SAM Magazine—Salt Lake City, Utah, Nov. 11, 2016—The retail buying shows, which have gone through some schedule changes lately, are poised for more. The Outdoor Retailer (OR) winter and summer shows will move to new dates in 2018, and each show will split into “early” and “late” shows.

Welcome to the November edition of Snow People, our monthly roundup of happenings to prominent ski industry and supplier personnel.

SAM Magazine—Dover, Vt., Nov. 9, 2016—At the beginning of this week, nearly ten more North American ski areas—from Alberta, Canada, to New Mexico—had planned to open for the season on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. Now, only two remain—Loveland, Colo., and Mammoth, Calif.

SAM Magazine—Dover, Vt., Nov. 4, 2016—When Arapahoe Basin opened for the season on Oct. 21, it was cold and snowy in many parts of the country. It seems that more ski areas were bound to also open shortly after. Right? Not if Ma Nature had anything to say about it. Which she did.

SAM Magazine—Seattle, Wash., Nov. 3, 2016—For the last few months, political advertisements have flooded the media, taking up most of the advertising inventory at premium rates. An unusual victim of this ad frenzy was the Ski Dazzle Seattle Ski and Snowboard Show, which was cancelled because the promoters couldn’t afford spots on TV, radio, and in newspapers. The event was scheduled for Nov. 5 and 6.

SAM Magazine—Kansas City, Mo., Nov. 3, 2016—CNL Lifestyle Properties has entered into a purchase and sale agreement for its portfolio of waterparks, amusement parks and small family entertainment centers, along with its 15 ski resorts.

SAM Magazine—Wildwood, Mo., Nov. 3, 2016—Peak Resorts, has completed its previously announced private placement of its Series A cumulative convertible preferred stock and warrants to purchase common stock to CAP 1 LLC, a family client of Summer Road LLC.

SAM Magazine—Rangeley, Maine, Oct. 27, 2016—The ongoing ownership conundrum of Saddleback Mountain, Maine’s third-largest ski area, could be coming to an end. A group of local business owners and Saddleback season passholders have formed Saddleback Community Mountain Resort LLC, with the intention of purchasing the ski area from the Berry family and turn it into a community owned non-profit enterprise.

SAM Magazine—Waterville Valley, N.H., Oct. 27, 2016—The affordable housing crisis in western resort towns has been well documented, but resorts in the East aren’t immune to the issue. To combat what has been “a long-standing challenge,” Waterville Valley, N.H., partnered with General Properties, LLC, to invest in a property, The Snow Star Inn, which will provide workforce housing.

SAM Magazine—Killington, Vt., Oct. 25, 2016—Killington opened for the 2016-17 winter season today at noon, kicking things off in the East. Today was just for Killington season passholders; the resort plans to open to the general public at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

SAM Magazine—Kellogg, Idaho, Oct. 24, 2016—Idaho ski areas are a hot commodity for individual business owners as of late. Less than a month after Shay Butler purchased Pebble Creek Ski Area in Inkolm, Seattle-area businessman Tryg Fortun bought Silver Mountain for $5 million from Jeld-Wen Holdings.

SAM Magazine— Girdwood, Alaska, Oct. 24, 2016—After seven years as Alyeska Resort’s mountain services manager, Brian Burnett has been promoted to ski area general manager. His new responsibilities include general oversight of ski patrol, snow safety, lift crews, tram operations, mountain maintenance projects, mountain learning center, rentals, mountainside budgeting, CIP management, and guest relations.

SAM Magazine—York, Pa., Oct. 19, 2016— Snow Time Inc., the parent company of Pennsylvania’s Roundtop Mountain Resort, Liberty Mountain Resort, and Whitetail Resort, has made several key staffing changes.

SAM Magazine—Summit County, Colo., Oct. 19, 2016—Thanks to snowmaking efforts that began on Oct. 3, Arapahoe Basin now plans to open for skiing and snowboarding on Friday, Oct. 21.

SAM Magazine—Burlington, Vt., Oct. 18, 2016—In a blow to the status of the SIA Snow Show in Denver, Jan. 26-29, 2017, Burton has said it will not exhibit at the show. Burton had vastly reduced its presence two years ago, but is now exiting the show altogether.