• leadership

In SAM’s Snow People, we highlight personnel moves in the mountain resort industry. From resort hires, promotions, and retirements to awards, obits, and supplier news, we celebrate the people that make this industry thrive. PEOPLE   ETHAN AUSTIN, SADDLEBACK, MAINE Ethan Austin has been appointed director of marketing at Saddleback Ski Area...

SAM Magazine—Burke, Vt., June 2, 2025—The new owners of Burke Mountain have coaxed industry veteran Tom Day out of retirement to serve as interim general manager of the resort, effective June 5.  “Honestly, unretiring again to help Burke in this transition was an easy decision. It’s what I love to do,” said Day, adding, “It’s always...

SAM Magazine—Gatineau, Quebec, May 30, 2025—More than 560 attendees gathered in Gatineau for the Eastern Canada Ski Areas Conference and Tradeshow, May 26-29. ASSQ CEO Yves Juneau (and his discerning taste in reading material) with SAM's Katie Brinton.It was the first time the event has been held since 2016. The conference brings together ski i...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., May 28, 2025—As June approaches, all but four North American ski areas have sent up last chair for the 2024-25 winter season. Some lasted well into May, and a handful recorded their longest seasons ever.Credit Boyne Mountain Still open for skiing and riding are Arapahoe Basin, Colo.; Arizona Snowbowl, Ariz.; Mammoth...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., May 27, 2025—Kirsten Lynch has stepped down as chief executive officer of Vail Resorts, and Rob Katz, who served in the role from 2006 to 2021, is returning to the role, effective immediately. Lynch had led the company since November 2021, succeeding Katz after his 16-year tenure as CEO. During her time at the h...

• Lift Operations News

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., May 22, 2025—The crews from Bogus Basin, Idaho; Burke Mountain, Vt.; Crotched Mountain, N.H.; Giants Ridge, Minn.; Marmot Basin, A.B.; and Mission Ridge, Wash., have been chosen as finalists in the fifth annual Rise Up Challenge, sponsored by Leitner-Poma of America (LPOA), to compete for an education grant valued at...

SAM Magazine—Aspen, Colo., May 22, 2025—Aspen One, the parent company of Aspen Skiing Company, has promoted John Rigney, Susan Cross, and Ian Stuart, and hired Steve Stout and Trip Riggs as part of a senior-level leadership update.  “We are nothing without our incredibly talented people,” said Aspen One president and CEO Dave Tanner. “O...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., May 22, 2025—Vail Resorts’ Epic Pass will include access to resorts in Austria’s Saalbach, Zell am See-Kaprun, Mayrhofen, and Hintertux for the 2025-26 season.  The Epic Pass and Epic Adaptive Pass will include a total of five consecutive days of access across Mayrhofen and Hintertux, which encompass six di...

SAM Magazine—Marco Island, Fla., May 16, 2025—The heavy rain that was forecast for most of the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) National Convention and Trade Show wound up missing Marco Island, where a total of 919 ski area operators and industry suppliers—up more than 200 people compared to the 2024 event in Texas—gathered for four da...

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., May 14, 2025—Boreal MountainThe National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) recognized standout resorts and individuals for excellence in marketing, safety, sustainability, and guest conversion during its annual awards ceremony Tuesday, May 13, at the NSAA National Convention and Tradeshow in Marco Island, Fla. Boreal M...

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., May 13, 2025—The National Ski Patrol (NSP) and Snow Angel Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing on-mountain collisions, have partnered on a new initiative to increase awareness of collision risks and encourage responsible behavior among skiers and snowboarders.  The initiative will include campaigns to ...

SAM Magazine—Innsbruck, Austria, May 12, 2025—Interalpin returned to Innsbruck, Austria, May 6–9 for its 25th edition, marking 50 years since the alpine technology and cable car trade fair was first held. Hosted every two years, the event brought together industry professionals from across Europe and beyond to discuss infrastructure, innovati...

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., May 13, 2025—Winter lodging results in the Western U.S. ended largely flat for the season, and summer is continuing the trend. Aggregated results among 17 destinations spread across Colorado, Utah, California, Nevada, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho showed a slight dip in occupancy of 0.3 percent, offset by a 1.9 p...

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., May 12, 2025—U.S. ski areas reported a total of 61.5 million skier visits for 2024-25, a 1.7 percent year-over-year increase, according to preliminary data from the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA). It was the second-highest total since NSAA began tallying skier visits in 1978, trailing only the record-setting...

SAM Magazine—Vernon, N.J., May 9, 2025—Starting in 2025-26, Snow Partners will offer the Snow Triple Play Card (S3P), a new multi-property product designed for occasional skiers and riders that don’t participate enough to justify buying a season pass yet wish to avoid paying the price of ever-rising day tickets.  According to data from the ...