SAM Magazine--March 13, 2006, Vancouver, B.C.--After the sale of Mammoth Mountain to Starwood Capital, Intrawest announced today that it will sell the majority of its real estate holdings in the town of Mammoth Lakes for $60 million pre-tax profit to the same company. The real estate comprises the future development of over 1,100 residential units ...

SAM Magazine--Vail, Colo., March 13, 2006--Vail Resorts released its second quarter results today (three months ended January 31) and the snow gods were kind. First, the company reports that skier visits increased 7.9 percent over the same period last year, giving Vail Resorts a new skier visit record--2,875,000 million versus 2,664,000 during the...

SAM Magazine-McLean, Va., Feb. 28, 2006-Overall sales for the winter sport market (including specialty and chain stores) rose 13 percent, to $1.5 billion, for the August through December period of 2005, compared to $1.3 billion a year earlier, according to the SnowSports Industries America (SIA) Retail Audit. Unit sales were up 14 percent. Sales...

SAM Magazine-The U.S. has the world's most expensive six-day lift pass, priced at more than $500, according to the 2005-06 World Lift Ticket Price Survey. The survey, the fifth annual such report from Snow Hunter Ltd., presents a broad review of six-day lift ticket prices from more than 300 ski areas in 30 countries. For bargain-hunters, Iran is...

SAM Magazine-Vancouver, B.C., Feb. 28, 2006-Intrawest has initiated a review of strategic options for enhancing shareholder value, including, but not limited to, a capital structure review, strategic partnerships or business combinations. The company has retained Goldman, Sachs & Co. to assist in the review, which is already underway. No timetable ...

SAM Magazine-Avon, Colo., Feb. 28, 2006-Vail Resorts has named Robert Katz as chief executive officer, effective immediately, and promoted several other executives, including Vail VP/COO Bill Jensen and Breckenridge and Keystone VP/COO Roger McCarthy. Last but not least, Joe R. Micheletto has been elected chairman of the board. As part of its reorg...

SAM Magazine-Steamboat Springs, Colo., Feb. 28, 2006-American Skiing Co. (ASC) is selling the remaining units in its Steamboat Grand Resort Hotel & Condominiums on Mar. 18 during a live and online auction Mar. 18. The auction will offer one-, two- and three-bedroom units and penthouse residences, including more than 200 fractional shares and more t...

SAM Magazine--Montpelier, Vt., February 8, 2006--The Vermont Ski Areas Association announced that Parker Riehle has been named the new president of the trade association. Victoria Provost was also promoted to VP of marketing. Riehle replaces departing president David Dillon, who has accepted the head position at the Haystack Club. Riehle has rep...

SAM Magazine--February 7, 2006--This is a reminder that on February 11, the Sports Illustrated for Kids Next Snow All Stars program will lead NBC's opening-day coverage of the Winter Olympic Games. The show will air at 2 p.m. EST, 1 p.m. Central, 12 p.m. Mountain, and 11 a.m. Pacific time. The Next Snow event, which was created by Jack Turner of...

SAM Magazine-Vail, Colo., Jan. 30, 2006-Vail Resorts, Inc. chairman and CEO Adam Aron will resign June 28, ten years after he first accepted the position. Vail will immediately commence a search for Aron's successor, which will include external and internal candidates. Aron said he will work closely with the company's board of directors to ensur...

SAM Magazine--Wilmington, Vt., January 25, 2006--After six years as president of the Vermont Ski Areas Association, David Dillon will move into the head position at the Haystack Club starting in mid-February. Haystack was purchased from the American Skiing Company last spring for $5 million by 2Cornell, Inc., and will be renovated and turned int...

SAM Magazine--Findley Lake, N.Y., January 25, 2006--According to published reports, after being on the market for a year, Peek'n Peak Resort has announced the sale of their western New York ski area to Kiebler Recreation, LLC, a real estate development and management company. Peek'n Peak has been owned by brothers Eugene and Norbert Cross since the...

SAM Magazine-McLean, Va., Jan. 12, 2006-If early retail sales are a barometer for resort visits, this could be a banner year. Overall sales for the winter sports market were up 8 percent in both dollars and units for the August through November period of 2005. Sales totaled $696.9 million for the period, compared to $647.8 million reported last yea...

SAM Magazine-Denver, Colo., Jan. 11, 2006-The 25 member resorts of Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) set a new record for skier visits during the first part of the 2005-06 ski and snowboard season. Collectively, the areas hosted more than three million skier visits through Dec. 31, 2005, up 5.6 percent from last season and nearly 11 percent ahead t...

SAM Magazine-Lawrenceburg, Ind., Jan. 11, 2006-In a truly freak act of nature, the headwall at Perfect North Slopes fractured and avalanched Jan. 4 after a warm spell destabilized the machine-made snow at this Midwestern resort. The slide took out a lift tower on one lift and the electrical system on another. (SAM will provide photographic evidence...