SAM Magazine--August 11, 2011--Whistler-Blackcomb released its third quarter results yesterday and the news was good and bad. The first thing to note about the numbers is that on November 9, 2010, Whistler Blackcomb Holdings Inc. (the corporation) completed an initial public offering and concurrently acquired a 75% interest in both Whistler and Bla...

SAM Magazine visited Highland Mountain Bike Park in Northfield, N.H., for another installment of the SAM CAM series. Highland Mountain Bike Park, formally Highland Ski Area, was purchased by businessman Mark Hayes in 2003. He transformed the 200-acre area into a state-of-the-art, lift-serviced mountain biking facility with a 9,100-square-foot indoo...

SAM Magazine--August 5, 2011--Some big names are behind the auction of Powderhorn yesterday: Former Vail exec Andy Daly, along with Ken and Tom Gart (formerly of Gart Bros.), were behind the new corporation that bought Powderhorn Resort and a 700-acre parcel for $1.4 million. The new company is called Powderhorn Partners. We will report more det...

SAM Magazine-Burlington, Vt., Aug. 5, 2011-Members of the ASTM F27 Committee on Snow Skiing met in mid-July to consider expanding the committee's scope to include terrain park jumping features (ASTM stands for the American Society for Testing and Materials). The move, which is expected to be approved, would put ASTM in the business of considering s...

SAM Magazine--August 4, 2011--According to published reports, Powderhorn Resort, Colo., was sold at a live auction today for $2,083,950. The auction consisted of six lots--two sold to one bidder and the other four to separate buyers. The first lot was the ski area, including lifts, day lodge, parking areas, office, two maintenance shops, rolling st...

SAM Magazine-Windham, N.Y., Aug. 4, 2011-Windham Mountain has named David "Chip" Seamans general manager and chief operating officer, effective Sept. 1. Seamans replaces president and general manager Tim Woods, who is assuming ownership of Woods Valley, a ski area in central New York that was created by his late father. Woods will continue to wo...

SAM Magazine--August 3, 2011-- Spirit Mountain, Minn., was set to debut its latest addition to the area's Adventure Park, the "Timber Flyer" zipline, but the weather had different plans. Thanks to a lightning strike on August 1 during severe storms, the August 4 grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the 700-foot ride will be delayed. The...

SAM Magazine--August 1, 2011--The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a federal judge's ruling in favor of Copper Mountain, Colo., which dismissed a lawsuit brought against the ski area after a 2006 accident. According to the AP, the lawsuit was filed by Dr. Rajeev Kumar and claimed the resort was negligent in not expressly labeling a corni...

SAM Magazine--August 1, 2011--Telluride Ski Resort is inviting fans to be a part of the area's marketing effort. The resort has created a survey whereby participants will view a compilation of ads targeted to different demographic groups with different images, styles and text, and choose their favorites. Once the results are in, Telluride will adju...

SAM Magazine-Squaw Valley, July 27, 2011-Squaw Valley USA has detailed the first two years of a five-year, $50 million capital improvement plan that will impact the on-mountain and base village experience. Plans include everything from new food and hospitality offerings to new beginner and advanced high-speed chairlifts, trail improvements and a st...

SAM Magazine-Salt Lake City, July 27, 2011-Olympic silver medalist Jeret "Speedy" Peterson was found dead on Monday from what police are calling a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police found a suicide note near Peterson's car, but refused to reveal its contents. Peterson's "Hurricane," a five-twist, three-flip aerial maneuver, propelled him to se...

SAM Magazine-Aspen, Colo., July 27, 2011-Aspen Skiing Company has appointed Christian Knapp as vice president of marketing. Knapp received a SAMMY Award last May as one of the future leaders of the ski industry, and has held a variety of marketing positions within Vail Resorts since 1998. Knapp got his start in the ski/snowboard industry in 199...

SAM Magazine-Bozeman, Mont., July 27, 2011-Lehman Brothers will take ownership of Moonlight Basin under a plan the bank and the resort submitted Friday to U.S. bankruptcy court. The agreement calls for Lehman to supply funds sufficient to satisfy in full the claims of Moonlight Basin's administrative creditors and provide a recovery for Moonligh...

SAM Magazine-Lakewood, Colo., July 26, 2011-A newly revised website for Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month (LSSM) officially launched today with features that make it easy for consumers to find information on how to get involved in skiing and snowboarding. Built by nxtconcepts.com, the site serves as a key communications tool for the national Janu...

SAM Magazine-Boise, Idaho, July 26, 2011-Resort founders Alfredo Miguel of Tamarack Resort, Idaho, and Tim Blixseth of the Yellowstone Club, Mont., are hoping to recoup money lost at their failed resorts from lender Credit Suisse Group. The two men hope to join a $2.5 billion suit claiming that Credit Suisse engaged in predatory lending. The ori...