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...

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--Hunter Mountain, January 9, 2006--The Slutzky family and staff of Hunter Mountain were saddened today with the death of one of the resort's founding fathers, Israel Slutzky. He died of natural causes in the early morning hours of January 8, 2006. He was 92. Israel (Izzy), along with his brother Orville, provided the vision for Hunter ...

SAM Magazine--Salt Lake City, Utah, January 9, 2006--The United States Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) issued a statement today following Bode Miller's appearance on "60 Minutes" on January 8. In the interview, Bode talked about racing while intoxicated and the dangers that lie therein. He was referring to celebrating a World Cup victory and w...

SAM Magazine-Mont Tremblant, Que., Jan. 3, 2006-The strike by 1,500 employees at Mont Tremblant ended today when union members accepted terms recommended by a provincial mediator. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. For Tremblant, the important news is that the resort will return to normal staffing quickly, perhaps by the coming weekend. ...

SAM Magazine-Bretton Woods, N.H., Jan. 3, 2006-A three-alarm fire on New Year's Eve destroyed half of the 50 guest rooms at The Lodge at Bretton Woods, the resort-owned motor lodge that sits between the Bretton Woods ski area and the famed Mt. Washington Hotel. No one was injured in the fire, according to resort spokesmen. The resort relocated the ...

SAM Magazine-Mont Tremblant, Que., Dec. 19, 2005-More than 700 Mont Tremblant workers voted today to stay off the job until a contract settlement is reached with the resort. The strikers include all mountain ops and hotel employees-among them ski instructors, lift operators, maintenance workers, parking lots attendants, and food and beverage employ...

SAM Magazine--Park City, Utah, December 13, 2005--American Skiing Company (ASC) didn't have to look far for the new managing director of Mount Snow. The company announced that Kelly Pawlak has been promoted to the position. Pawlak has been with Mount Snow for 20 years, most recently as VP of brand management. Pawlak replaces Stan Hansen who was pro...

SAM Magazine--December 2, 2005--Peak Resorts, based out of St. Louis, Missouri, has entered into a long-term agreement to operate the Jack Frost and Big Boulder ski areas in Pennsylvania starting this season. The areas are owned by The Blue Ridge Real Estate Companies. With the addition of the two ski areas, Peak Resorts will now operate nine wi...

SAM Magazine--December 1, 2005, East Burke, VT--According to the Caledonian-Record, the long-speculated-upon sale of Burke Mountain in Vermont to the Ginn Company was completed on Tuesday November 29. Burke Mountain was bought out of auction by the Burke Mountain Academy in 2000. Other parcels of land surrounding the ski area were also sold at ...

SAM Magazine--November 16, 2005--The ski and snowboard season kicked off, as it does most years, at Loveland Ski Area in Colorado on October 14. Two weeks later, Killington kicked off its season on October 29 after almost two feet of snow fell in Vermont. Warmer temperatures after the Halloween weekend forced the area to close with a reopening plan...

SAM Magazine-Boyne, Mich., Nov. 14, 2005-Boyne USA, Inc., is selling Cypress Mountain, B.C., and the scenic Gatlinburg Sky Lift to CNL Income Properties Inc., a real estate investment trust (REIT)-and then leasing them back. The $47.5 million agreement is expected to close by the first quarter of 2006. CNL Income Properties will own 100 percent...

SAM Magazine-York, Pa., Nov. 2, 2005-Ron Hawkes is the new GM at Ski Roundtop in south central Pennsylvania. "Ron brings well-rounded expereience and much enthusiasm to the resort," said Scott Romberger, president of Roundtop parent company Snow Time, Inc. Hawkes was previously at Hunter Mountain, where he served in several capacities over the p...

SAM Magazine-Sacramento, Calif., Nov. 2, 2005-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the California Travel and Tourism Commission (CTTC) and California's winter resorts have launched a California Snow Campaign to boost visits to the state. The California Snow Campaign includes a 30-second spot featuring Governor Schwarzenegger skiing, along with upbeat...

SAM Magazine--Lakewood, Colo., October 28, 2005--The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) announced that the Marco Island Marriott in Florida, slated to host the 2006 national convention, incurred minimal damage from Hurricane Wilma. In an ironic twist, the 2006 national trade show and convention had already been moved from New Orleans to Marco Is...