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  • Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. Submits Top Bid for Jay Peak at $76 Million

    PGRI president and CEO Vern Greco shares his thoughts on the acquisition with SAM. SAM Magazine—Jay, Vt., Sept. 8, 2022—Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. (PGRI) made the highest and best final bid to buy Jay Peak, $76 million, following an auction with multiple bidders. PGRI president and CEO Vern Greco told SAM that after three years spent pursuing the acquisition, PGRI is poised to bring renewed stability to the resort and its staff, and tap into its passion and energy. The prevailing bid remains subject to approval by the United States District Court in Southern Florida during a final hearing scheduled for Sept. 16. Judge Darrin P. Gayles, who has presided over the receivership in federal...

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 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Keystone Wins Race to Open on 90 Minutes Notice

SAM Magazine—Keystone, Colo., Oct 27, 2025—On Saturday morning, Arapahoe Basin announced it would open for the season Sunday at 8:30 a.m. MDT, positioning itself to be the first ski area in the U.S. to open for daily operations. But a few hours later, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Keystone Resort jumped ahead, alerting the public that it would open in...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

MT2030 Summit Brings Mountain Communities to Breckenridge for Climate Action

SAM Magazine—Breckenridge, Colo., Oct. 23, 2025—Six-hundred mountain community stakeholders gathered in Breckenridge, Colo., for the Mountain Towns 2030 Climate Solutions Summit, Oct. 9–10. The two-day event brought together resort leaders, municipal officials, energy sector representatives, and nonprofits to share strategies for acceleratin...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Early Turns and Snow Guns Signal Start of the 2025-26 Season

SAM Magazine—Shrewsbury, Mass., Oct. 22, 2025—The first turns of the 2025-26 season are in the books. Ski Ward in Massachusetts fired up its all-weather snowmaking system to allow for surface lift-served laps at its annual fall festival event this past weekend.Ski Ward Ward counts the event as day one of its season, and will offer limited oper...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Camelback Names New Leaders

SAM Magazine—Tannersville, Pa., Oct. 21, 2025—Camelback Resort has appointed two veteran hospitality executives to lead the year-round Poconos destination.Jason Bays Jason Bays will serve as vice president and general manager, providing strategic direction for the resort, and Olivier Marc Glattfelder will oversee all day-to-day and front and ba...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Ikon Pass Expands Access in Asia with Nine New Destinations

SAM Magazine—Denver, Colo., Oct. 21, 2025—The Ikon Pass will significantly expand its footprint in Asia for winter 2025-26, adding nine new ski destinations across Japan, China, and South Korea. The additions include a mix of marquee and regional resorts. In Japan, Shiga Kogen, Mt.T, Myoko Suginohara, Furano, APPI, NEKOMA, and Zao Onsen join e...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Killington Plans $22M in Improvements for 2026

SAM Magazine—Killington, Vt., Oct. 17, 2025—Killington Resort plans to invest $22 million in on-mountain infrastructure next year, including a new fixed-grip quad and an expanded on-hill restaurant facility.Snowdon Triple lift that is scheduled to be replaced. This follows a 2025 capital expenditure of $38 million, highlighted by the installati...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Southern Hemisphere Results Mixed for 2025

SAM Magazine—Perisher Valley, Australia, Oct. 14, 2025—The Southern Hemisphere’s 2025 season has ended, with a mix of winners and losers, as usual. After pre-season forecasts of likely lacklustre snow conditions for Australia, it turned out to be one of the best winters of the 21st century.Falls Creek Alpine Resort, Australia In contrast, af...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Price Sensitivity Is Limiting Growth at Western Destinations

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Oct. 14, 2025—The summer season at Western mountain destinations (May-October) appears set to finish slightly up from last year, and the winter season is shaping up similarly. That's the view from DestiMetrics, part of the business intelligence platform of Inntopia, which tracks lodging performance in 17 resort ...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

SAM Names 2025–26 Summit Series Mentors and Mentees

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Oct. 14, 2025—The Summit Series returns this fall with a new class of mentors, mentees, and a curriculum focused on leadership development. Sponsored by MountainGuard, the program connects rising leaders in the ski industry with mentors and peers to explore the challenges of leadership, the realities of resort operat...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Timberline Prices to Rise Due to Oregon’s ‘Broken’ Liability System

SAM Magazine—Government Camp, Ore., Oct. 9, 2025—As insurers exit Oregon and available insurance premiums skyrocket in response to the state’s legal climate, in which recreational liability waivers are unenforceable, outdoor recreation providers, including ski areas, are in a precarious position. Timberline, which operates on Mt. Hood, addres...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

2026 I AM a Snowmaker Contest Nominations Now Open

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Oct. 8, 2025—Nominations are now open for the 11th annual “I AM a Snowmaker” contest, hosted by SAM magazine and presented by HKD Snowmakers. The contest offers the opportunity for a handful of resorts to showcase their snowmaking teams and the work they do via creative, behind-the-scenes videos.  Nominations s...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Khara Benoit Appointed GM at Whaleback Mountain

SAM Magazine—Enfield, N.H., Oct. 3, 2025—Whaleback Mountain has named Khara Benoit as its new general manager. Benoit has spent the past four years at Whaleback managing the lodge, events, food and beverage, and daily operations, a role that allowed her to combine her passion for the mountain with her commitment to creating community-centere...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Snow People – October 2025

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 KATHY HASTINGS, STEAMBOAT RESORT, CO Steamboat Resort has promoted Kathy Hastings to vice president of food an...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Year-End Results for Vail Resorts Signal Changes Ahead

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Sept. 30, 2025—In his comments about Vail Resorts’ fourth quarter and full year results reported yesterday, CEO Rob Katz acknowledged that the company plans to make some changes to its strategy to combat declines in Epic Pass sales and visitation to its North American resorts. "The results from this past season...

 HEADLINE NEWS - Ski Area Management

Tech, Collaboration, and Big Ideas at Mountain Technology Symposium

SAM Magazine—Tannersville, Pa., Sept. 29, 2025—Nearly 160 ski area and supplier personnel descended on Camelback Resort last week for the National Ski Areas Association’s Mountain Technology Symposium, where IT teams, business analysts, and industry vendors gathered to explore how technology can help shape the future of the ski industry.Sever...