SAM Magazine - Mammoth Mountain, Ca, May 7, 2007 - One of Mammoth's original chairs is finally getting a makeover. Chair 9, a double installed in 1969, is being replaced by a six pack detachable built by Doppelmayr. The lift has the largest vertical rise of any chair at Mammoth, at 1,700 feet. The new Doppelmayr lift will cost $6.5 million, will...

SAM Magazine, Snowmass, Co., May 7, 2007 - Threats written on the walls of a portable toilet at the construction site of the new Snowmass Village have workers and authorities concerned. The threats, which involved shooting Mexican workers and named a time and date (2:15 p.m., Friday, May 4) resulted in increased police presence through the weekend....

SAM Magazine-Glens Falls, N.Y., May 4, 2007-Scott Brandi becomes president and executive director of the Ski Areas of New York (SANY) on June 1, replacing Dirk Gouwens, who resigned to join the Lake Placid Visitors' Bureau as vp of marketing and brand development. "In my new position I will be able to apply the skills and industry knowledge gath...

SAM Magazine-Revelstoke, B.C., May 3, 2007-Revelstoke Mountain Resort has closed on its purchase of Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing, which was announced in January. The deal, worth $6 million, gives Revelstoke Mountain Resort access to 500,000 acres of skiable terrain with annual snowfall that regularly exceeds 40 feet. Combined with the recent acquis...

SAM Magazine-Bolton, Vt., May 3, 2007-Larry Williams and Doug Nedde have acquired Bob Fries' remaining financial interest in Bolton Valley. Williams and Nedde are partners in Redstone, a thriving commercial real estate development firm which purchased the 3,800 acres surrounding the resort in 2004. "In the past couple of years, we've made a lot ...

SAM Magazine-Steamboat Springs, Colo., May 3, 2007-As part of a massive makeover worth approximately $40 million, Colorado's Steamboat Resort will embark on $16 million worth of projects this summer, a record investment for the resort. Highlighting the investment will be the new Christie Peak Express detachable six-pack chairlift, Headwall slope...

SAM Magazine-Wilmington, Vt., May 3, 2007-With the recent purchase of Mt. Snow and Attitash, Peak Resorts has reassigned some of its top executives to new positions within the company and promoted other key employees to new positions. Kelly Pawlak, who was the managing director of Mt. Snow, will become general manager there. John Lowell, who was...

SAM Magazine-McLean, Va., May 1, 2007-Sales at specialty ski and snowboard shops were down 1 percent in dollars for the August-February period, from $1.67 billion in 2005-06 to $1.65 billion this past season, according to The SnowSports Industries America (SIA) Retail Audit conducted by Leisure Trends Group. Unit sales declined 0.5 percent, as incr...

SAM Magazine-Los Angeles, Apr. 30, 2007-Mountain sports are poised to become TV stars. Steve Bellamy, founder and former president of The Tennis Channel, will launch The Ski Channel-a "TV destination for the mountain lifestyle," he told SAM-as early as winter 2008. To help make this a reality, The Ski Channel has entered into a long-term affilia...

SAM Magazine-Bern, Switzerland, Apr. 30, 2007-A study conducted by Bern University's Research Institute for Leisure and Tourism predicts a rocky ride for Swiss ski resorts over the next 25 years as global warming causes a shift to reduced business in winter and increased business in summer. The study, commissioned by resorts in The Bernese Oberl...

SAM Magazine-Vashon Island, Wash., Apr. 27, 2007-As any local fueling up at the local java joint on a powder day will tell you, coffee and skiing go together like Vegas and drive-through weddings. The caffeine-skiing connection just became a bit closer as the Jarden Company, owner of such brands as Mr. Coffee, has announced the acquisition of K2 in...

SAM Magazine-Scranton, Pa., Apr. 27, 2007-As part of a $13 million statewide package of grants and low-interest loans, the State of Pennsylvania has awarded a $5 million Machinery and Equipment Loan Fund (MELF) loan to Sno Mountain to assist with the development of snowmaking at the resort. Sno Mountain, formerly known as Montage Mountain, was purc...

SAM Magazine-Broomfield, Colo., Apr. 25, 2007-Vail Resorts (VR) and the National Forest Foundation (NFF) raised more than $225,000 for local conservation projects, thanks to the generosity of Vail guests. Starting in September 2006, VR asked guests at its five mountain resorts to contribute $1 on purchases of season passes, online lift tickets, and...

SAM Magazine-Copper Mountain, Colo., Apr. 25, 2007-In an aggressive move to build upon its freeride programs, Copper plans to build an indoor training facility for athletes who are interested in improving their terrain park skills. Current proposals include trampolines, bungee systems, synthetic snow ramps and foam crash pits. The resort will co...

SAM Magazine-Bridgton, Me., Apr. 25, 2007-Shawnee Peak Ski Area received the Red Cross Real Hero award for Environmental Service and Outreach for being the first Maine area to purchase renewable-energy certificates to offset 100 percent of its electrical energy use. Shawnee Peak's wind energy purchase powers everything electrical on the mountain, f...