SAM Magazine--January 5, 2010--On Monday, January 4, 2010, NPR's "All Things Considered" aired a piece on a report that found that ski resorts exaggerate snow reports, especially on the weekends. Two researchers from Dartmouth College, Eric Zitzewitz and Jon Zinman, studied industry snow reports from 2004 to 2008 and found that resorts report 23 p...

SAM Magazine--Boston, Mass., January 4, 2010--On December 29, 2009, wintersports retailer Ski Market filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. According to the Boston Globe, Ski Market employs 170 full- and part-time employees in seven retail stores in New England. From April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009, the retailer reported $22.5 million in gr...

SAM Magazine--January 4, 2010--Two-time World Champion Lindsey Vonn was named Female Athlete of the Decade by NBC's Universal Sports. Vonn joins Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt who was chosen best male athlete of the decade. "It's incredible to think about where I was as a person and an athlete in 2000 and then compare that to where I am now, says...

SAM Magazine-LASSM kicked off today with Glen Plake appearing in a segment on The Today Show (see it at www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/34687728#34687728). The four-minute-plus segment shows cohost Hoda Kotb getting a lesson from Plake, along with some pre-tween kids. It also shows a stunt double sliding a rail and catching serious air. All in all...

SAM Magazine-Bozeman, Mont., Jan. 4, 2010-Property owners at four Western resort developments, including the Yellowstone Club and Tamarack Resort, have sued Credit Suisse Group AG for $24 billion in losses and damages, claiming the banking giant attempted to defraud investors through its lending practices. The suit also names realtor Cushman & Wake...

SAM Magazine-Denver, Dec. 29, 2009-Iowa Pacific, the company that hoped to keep the Winter Park Ski Train running for a 70th year, has pulled the plug on the operation for 2010. The company has been unable to reach an agreement with Amtrak to operate the train due to insurance and other issues. With service postponed until at least Jan. 6, Iowa Pac...

SAM Magazine-Vancouver, B.C., Dec. 29, 2009-Intrawest's current debt negotiations will not have any impact on the upcoming Winter Olympic Games, an Intrawest spokesman emphasized to SAM today. "Our venues are finished, preparations are nearly complete and we look forward to welcoming the world to Vancouver," added Dave Cobb, deputy chief executive ...

SAM Magazine-Denver, Dec. 28, 2009-The Winter Park Ski Train has been put on hold until at least Jan. 6 after a U.S. district judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order that would have forced Amtrak to operate the Rio Grande Scenic Ski Train between Denver and Winter Park. Iowa Pacific Holdings, which has been trying for months to tak...

SAM Magazine-Juneau, Alaska, Dec. 28, 2009-A refurbished chairlift at Eaglecrest Ski Area was shut down Dec. 23 after only a few days of operation due to a broken shaft on the auxiliary side of the gearbox. Eaglecrest general manager Kirk Duncan said the broken part affected two of the lift's four braking systems, but that safety of the lift was no...

SAM Magazine-Vancouver, B.C., Dec. 28, 2009-Having missed a $524 million payment Dec. 23 on a $1.4 billion loan, Intrawest is continuing negotiations with its lenders, according to The Globe and Mail. Lenders had reportedly granted Intrawest a 60-day extension on the loan, which had been due Oct. 23. "Intrawest continues to be in active dialogue...

SAM Magazine-Merrimac, Wisc., Dec. 28, 2009-The primary cause of the lift accident at Devil's Head Resort Dec. 17 was a massive failure of the chairlift's gearbox, according to the resort. Fourteen people were injured when the lift rolled backward after a stop. Exterior of gearbox With the gearbox out of commission, the lift's service brake...

SAM Magazine-Denver, Dec. 23, 2009-Winter has emphatically arrived, assuring excellent holiday skiing and snowboarding throughout North America and the European Alps, according to international snow conditions roundups from OnTheSnow.com and skiinfo.co.uk. "This is the first time in a number of years where most all of the world's ski resorts wil...

SAM Magazine-Mont Tremblant, Que., Dec. 21, 2009-Patrice Malo has been promoted to president and chief operating officer at Mont Tremblant. He will assume responsibility for all aspects of resort operations, real estate and community relations at Tremblant and will report directly to Bill Jensen, CEO at Tremblant parent company Intrawest. Malo b...

SAM Magazine--December 18, 2009--More than a dozen people were injured in a lift malfunction at Devil's Head Resort, Wisc., three of them seriously. According to published reports, the Hall double stopped and then started to roll back last night at about 7 p.m. Witnesses described the rollback as very quick. Many people jumped from the lift while o...

SAM Magazine--December 18, 2009--Powdr Corp. today announced that it has successfully closed on its acquisition of Copper Mountain Resort from Intrawest. "We are thrilled to work with the experienced team in place at Copper Mountain and grateful for the opportunity to expand the Powdr family into Colorado," said Powdr CEO John Cumming. It wil...