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  • 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...

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 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

NSAA National Convention Explores Ski Industry’s Challenges and Opportunities

SAM Magazine—Carlsbad, Calif., May 8, 2026—Nubs Nob Ski Area takes home the 2026 Conversion Cup.The 2026 National Ski Areas Association National (NSAA) Convention and Tradeshow drew 857 attendees to the Omni La Costa Resort near San Diego, May 4-7, strong attendance given the challenging winter in the West that resulted in total national skier ...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

U.S. Skier Visits Drop 14% in 2025-26 Amid Weak Western Snowfall

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., May 5, 2026—U.S. ski areas recorded an estimated 52.6 million skier visits in the 2025-26 season, down roughly 14 percent and 9 million visits year over year, according to preliminary data from the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA).  The season ranked 32nd out of 48 on record, with poor snow conditions across...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Lee Cowie to Succeed Founder Steve Brown as accesso CEO

SAM Magazine—Twyford, United Kingdom, May 4, 2026—Chief operating officer Lee Cowie will become CEO of accesso Technology Group as part of a planned leadership transition. He succeeds Steve Brown, who founded the company’s namesake accesso business in 2008.  "I’m leaving the business in very good hands,” said Brown. “Lee's deep experi...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

SAM Summer Ops Camp Heads to Gatlinburg

SAM Magazine—Gatlinburg, Tenn., May 4, 2026—The 14th annual SAM Summer Ops Camp is headed to Gatlinburg, Tenn., Sept. 1-3, 2026. Known as the gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park—the most visited national park in the United States, with approximately 12 million visitors anually—Gatlinburg is home to a wide variety of summertime mo...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

One Staff Member Killed, Another Injured After Work Basket Falls at Mt. Hood Skibowl

SAM Magazine—Government Camp, Ore., May 1, 2026—Two Mt. Hood Skibowl employees were in a work carrier when it fell from the line of the Upper Bowl chairlift Thursday morning, killing one and injuring the other, according to a report from the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office. The carrier fell into rugged terrain. A third person on scene call...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Exclusive: Snow Partners to Launch New Multi-Mountain Product, Expand Snow Triple Play

SAM Magazine—Montville, N.J., May 1, 2026—Snow Partners is launching a new multi-mountain frequency product, Snow Pass. The pass will provide two days of access to each partner ski area and operate as a cooperative. The company is also expanding its three-day multi-mountain product Snow Triple Play to the Midwest after a successful inaugural se...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Parents Charged with Endangerment After 5-Year-Old Falls from Lift

SAM Magazine—Claysburg, Pa., April 23, 2026—The parents of a 5-year-old boy who fell from a chairlift March 1 at Blue Knob All Season Resort were each arraigned this week on a felony charge of endangering the welfare of a child. The boy was riding the lift alone when he reportedly turned to adjust his goggles, slipped off the chair and fell 20 ...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Vail Resorts Visits, Revenue, and Pass Sales Down

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., April 23, 2026—Skier visits, lift revenue, and other season-to-date metrics reported by Vail Resorts were down for the North American ski season through April 19, 2026, compared to the same period through April 20, 2025, due to “one of the most challenging winters in history across the western U.S.,” said Vai...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Global Skier Visits Hit Record 399M for 2024-25

SAM Magazine—Grenoble, France, April 21, 2026—Global skier visits reached a record 399 million in the 2024-25 season, surpassing the previous high of 392 million set in 2018-19, according to the 18th edition of the International Report on Snow & Mountain Tourism, compiled by Laurent Vanat.  The report was released today at the Mountain Pl...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

2026 Lift Maintenance Seminar Popular, Impactful

SAM Magazine—Hancock, Mass., April 21, 2026—Packed house for older fixed grip roundtable.The 49th annual Lift Maintenance Seminar (LMS) returned to Jiminy Peak, April 13-16, drawing a sold-out crowd of roughly 415 ski area operations professionals, supplier representatives, state officials, and experts from all over North America to engage in a...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

National Ski Patrol Conducting Its First Survey of Ski Area Leaders

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., April 20, 2026— National Ski Patrol (NSP) is surveying more than 300 ski area senior leaders to gather input that will help shape how the organization develops its education and training programs as well as its partnership efforts and revenue streams. It’s the first time in its 85-year history NSP has surveyed sk...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

CCSAA Conference 2026: Networking and Snow Farming at Canmore

SAM Magazine—Canmore, Alberta, April 20, 2026—Climate/snowpack presentation. Credit: Reese Brown.The Cross Country Ski Areas Association (CCSAA) Annual Conference drew 72 attendees from across North America to 1988 Winter Olympic venue Canmore Nordic Centre in Alberta, Canada, April 8-10, 2026. Attendance was up compared to the last three years...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Nearly 2,000 Ski and Snowboard Instructors Join Labor Suit Against Vail Resorts

SAM Magazine—Denver, April 17, 2026—Nearly 2,000 current and former ski and snowboard instructors have joined a collective action Fair Labor Standards Act lawsuit against Vail Resorts, according to reports citing consent forms filed in federal court in Colorado last week.  Quint et al. v. Vail Resorts, Inc., was first filed in 2020 by three B...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Snow People — April 2026

In SAM’s Snow People, we highlight personnel moves in the mountain resort industry. From resort hires, promotions, and retirements to awards, obits, and supplier news, we celebrate the people that make this industry thrive. PEOPLE TROY HAWKS, GIANTS RIDGE, MN Giants Ridge has appointed Troy Hawks as marketing director. Most recently, Hawks...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Supplier News Roundup

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., April 16, 2025—SAM’s Supplier News roundup delivers a quick look at the latest business moves shaping the mountain resort industry. From mergers and acquisitions to new services, partnerships, and product expansions, this snapshot keeps operators up to speed on the companies and solutions driving change across the ...