• Resort Development
• Ski School

SAM Magazine—Fairfield, Pa., Oct. 6, 2022—Vail Resorts appointed Chris Blackwell as the new general manager of Liberty Mountain Resort. Blackwell assumed the role in September. He succeeds Jeff Lifgren, former GM of Liberty and VP of Vail Resorts’ Mid-Atlantic region; Lifgren will continue in his role as vice president of the Mid-Atlantic reg...

• Miscellaneous

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., Oct. 6, 2022—Stephanie Cox has been named as the new executive director of the National Ski Patrol (NSP). Cox brings extensive experience leading nonprofits, technology, and consumer goods companies around the world. She succeeds Chris Castilian, who resigned as the NSP CEO in August.  “The search committee,...

• Environment
• Miscellaneous

In SAM’s Snow People, we highlight recent personnel moves that have been made in the mountain resort industry. From resort hires, promotions, and retirements to supplier news, awards and obits. We celebrate the people that make this industry thrive.   PEOPLE PAUL MUNDY, DODGE RIDGE,  CA Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort hired Paul Mundy as its ...

• Rental
• Resort Development

SAM Magazine—Durango, Colo., Oct. 4, 2022—Mountain Capital Partners (MCP) has entered a joint venture with the Wiper family to operate and manage Willamette Pass Resort, Ore. The partnership will begin immediately with Willamette Pass being added to MCP’s Power Pass family of season pass products, joining the nine other ski/ride and mountain ...

• Miscellaneous

SAM Magazine— Denver, Oct. 4, 2022—Ikon Pass has added Sun Peaks Resort in British Columbia and Grandvalira Resorts Andorra in Andorra for the 2022–23 season.  With five other partners added earlier this year—Chamonix Mont-Blanc Valley, France, Sun Valley, Idaho, Snowbasin, Utah, Lotte Arai Resort, Japan, and Panorama, B.C.—Ikon Pass ho...

• Environment

SAM Magazine—Oct. 4, 2022, Broomfield, Colo.—Vail Resorts plans to utilize technology that will allow guests to store and use their season pass or lift ticket directly on their phone. The new feature will be tested during the 2022-23 North American winter season, with roll-out to guests expected for the 2023-24 season.  “We are excited for ...

• Rental

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Sept. 28, 2022—Vail Resorts (VR) reported that for its fiscal 2022 year, ended July 31, 2022, overall revenues were up 34 percent and EBITDA rose 54 percent, thanks to fewer Covid restrictions in 2022 than in the prior year. The same story held true for individual departments, with major increases in revenue from...

• Lifts

SAM Magazine—Norden, Calif., Sept. 23, 2022—Bridget Legnavsky has been named as the new president and CEO of Sugar Bowl | Royal Gorge, Calif., effective Oct. 17. She will work alongside current president and CEO Greg Dallas as he transitions to a vice chairman role focused on execution of the resort’s master plan. Legnavsky has 30 years ...

• Marketing

SAM Magazine—Salt Lake City, Utah, Sept. 23, 2022—Prinoth has appointed Scott Jones as general manager of its North American snow grooming division. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, Jones will be working closely with customers, developing the new strategic direction for the division, and building upon the Prinoth brand. “The U.S. and Canada ar...

• Ski School

SAM Magazine—Upson, Wis., Sept. 22, 2022—Co-owner and general manager David Dziuban has acquired sole ownership of Whitecap Mountains Resort, Wis. Dziuban will continue as general manager; new support roles and infrastructure upgrades are planned for the 2022-23 season.  “[Whitecap] is such a vibrant recreational resource for the surroundin...

• Marketing
• Lifts

SAM Magazine—Jay, Vt., Sept. 22, 2022—Pacific Group Resorts Inc. (PGRI) does not plan to make any immediate changes to Jay Peak’s pass products, management, or infrastructure for the 2022-23 season. PGRI made the winning bid to purchase Jay Peak for $76 million in a Sept. 8 auction with multiple bidders. The acquisition is expected to close ...

• Marketing
• Ski Area Profiles

SAM Magazine—Park City, Utah, Sept. 20, 2022—The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame has selected nine individuals for induction next March. The athletes and sport builders in the class of 2022 were selected by a national panel of voters. The inductees include X Games gold medalist, U.S. Open champion and Boarding for Breast Cancer pioneer T...

• Ski School
• Miscellaneous

SAM Magazine—Aspen Snowmass, Colo., Sept. 20, 2022—The Mountain Collective Pass has added Sugar Bowl, Calif., to its now 25-destination roster. The Tahoe resort joins Sun Valley, Snowbasin, Marmot Basin, and Le Massif de Charlevoix as new partners for upcoming season.  “We’ve been patiently waiting to join a collection of resorts with an ...

• Marketing
• Miscellaneous

SAM Magazine—Portland, Ore., Sept. 16, 2022—After adding 40 partner resorts since the end of the 2021-22 season, the Indy Pass now has 96 alpine ski areas on-board offering two days of access each to Indy Pass holders, plus 14 cross-country ski areas. This dramatic growth has led to a dramatic increase in sales of the product, too. Year-to-date...

• Ski Area Profiles
• Miscellaneous

The four-season masterpiece of Quebec’s Tremblant resort was the host site of this year’s SAM Summer Ops Camp—an immersive, multi-day event designed to help ski area operators grow their summer business—Sept. 7-9. More than 80 operators, vendors, and experts were in attendance to experience a variety of unique activities, learn from several...