SAM Magazine—Whistler, B.C., May 13, 2015—Skier and snowboarder visits to Whistler Blackcomb fell 9.3 percent, to 1.52 million compared to last season, according to Whistler Blackcomb Holding’s second quarter financial report, for the season through Mar. 31, 2015. Revenues, though, rose 1.5 percent, to $191.4 million, as the decli...

SAM Magazine—San Francisco, May 6, 2015—NSAA handed out a variety of awards at the National Convention here. Left: Bob Roberts (on left) accepting his award from Michael Berry, president of NSAA. Right: Dave Ingemie (on right) with Michael Berry. 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award: NSAA pre...

SAM Magazine—San Francisco, May 6, 2015—The U.S. ski industry tallied an estimated 53.6 million skier and snowboarder visits this past season, making 2014-15 the second-worst since 2000-01, according to the National Ski Areas Association. The results represent a 5 percent decrease from 2013-14, and are down 3.8 percent from the five-sea...

SAM Magazine—San Francisco, May 6, 2015—The U.S. Ski Team is assuming operational control of NASTAR through a partnership with the program’s owner, Active Interest Media (AIM). NASTAR is featured at 115 resorts nationwide, with more than 165,000 racer days each year. Tiger Shaw, ski team CEO, said the integration will capitaliz...

SAM Magazine—San Francisco, May 6, 2015—Thredbo, Australia, has joined The Mountain Collective as a full resort partner for the 2015-16 season, making it the first resort outside of North America to be added to the multi-resort pass. The news comes on the heals of Vail Resorts’ purchase of Perisher last month and further indicates...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., April 28, 2015—Vail Resorts has reported that for the 2014-15 season, total lift revenues, including an allocated portion of season pass revenue, were up approximately 8.5 percent, while total skier visits for the company's nine mountain resorts were down 2.8 percent compared to 2013-14. Additional...

SAM Magazine—Rossland, B.C., April 27, 2015—Don Thompson has been promoted to president at Red Mountain. Thompson is the former vice president of operations and development and is now in charge of all aspects of resort operations, as well as project and property management. "I look forward to continually increasing and improving...

SAM Magazine—Donnelley, Idaho, April 23, 2015—Brad Larsen is set to become the new general manager for Tamarack Resort. He is joining the team of Replay Resorts, which was chosen last month to run Tamarack by the resort’s owner, New TR Acquisitions Co. (NEWTRAC). Replay is taking over management on May 1 from the Tamarack Municipa...

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., April 23, 2015—The National Ski Patrol (NSP) has bestowed its Minnie Dole Award on Ed McNamara, chair of the NSP board of directors. The award is given to patrollers who exemplify a spirit of service, dedication, and sacrifice that was epitomized by the organization's founder, Charles Minot "Minnie...

SAM Magazine—Denver, April 14, 2015—Despite mercurial temperatures and sporadic snowfall throughout the Rocky Mountain and Far West mountain resorts in February and March, resort lodging posted double-digit increases in revenue for the third straight winter, with summer reservations following a similar track, according to Denver-based D...

SAM €ˆMagazine—Natick, Mass., April 14, 2015—SAM Magazine is proud to announce the 2015 SAMMY Leadership Award winners: Beth Howard, Ryan Locher, and Hiram Towle. The awards, now in their 19th year, are given each year to individuals who will shape the future of the mountain resort industry. This year saw a record number of nominations, and almost 3,000 votes were tallied for our 12 finalists. Winners will be presented with an award on May 3 at the SAMMY Awards event at the National Ski Areas Association conference in San Francisco, CA.

SAM Magazine—Squaw Valley, Calif., April 13, 2015—After years of negotiating, Squaw Valley has reached an agreement with private land owner Troy Caldwell to build a base-to-base gondola connecting Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows. The linkage traverses White Wolf, Caldwell’s land, and has been at the top of both parties’ wish...

SAM Magazine—Denver, Colo., April 9, 2015—New snow that swept California, Utah, and parts of the Northeast have allowed some ski areas to tack on a few more days to their seasons. Squaw Valley reset its closing date to April 19 thanks to 20 inches of new snow in the past week. The area has four lifts running on a 45-inch base, and offic...

SAM Magazine—Jackson, Wyo., April 6, 2015—Mountain bike riders in North America have crowned the top bike parks as part of the second annual "Best Bike Parks Riders' Choice Awards" produced by MTBparks.com, a comprehensive online guide to North American bike parks. More than 3,000 riders cast votes this year on the top ...

SAM Magazine—Donner Summit, Calif., April 4, 2015—Rob Kautz, president and CEO of Sugar Bowl Resort, is retiring after nearly four decades at Sugar Bowl Resort. Kautz will stay on as president and CEO until Sugar Bowl Resort finds and trains a replacement, and will continue to work at the resort through June 2016. He will also remain on...