Snow Hunter--Austrialia, June 10, 2009--More of New Zealand's ski areas opened at the weekend, joining Mt Hutt in enjoying a great start to the winter after a snowy May. In Australia, the country's major ski areas opened although with scant snow cover on Saturday, June 6th - the traditional opening weekend. After the unexpected large pre-season...

SAM Magazine--Killington, Vt., June 11, 2009--At the Vermont Ski Areas Association's annual meeting, the industry trade group announced that Vermont's ski resorts recorded 4,068,696 skier visits for the 2008-09 season. Last year the state hosted just over 4.35 million, but this season's number is on par with the five-year average....

SAM Magazine-Boulder, Colo, June 11, 2009-Colorado resorts tallied 11.85 million visits in 2008-09, a 5.5 percent decline from the previous year, Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) said today at its 46th annual meeting. The group's 22 member resorts, which include all major areas except those owned by Vail Resorts, hosted an estimated 6.79 million s...

SAM Magazine-Broomfield, Colo., June 8, 2009-Vail Resorts' revenue fell by 21 percent and earnings declined by 29 percent in the fiscal third quarter, as destination visits remained down from the previous year. The quarter, which ended April 30, includes a major portion of the resorts' ski and ride season. Earnings came to $61.6 million, down from...

SAM Magazine-Flagstaff, Ariz., June 8, 2009-The United States Supreme Court has decided not to review the decision of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in favor of the Untied States Forest Service and Arizona Snowbowl, clearing the way for Snowbowl to develop snowmaking using reclaimed water. Snowbowl GM J.R. Murray told SAM that the area will ...

SAM Magazine--Salt Lake City, Utah, June 3, 2009--Delta Airlines has announced that it is offering a non-stop flight from Salt Lake City to Tokyo. The maiden voyage of this service was made today, among much fanfare between the two destinations. According to published reports, the Governor's Office of Economic Development estimates that the new ...

SAM Magazine--June 3, 2009--A U.S. bankruptcy judge approved the $115 million purchase of the Yellowstone Club, Mont., by CrossHarbor Capital Partners. CrossHarbor will pay $35 million in cash and take on $80 million of the $375 million debt owed to Credit Suisse and the holders of loans arranged by Credit Suisse. In previous rulings, Credit Sui...

SAM Magazine--Lakewood, Colo., June 3, 2009--According to the 2008-09 NSAA National Demographic Study, helmet usage among skiers and riders in the U.S. increased 12 percent to 48 percent of all skiers and riders interviewed. Other data includes:77 percent of children 9 and under wear helmets; 66 percent of kids between 10 and 14 wear helmets; an...

SAM Magazine-Steamboat Springs, Colo., June 3, 2009-Steamboat Ski and Resort pulled out of a joint venture that was planning to build a $7 million high-speed people mover gondola connecting the Wildhorse Meadows development and the public Meadow parking lot with the base area. Instead, Resort Ventures West (RVW), the Wildhorse developer, will insta...

SAM Magazine--March 28, 2009--In just two months, Utah's unique liquor laws will change, most notably, the elimination of Utah's private club system, which required patrons to pay a membership fee. Beginning July 1, the state will no longer require patrons to be "members," but will require drinking establishments to scan the IDs of anyone under 35 ...

SAM Magazine--Whistler, B.C., May 28, 2009--Whistler Blackcomb officials announced that the last day for skiing and riding on Whistler Mountain will be Sunday, May 31. Originally slated for June 14, the closing date was moved up because of very warm weather, which has quickly diminished the snowpack and posed avalanche hazards. The mountain will...

SAM Magazine-Stowe, Vt., May 18, 2009-Stowe Mountain Resort, owned by insurance giant and ward of the government AIG, is for sale,
AIG spokesman Peter Tulupman confirmed last week. AIG has received "a surprising number" of unsolicited bids from qualified buyers, Tulupman said, though no bidders have been named or identified, nor has the askin...

SAM Magazine--Lakewood, Colo., May 18, 2009--Based on preliminary estimates, ski areas in the U.S. tallied 57.1 million visits for the 20008/09 season, making it the fifth best season on record. While last year's record of 60.5 million still stands, this year's number, given the circumstances, is still 0.8 percent above the 10-year average of 56.7 ...

SAM Magazine-Butte, Mont., May 18, 2009-CrossHarbor Capital Partners today won ownership of the Yellowstone Club resort after reaching a settlement deal with the club's primary lender, Credit Suisse, according to NewWest.net. The settlement ends a six-month legal battle that began when the Club filed for bankruptcy protection in November. U.S. B...

SAM Magazine--Vail, Colo., May 11, 2009--A ski accident in 2007 at Beaver Creek that involved a 7-year-old boy and an adult skier from Pennsylvania has been highlighted as a good example of a frivolous lawsuit by the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform. According to the Vail Daily, the crash is being featured in movie trailers showing in the De...