News Search

SAM Headline News

HEADLINE NEWS

FEATURED STORY

  • Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. Submits Top Bid for Jay Peak at $76 Million

    PGRI president and CEO Vern Greco shares his thoughts on the acquisition with SAM. SAM Magazine—Jay, Vt., Sept. 8, 2022—Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. (PGRI) made the highest and best final bid to buy Jay Peak, $76 million, following an auction with multiple bidders. PGRI president and CEO Vern Greco told SAM that after three years spent pursuing the acquisition, PGRI is poised to bring renewed stability to the resort and its staff, and tap into its passion and energy. The prevailing bid remains subject to approval by the United States District Court in Southern Florida during a final hearing scheduled for Sept. 16. Judge Darrin P. Gayles, who has presided over the receivership in federal...

    Read More

Get SAM Headline News delivered to your inbox. It's not just another email—it's industry news and special reports that matter to you, coming from the industry's trusted resource. 

GetNewsButton

 

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Summer Bookings Slow, But Mountain Destination Lodging Outlook Remains Strong

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo. June 17, 2026—Booking pace at western mountain destinations softened in May following an April surge, but summer lodging demand remains healthy, with occupancy, room rates, and revenue all tracking ahead of last year, according to the latest DestiMetrics Market Briefing from Inntopia. As of May 31, occupancy for...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Mountain Capital Partners to Acquire Three Arizona Golf Courses

SAM Magazine—Phoenix, Ariz., June 17, 2026—Sedona Golf ResortMountain Capital Partners (MCP) and affiliated fund Texas Capital Partners plan to acquire a portfolio of three Arizona resort and golf destinations—Tubac Golf Resort & Spa, Sedona Golf Resort, and Rancho Mañana Golf Club—known as The Arizona Hideaway Collection from owners t...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

OIA Reports 2025 Outdoor Participation at All Time High, Frequency Declines

SAM Magazine—Boulder, Colo., June 17, 2026—The Outdoor Industry Association’s 2026 Outdoor Participation Trends Report found outdoor participation reached a historic peak in 2025 of 183.2 million Americans, part of a continuing trend that has seen the addition of nearly 30 million participants since 2019.  While the overall picture is posit...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Vail Resorts Reports Declines in Q3, 2026-27 Pass Sales

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., June 10, 2026—Vail Resorts reported declines in nearly every financial metric for its 2026 fiscal third quarter ending April 30, including 2026-27 season pass sales to date, punctuating what was a historically challenging for its destination resorts in western North America.  Year-over-year, third quarter net i...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Swartz Tapped to Lead Smugglers’ Notch

SAM Magazine—Jeffersonville, Vt., June 10, 2026—Smugglers’ Notch Resort appointed Brandon Swartz as its new general manager. Swartz most recently served as general manager of Attitash Mountain and Wildcat Ski Area in New Hampshire. “Brandon understands that great resorts are built on great people and strong communities,” said Jon Schaefe...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Colorado Resorts Endured Historic Visit Decline in 2025-26

SAM Magazine—Denver, June 5, 2026—Visits to Colorado resorts declined by 24 percent in 2025-26 compared to the prior season, according to figures reported by Colorado Ski Country USA. The association projected preliminary statewide skier visits of 10.5 million for the 2025-26 Colorado season at its 63rd annual meeting yesterday, down from 13.9 ...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

New Hampshire Ski Areas Report 2025-26 as Fourth-Best Alpine Season in Two Decades

SAM Magazine—Bretton Woods, N.H., June 5, 2026—Doug and Liz Fichera, Summit Resources, with SAM's Karolyn Towle.New Hampshire’s alpine ski areas recorded 2,283,539 skier visits during the 2025-26 season, according to Ski New Hampshire (Ski NH), which represents more than 30 alpine and cross-country member ski areas in the state. The result is...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

As Expected, Vermont Ski Areas Report Strong 2025-26 Winter Season

SAM Magazine—Jay, Vt., June 5, 2026—JJ Toland from Sugarbush with former Jay Peak teammate and 2017 SAM "10 Under 30" Andrew Lanoue and SAM's Dave Meeker.The 242 attendees at the Vermont Ski Areas Association’s (Ski Vermont) 57th Annual Meeting at Jay Peak, June 3-4, were the first to hear that the 2025-26 winter’s early start, good snowfal...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Skeetawk Names Thompson as General Manager

SAM Magazine—Palmer, Alaska, June 4, 2026—Skeetawk Ski Area has promoted Ryan Thompson to general manager. Thompson previously served on the board of directors for the nonprofit that runs Skeetawk before resigning in 2025 to serve as Skeetawk’s construction development manager.  As construction development manager, Thompson oversaw capital ...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Six Lift Maintenance Teams Selected for 2026 Rise Up Challenge

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., May 29, 2026—The crews from Castle Mountain, Alberta; Loveland Ski Area, Colo.; Massanutten Resort, Va.; Mount Snow, Vt.; Sipapu Ski & Summer Resort, N.M.; and Spirit Mountain, Minn., have been chosen as finalists in the sixth annual Rise Up Challenge, sponsored by Leitner-Poma of America (LPOA), to compete for a...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Poole to Lead Heavenly Mountain Resort

SAM Magazine—South Lake Tahoe, Calif., May 29, 2026—Vail Resorts has appointed Trent Poole as Heavenly Mountain Resort vice president and general manager. He currently serves in the same role at Hunter Mountain, N.Y., and succeeds former Heavenly chief Shaydar Edelmann, who was named as Vail Mountain, Colo., VP and COO in April.  This will be...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Québec Ski Areas Report Visitation Growth, Record Revenue for 2025-26

SAM Magazine—Charlevoix, Québec, May 27, 2026—Total skier visits were up 5.1 percent year-over-year, and lift ticket revenue reached a record $190.5 million (CA$263.7 million) for Quebec ski areas in 2025-26, according to the Quebec Ski Areas Association (ASSQ), the trade organization representing 73 member ski areas in the province. Prelimina...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Bolton Valley Promotes Nick Lemire to General Manager

SAM Magazine—Bolton Valley, Vt., May 26, 2026—Nick Lemire has been promoted to the role of general manager for Bolton Valley. He previously served as director of guest experience and will now oversee general day-to-day operations and all departments at the family-owned ski area. He is taking on the responsibilities of former vice president and...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Juneau Assembly Scraps Eaglecrest Gondola Project

SAM Magazine—Juneau, Alaska, May 22, 2026—The City and Borough of Juneau Assembly voted 8-1 Monday night to abandon Eaglecrest Ski Area’s long-planned used gondola installation and repay Goldbelt Incorporated’s $10 million investment in the project, now about $12.2 million with accrued interest. The vote reverses the Assembly’s 2022 deci...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Miami-Based Investment Firm Acquires Meadowlark Ski & Lake Lodge in Wyoming

SAM Magazine—Meadowlark Lake, Wyo., May 21, 2026—A new hospitality venture backed by Miami-based investment firm MAS Alpha Securities has acquired Meadowlark Ski & Lake Lodge in northern Wyoming, with plans to revitalize the property for the 2026-27 winter season. The acquisition marks the launch of MAS Tierra, a hospitality brand founded ...