SAM Magazine—Killington, Vt., April 14, 2016—The trend of expanding summer business at mountain resorts has gained traction at Killington in Vermont. The resort plans to invest $850,000 this summer to install dual zip lines, summer tubing lanes, and a 40-foot tower jump. Also included is a new rental fleet of mountain bikes, six new mountain bike trails, upgrades to food and beverage facilities, and kids camps.

SAM Magazine—Burke, Vt., April 14, 2016—The last 24 hours have been dramatic in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, culminating with the Securities and 

Exchange Commission charging Q Burke and Jay Peak co-owners Ariel Quiros and Bill Stenger with fraud. The charges are the result of an investigation performed by the agency into the partners’ use of EB-5 foreign investor funds.

Woodbury, Conn., April 14, 2016—SAM Magazine has selected four outstanding individuals to receive 2016 SAMMY Leadership Awards: Halley O’Brien, Elia Hamilton, Phoebe Mills, and Steve Wright. The awards, now in their 19th year, recognize individuals who, in mid-career, are influencing the future of the mountain resort industry. The four will receive their awards on May 20 at the SAMMY Awards during the National Ski Areas Association conference in Nashville, Tenn.

SAM Magazine—Snowbird, Utah, April 13, 2016—Snowbird was granted unanimous approval by the Utah County Board of Adjustment on two conditional use permits involving resort expansion in American Fork Canyon. The plans call for a new gondola, two new chairlifts, 500 acres of new terrain, and a zip line.

SAM Magazine—Newbury, N.H., April 6, 2016—Today Mount Sunapee N.H., received approval from the state to move forward with its West Bowl Expansion, which will add 56 acres of skiing terrain down the west flank of the mountain into the town of Goshen. There will be four top-to-bottom intermediate to advance intermediate runs, all with snowmaking, serviced by a 5,100’ high-speed quad chairlift.

SAM Magazine—Burke, Vt., April 6, 2016—In the employment-starved Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, a major development project funded by a program designed to create jobs has resulted in a loss of jobs and much squabbling between the state and the developers, Bill Stenger and Ari Quiros. 

This begins SAM’s monthly series of updates on important happenings about prominent people in the ski and snowboard industry. This will include awards, promotions, obituaries, and recognitions.

SAM Magazine—East Rutherford, N.J., April 5, 2016—Developer Triple Five and resort operating group SNOW Operating are partnering to operate North America’s first indoor snow center, “Big SNOW America,” at American Dream when the megaplex at the Meadowlands Sports Complex opens in 2017.

SAM Magazine—Whistler, B.C., April 6, 2016—Big things are in the works at North America’s biggest ski resort with Whistler Blackcomb planning to invest $345 million over three phases of development. Called “Whistler Blackcomb Renaissance,” the investment will add new, year-round attractions and activities, see major on-mountain winter and summer improvements, offer new real estate developments, and improve Blackcomb’s upper and lower base areas.

SAM Magazine—Carrabassett Valley, Maine, April 4, 2016—While only a handful of New England ski resorts remain open, several are planning to continue operations for weeks, if not a month or more.

Natick, Mass., April 1, 2016—After much anticipation and more than 66,000 votes tallied, SAM Magazine and HKD Snowmakers are honored to announce the Sunday River, ME, Snowmaking Crew as the winner of the 2016 I Am a Snowmaker Award. When asked to share their team motto, Sunday River responded, “We’re not just a team; we’re a brotherhood!” To view Sunday River’s complete profile as well as the five other teams nominated, click here.

SAM Magazine—Dover, Vt., March 29, 2016—Mountain ops crews at ski areas in the eastern half of the continent have put in a herculean effort this winter to keep the ski season going and provide a quality product for visitors. In most areas out West, the snow hasn’t really stopped falling, so resorts are keeping winter rolling.

SAM Magazine—Big Sky, Mont., March 25, 2016—The shortage of affordable housing in resort communities across the U.S. has become a major issue—one that the recently formed Big Sky Community Housing Trust (BSCHT) aims to address by growing the inventory of such residences for the town’s local workforce.

SAM Magazine—Zermatt, Switzerland, Mar. 25, 2016—High-altitude resorts across the Alps are preparing for and investing in summer operations, according to Patrick Thorne's SnowHunter World Weekly Snow News. The strategies are, not surprisingly, diverse.

SAM Magazine—Bend, Ore., March 23, 2016—As of March 16, Mt. Bachelor president and general manager Dave Rathbun no longer holds a position with the resort, and nobody knows why. Rathbun said he was unable to speak about the circumstances surrounding his departure and directed questions to John McCloud, the resort’s director of finance, who Rathbun said had been appointed acting general manager.