...