SAM Magazine--October 6, 2009--Loveland Ski Area will be the first ski area in North America to open for the 2009-2010 ski season when Chair 1 starts turning at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow, Oct. 7. This will mark the earliest opening for Loveland in 40 years. And that is enabling the area to reclaim the distinction of being the first area to open for the wi...

SAM Magazine--Wrightwood, Calif., October 6, 2009--Mountain High Resort in southern California shut down operations due to closed roads on Monday, October 5 as encroaching flames from the 7,824-acre fire out of Sheep Canyon neared. Operations are back in full swing today as the fire is more than 30 percent contained and threat levels for the resort...

SAM Magazine--Vancouver, B.C., October 1, 2009--Intrawest announced that starting this season, the company will recommend that all visitors at all of its North American resorts wear helmets. In addition, there will be mandatory helmet requirements for all youth participants in ski and snowboard school programs, as well as students participating in ...

SAM Magazine-Denver, Sept. 28, 2009-In a dramatic shift in its environmental program, Vail Resorts (VR) has joined a collaborative conservation partnership-"Treasured Landscapes: The Hayman Restoration Partnership - Working Together for Healthy Forests and Clean Water"-with the National Forest Foundation (NFF) and the USDA Forest Service, and ended...

SAM Magazine-Broomfield, Colo., Sept. 24, 2009-Lucy Kay is leaving her position as vice president and chief operating officer of Breckenridge Resort, effective Oct. 7, 2009, and will be replaced by Patricia Campbell, currently vice president and COO of sister resort Keystone. Vail Resorts will conduct an internal search for a successor to Campbell ...

SAM Magazie-Denver, Sept. 24, 2009-Warren Miller Entertainment is suing Level 1 Productions for including Warren Miller in Level 1's "Refresh." WME claims that Miller, 84, sold the right to his voice in a 1995 deal with WME. That deal, according to an article in the Denver Post, gave Warren Miller Entertainment "exclusive right, in perpetuity, in a...

SAM Magazine--Killington, Vt., September 24, 2009--Killington customers can ski or ride at the area for $50 with the new K50 tickets. With 17 blackout dates, skiers and riders may purchase up to four K50 tickets for $50 each by October 15, 2009. Regular window rates are $82 on Saturdays and peak days and $77 the rest of the time....

SAM Magazine--Carrabasset Valley, Maine, September 24, 2009--Sugarloaf and Sunday River have partnered with three small Maine ski areas to introduce new people to skiing and snowboarding. Lost Valley, Titcomb Mountain and Camden Snow Bowl will offer the $89 Maine Learn to Ski and Ride Card, which is good for three days. On the first day, card carri...

SAM Magazine-Broomfield, Colo., Sept. 24, 2009-Vail Resorts reported net income of $49 million for fiscal 2009, down 52 percent from $103 million in 2008. For the year, skier visits fell 5 percent, and ticket revenue was off 8 percent. On the bright side, season pass sales rose by 12 percent, and pass revenue was up 22 percent. CEO Rob Katz said...

SAM Magazine-Georgetown, Colo., Sept. 21, 2009-Cold temperatures and natural snowfall have arrived earlier than expected to the Colorado high country, allowing Loveland Ski Area to officially kick off snowmaking for the 2009-2010 ski season. Loveland started making snow today on three trails that form a top-to-bottom run of 1,000 vertical feet. "Th...

SAM Magazine--September 21, 2009--According to published reports, Lehman Brothers Commercial Bank filed papers in Montana seeking a foreclosure on Moonlight Basin. The filing asks that the ski area be sold so that the lenders can recoup $78 million in principal and $8.3 million in interest. Lehman is also seeking the right to bid on the property....

SAM Magazine--September 21, 2009--InTheSnow magazine has launched a ski news iPhone application. The app is available worldwide to download free from The Apple store and will contain news from all over the world and summaries of the best holiday offers, all updated daily. InTheSnow's news app is edited by Patrick Thorne, a professional ski write...

SAM Magazine-Denver, Colo., Sept. 21, 2009-While destination resort business in August continued the recent pattern of steep year-to-year declines in visits, future reservations for the fall and early winter increased for only the third month of the past 12, signaling a possible turning point for destination travel, according to data compiled by th...

SAM Magazine-Geneva, Switzerland, Sept. 17, 2009-Favorable weather on weekends and holidays trumped the economic slowdown in Europe for Swiss resorts last season, as they reported a 2.2 percent gain in visits from the year prior, and 7.3 percent compared to the previous four seasons. Total skier visits reached 29.3 million. Visitation was up primar...

SAM Magazine--Bolton Valley, Vt., September 11, 2009--Bolton Valley Resort announced the construction of a wind turbine that will be operational in late autumn. This will be the first wind turbine at a Vermont ski area. The 121-foot turbine will be located near the top of the resort's Vista Quad lift in an existing clearing adjacent to the ski p...