• Lifts

SAM Magazine—Denver, August 7, 2018—Longtime finance industry executive Tim Donahue has been appointed as Alterra Mountain Company’s new chief financial officer and executive vice president. Donahue spent the last 19 years at JPMorgan Chase & Co., most recently serving as head of the company’s Leveraged Finance Capital Markets Group, he...

• Lifts
• Legal

SAM Magazine—Vail, Colo., July 30, 2018—Vail has become the first U.S. destination and the first mountain resort in the world to achieve certification as a "sustainable destination" by Sustainable Travel International. Certification efforts took more than five years, and required work and involvement by the resort, the town of Vail, and the U.S...

• Snowmaking

SAM Magazine—Newbury, N. H., July 26, 2018—Vail Resorts representative Pat Campbell spoke to an audience of around 100 people at an information session last night regarding the proposed lease transfer of Mount Sunapee to Vail Resorts. Campbell discussed the benefits the company could provide both the resort and the community, citing Vail’s charitable work, commitment to sustainability, and strong existing roster of resorts.

• Ski Patrol
• Legal

SAM Magazine—Jamesville, N.Y., July 26, 2018—Ski Areas of New York, Inc. (SANY) and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) have collaborated on a new program to help ski areas in the state purchase energy-efficient snowmaking guns. The program will provide up to $5 million for New York ski areas to upgrade and ex...

• Snowmaking
• Ski Patrol

SAM Magazine—Big Bear, Calif., July 26, 2018— Big Bear Mountain Resort (BBMR) has named Wade Reeser as its new chief operations officer. Reeser was raised in Big Bear Valley and has been with BBMR for 25 years. He has served in numerous roles within the company; most recently, he was the resort’s general manager, overseeing BBMR during its integration into the newly formed Alterra Mountain Company. 

• Area Management
• Legal

Snow People is where we highlight recent happenings to prominent people in the mountain resort industry.

• Ski Patrol
• Legal

SAM Magazine—Kelowna, B.C., July 17, 2018—Jimmie Spencer, who led the Canada West Ski Areas Association for 32 years, died July 16 in Vernon, B.C., at age 92. He led CWSAA from 1979 through 2011.“Likely his greatest legacy … will be the generation of leadership and cooperative culture he expected and created between competitors to establish...

• Lifts
• Ski Patrol

SAM Magazine—Denver, July 17, 2018—June occupancy and revenues continued to climb, keeping summer 2018 on pace to reach record levels in mountain destinations across the West, according to the latest DestiMetrics Market Briefing. Actual occupancy for the month was up a robust 7.9 percent compared to June 2017. Bolstered by a 3.3 percent increas...

• Lifts
• Area Management

SAM Magazine—Wildwood, Mo., July 16, 2018—Peak Resorts reported record revenue of $56 million for its fiscal 2018 fourth quarter ending April 30, a 9 percent increase over the same period last year. Reported EBITDA edged up 4 percent to $21.5 million. For the year as a whole, revenues rose to $131.6 million compared to $123.2 million a year ago...

• Area Management

SAM Magazine—Eden, Utah, July 16, 2018—The operators of Nordic Valley, Mountain Capital Partners (MCP), are floating the idea of a massive expansion that would grow Utah’s smallest ski area from 140 skiable acres to more than 2,800. The proposal for the expansion into the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest includes a 4.3-mile-long gondola pl...

• Area Management

SAM Magazine—Newport, Vt., July 11, 2018—Vermont attorney general T.J. Donovan said in a press conference today that the state has settled its civil lawsuit against former Jay Peak owner Ariel Quiros and former Jay Peak CEO Bill Stenger. The case has been pending since 2016 after the two men were accused of misappropriating millions of dollars ...

• Miscellaneous

SAM Magazine—Woodbury, Conn., July 12, 2018—The SAM Summer Ops Camp has added several sessions that reflect the needs of summer ops 2.0, the next evolution of this growing business. Focused on programming, operations, marketing and risk management, these sessions can help winter resorts become more knowledgeable and sophisticated about summer o...

• Lifts
• Miscellaneous

SAM Magazine—Government Camp, Ore., July 11, 2018—R.L.K. and Company, operator of Timberline Lodge and Ski Area, has purchased Summit Ski Area in Government Camp, Ore., which is located on Mt. Hood less than six miles from Timberline. Included in the sale is Snow Bunny, a snow play area and parking lot, approximately 1.5 miles east of Governmen...

• Marketing
• Miscellaneous

SAM Magazine—Steady Brook, Newfoundland, Canada, July 9, 2018—The Newfoundland and Labrador government, which owns and operates Marble Mountain Ski Resort, has issued a request for proposals (RFP) from potential private investors, operators, or even new owners for the resort. According to reports, Marble Mountain hasn’t turned a profit in yea...

• Lifts

SAM Magazine—Government Camp, Ore., June 25, 2018—Industry veteran Mike Quinn has been hired to lead Mt. Hood Skibowl as its new vice president and general manager. This is a return to Skibowl for Quinn, who served as the resort’s operations manager from 1992 to 2000. He brings 32 years of ski industry experience to his new position. Most re...