SAM Magazine--Copper Mountain, Colo., Nov. 5, 2004--Copper and Snowbird, Ut., have joined the ranks of open areas in the U.S. today, with Killington, Vt., planning to open early next week, perhaps as early as Tuesday. Copper opened with 2,300 vertical feet of top-to-bottom skiing and riding, nearly 60 acres of terrain and 20 inches of man-made a...

SAM Magazine--Vancouver, Nov. 9, 2004--Intrawest saw revenue decline for the fiscal 2005 first quarter ended September 30, 2004 to $206.5 million from $276.6 million for the same period last year, due to an expected drop in real estate sales. But revenues and profits increased in the resort, travel, and management services divisions. The company in...

SAM Magazine--Dillon, Colo., Nov. 12, 2004--Resort openings are beginning to grow at an exponential rate as more areas across the country will join the ranks of the operating by tomorrow. Keystone opened today with 36 hours of continuous skiing and riding, thanks to its lighted slopes. This is the first time Keystone will launch with an all-nigh...

SAM Magazine--Bridgton, Me., Nov. 12, 2004--Shawnee Peak Ski Area is offering free 2004-05 family season passes to the spouse and children of deployed soldiers. To encourage new or lapsed skiers and riders to take advantage of the offer, family are also eligible for $10 first-time lessons and $10 rental equipment. Shawnee's program is open to sp...

SAM Magazine--Denver, Colo., Nov. 19, 2004--Despite warm and/or dry conditions across much of the U.S. for the past week, more resorts are opening this weekend, ahead of the Thanksgiving onslaught. Here's a roundup of the upcoming action. Today, Vail joins several other Colorado areas that opened previously. Skiing and riding are underway off th...

SAM Magazine--Park City, Utah, Dec. 2, 2004--American Skiing Company (ASC) has completed its long-sought goal of refinancing its existing resort senior credit facility and its 12 percent Senior Subordinated Notes (both due in 2006). The result is a new $230 million senior secured credit facility co-led by Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) and GE Co...

SAM Magazine--Wrightwood, Calif., December 15, 2004--Oaktree Capital Management, owners of southern California's Mountain High ski area, have retained a financial advisor, Houlihan, Lokey, Howard and Zukin, to explore all of their options as it relates to returning invested capital to the original investors. This could include a sale, a merger or a...

SAM Magazine--Enfield, N.H., December 15, 2004--Whaleback Mountain has seen a lot of tire kickers since it closed in 2001. Many have viewed the small hill, which is tucked in behind Sunapee off of route 89, as a failing prospect given all the competition in Vermont and New Hampshire for snow sliders. Others see the small area as an untapped resourc...

SAM Magazine--McLean, Va., Dec.17, 2004--Retail sales for skiing and snowboarding for the August through October period were up 3 percent in dollars to $323.3 million while unit sales declined 3.6 percent, according to the SnowSports Industries America (SIA) Retail Audit. Strength in carve skis, integrated ski-binding systems, Twintips, tele gear, ...

SAM Magazine--Bretton Woods, N.H., December 22, 2004--The Mount Washington Cog Railway fired up its engines this past weekend and transported the first sliders part way up the hill for a 500-foot beginner run. The company anticipates being able top open the entire length of the track by December 26. The main trail, which is groomed and has snowm...

SAM Magazine--Denver, Colo., Dec. 22, 2004--Sirdar, the company that created the Snow Monsters skier/rider development program, is seeking a declaratory judgment action for non-infringement and non-dilution of a trademark in Denver Federal Court. Monster Cable, a manufacturer of speaker wire, audio, video and other electrical cables, is trying to c...

SAM Magazine--Beaver, Utah, Dec. 28, 2004--The Nimbus Loan Fund has repossessed Elk Meadows ski area in southwestern Utah from former owner Wayne Case for $1 million, with hopes that new management can turn it into a going concern. Nimbus is said to be seeking a new management group for the 450-acre area, located 250 miles northeast of Las Vegas. ...

SAM Magazine--Seattle, Wash., Dec. 31, 2004--Winter resorts nationwide report strong visitation for the Christmas holiday week. The only exception to this cheery news is the Pacific Northwest, where low snowfall kept several resorts closed until Christmas Day or later. Several resorts are reporting the largest crowds in years. Learn-to programs are...

SAM Magazine--Durango, Colo., Jan. 8, 2005--Snow Monsters and Monster Cable have amicably resolved their dispute over any possible trademark infringement over the two companies' use of the word "monster." As a result, Snow Monsters has withdrawn its complaint against Monster Cable. According to Jack Turner of Sirdar, Snow Monsters' parent compan...

SAM Magazine--Denver, Colo., Jan. 8, 2005--In spite of up-and-down weather in the East and Midwest, massive snows in California, and a snow drought in the Northwest, holiday traffic at ski areas nationwide was on a par with, or above, last year. And despite some continuing nasty weather in the week after the holiday, most areas are optimistic for a...