• Snowmaking
• Ticketing

SAM Magazine—West Dover, Vt., Feb. 9, 2024—It’s that time of year again, when folks gather for a bit of networking, education, and snow sliding at the National Ski Areas Association winter conferences. More than 500 operators and suppliers descended on Keystone, Colo., Jan. 17-19, for the NSAA Western Conference. After a rough start to the s...

• Marketing
• Weather
• Public Relations / Publicity

SAM Magazine—Taylor Falls, Minn., Feb. 7, 2024—Wild Mountain snowsports manager Nathan Hakseth has been promoted to general manager of the Taylor Falls, Minn., ski resort. He will oversee all operations of the mountain and also retain his duties within the Snowsports School and Competitions department. Hakseth has worked in the ski industry fo...

• Management
• Personnel Issues
• Environment
• Racing

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Feb. 7, 2024—In an effort to gather data and insights on ski area marketing, SAM and MMGY Origin have partnered to launch an annual survey targeting resort marketers. The responses will inform the Annual Outlook on Resort Marketing report, which will serve as a yearly resource and benchmarking tool for marketing team...

• Lifts
• New Ideas
• Legal

SAM Magazine—Massanutten, Va., Feb. 7, 2024—Industry veteran Michael Hammes has been selected as the new general manager and vice president of Massanutten Resort, a four-season resort in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Hammes most recently served as director of base operations at Washington's Summit at Snoqualmie resort, part of the Boyne Res...

• News
• Opinion

SAM Magazine—Mount Snow, Vt., Feb. 6, 2024—Nearly 12,000 votes were cast during the 12-day voting period for the 2024 I AM a Snowmaker contest. This year’s contest showcased eight snowmaking teams from across North America: Brettons Woods, N.H.; Cataloochee Ski Area, N.C.; Copper Mountain, Colo.;  Gore Mountain, N.Y.; Greek Peak, N.Y.; Mammo...

• Miscellaneous

SAM Magazine—Jackson, Wyo., Feb. 5, 2024—The sale of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JMHR) to a local group of investors, initially announced last August, is complete. The Kemmerer family, which has owned the independent ski resort for the last 32 years, officially closed the deal in early February. Financial details were not disclosed. “...

• Environment

SAM Magazine—Denver, Feb. 5, 2024—Alterra Mountain Company has entered into an agreement to purchase Arapahoe Basin from Dream Unlimited Corp. A-Basin will be Alterra’s 18th North American mountain destination. Toronto-based Dream Unlimited—a multi-billion-dollar real estate development, asset management, and private equity firm—acquired...

• Area Management

SAM Magazine—Denver, Feb. 2, 2024—KSL Capital Partners (KSL) closed a "single-asset continuation vehicle" for Alterra Mountain Company in late January, with total commitments of more than $3 billion, KSL said in a press release. What it didn't say, and what many in the industry are speculating about, is what this all means. Let's start with w...

• Marketing
• Snowmaking

SAM Magazine—Fabius, N.Y., Jan. 31, 2024—In a new court filing, New York Attorney General Letitia James has said the owners of Toggenburg Mountain in upstate New York violated the state’s antitrust law by purchasing and shutting down the competing ski area and should be ordered to sell the property. Intermountain Management, which owns Labra...

• Snowmaking
• Safety

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Jan. 31, 2024—Registration is now open for the 20th anniversary spring session of Cutter's Camp, May 13-17, 2024, at Timberline, Mt. Hood, Ore. The five-day program for terrain park professionals features on-hill and classroom workshops, one-on-one customized operator coaching, and demos of the latest machines a...

• Ski Area Profiles
• sustainability

SAM Magazine—Aspen, Colo., Jan. 30, 2024—A new sustainability report from Aspen One, the parent company of Aspen Skiing Company, ASPENX, and Aspen Hospitality, highlights the company’s environmental and social responsibility efforts in areas such as political action, research, and philanthropy. The report presents as part educational tool, pa...

• Snowmaking
• sustainability

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Jan. 29, 2024—Vail Resorts marked its second year of 100 percent renewable energy use at its 37 North American resorts and made strides in landfill waste reduction and energy efficiency company-wide, according to its 2022-23 Environmental & Social Responsibility Report. The report assesses the company’s pr...

• Marketing

UPDATE: SAM Magazine—South Lake Tahoe, Calif., Jan 31, 2024— Following an internal investigation, Heavenly COO Tom Fortune has taken responsibility for the circumstances that led to a female snowboarder being stranded overnight on the ski area’s gondola. “I am responsible for all aspects of mountain operations, including the safety of our...

• Environment
• Safety

SAM Magazine—Gilford, N.H., Jan. 26, 2024—Tom Day, who began his career in the ski industry as a lift attendant at New Hampshire’s Waterville Valley in 1978, plans to retire from his post as general manager of Gunstock Mountain Resort at the end of the current ski season. SAM recently chatted with Day for an informal “exit interview” abou...

• Marketing
• Snowmaking

There's a new sheriff in Showville, and he wants to reshape the place. Raccoon Media Group has brought its entertainment-oriented consumer show format to Boston and is doubling down on the concept, pioneered in its National Snow Show in the U.K. The company has been pleased with the reception it has had in Boston with Snowbound, its new show, in th...