• Resort Development

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., May 31, 2022—Six lift maintenance teams have been chosen to participate in the second annual Rise Up Challenge, supported by Leitner-Poma of America (LPOA): Arizona Snowbowl, Ariz.; Boston Mills Brandywine, Ohio; Magic Mountain, Vt.; Whistler Blackcomb, B.C.; WinSport, Alberta; and Winter Park, Colo. The teams are co...

• Lifts
• Personnel Issues

SAM Magazine—Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah, May 31, 2022—One of the two new tram cabins being installed at Snowbird, Utah, fell to ground on Saturday, May 29, leaving it damaged beyond repair. The cabin was being lifted by a crane onto the hanger when it fell, according to Snowbird general manager Dave Fields, who said he is grateful no one wa...

• Resort Development

SAM Magazine—Lutsen, Minn., and Wausau, Wis., May 25, 2022—Charles Skinner, the owner of Minnesota’s Lutsen Mountains Ski Area and Wisconsin’s Granite Peak Ski Area, has entered a definitive purchase agreement to acquire all of the assets of Big Snow Resort, including more than 1,000 acres of private land, from owner Art Dumke. Big Snow Res...

• Miscellaneous
• Lifts

SAM Magazine—Denver, May 25, 2022—Alterra Mountain Company president Jared Smith will be promoted to chief executive officer, effective Aug. 1, 2022. Current CEO Rusty Gregory will step back from day-to-day operations to become vice chairman of the board. Smith joined Alterra Mountain Company in June 2021, tasked with operating and further dev...

• Miscellaneous
• Resort Development

SAM Magazine—Boulder, Colo., May 24, 2022—Outside Inc., owner of several active outdoor media brands and related publications, including SKI magazine, will reduce print production by 80 percent across the company, according to internal communications from company leadership. This includes reducing SKI to one print issue a year, plus the annual ...

• Miscellaneous
• Resort Development

SAM Magazine—Nashville, Tenn., May 24, 2022—The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) held its annual national convention in person for the first time since 2019, and more than 870 ski area operators, industry suppliers, association representatives, and other mountain resort industry people came out for the event in Nashville, Tenn., May 12-15,...

• Miscellaneous

SAM Magazine—Vadito, N.M., May 18, 2022—The largest recorded fire in New Mexico history is threatening two prominent ski resorts and potentially a third. Sipapu and Angel Fire are implementing action plans to mitigate imminent danger from the merged Calf Canyon and Hermit Peaks fires, while Taos Ski Valley is monitoring fire activity. At Sipapu...

• Area Management
• Miscellaneous

SAM Magazine—Bolton, Vt., May 18, 2022—Bolton Valley, Vt., chief financial officer and finance director Nathaniel Mathes will assume the role of vice president and chief operating officer for the company, effective immediately. Mathes had spent eight years as Bolton Valley’s finance chief, and now shifts to overseeing all operating department...

• Ski Patrol

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., May 13, 2022—U.S. ski areas saw a record 61 million skier visits for the 2021-22 season, an increase of 3.5 percent year over year, according to data from the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA).  The Rocky Mountain region reported a record high number of skier visits, totaling 25.2 million visits. The Northeas...

• Lifts

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., May 12, 2022—Western mountain destination lodging properties posted several new all-time records for winter season occupancy, daily rates, and revenue, according to the most recent Monthly Market Briefing from DestiMetrics, the business intelligence division of Inntopia. For the first time since early 2021, thou...

• Area Management

SAM Magazine—Denver, Colo., May 12, 2022—Aspen Skiing Company (Ski Co.) and Alterra Mountain Company have acquired e-commerce provider Aspenware through a joint venture. Aspenware will remain a standalone business with ongoing operations to serve its clients and the industry, while maintaining its current staff and leadership. The acquisition w...

• Marketing
• Ski Patrol

SAM Magazine—Government Camp, Ore., May 10, 2022—Mt. Hood Skibowl has suspended its summer bike operations after losing a lawsuit from a man who said he hit a signpost on a ski area bike trail and was paralyzed from the waist down. From Mt. Hood Skibowl's Website In March, a Multnomah County jury awarded $11.4 million to Gabriel B. Owens afte...

• Ski School
• Lifts

SAM Magazine—Portland, Ore., May 10, 2022—The Indy Pass has introduced a new category of resort partners: Allied Resorts. Allied resorts will offer discounted lift tickets to Indy Pass holders, while Indy will offer discounted AddOn passes to allied resort unrestricted season passholders.  The move has allowed Indy to increase its partners in...

• Lift Maintenance
• Area Management

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., May 10, 2022— Mike Goar, currently vice president and chief operating officer of Park City Mountain Resort, Utah, will lead Andermatt-Sedrun, Switzerland, Vail Resorts’ first European property.  Goar will serve as VP, COO, and managing director of Adermatt-Sedrun, reporting to Pat Campbell, mountain operation...

• Marketing

SAM Magazine—Jeffersonville, Vt., May 9, 2022—Smugglers’ Notch, Vt. will offer free, full-time childcare for all employees. The benefit will be rolled out in phases beginning this month, and it applies to full-day care for children ages 6 weeks to 3 years old as well as some offerings for older children on days when an employee is working. Di...