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  • SAM Taps Whistler Blackcomb to Host 2025 Summer Ops Camp

    SAM Magazine—Whistler, British Columbia, March 18, 2025—SAM’s Summer Ops Camp will be held at Whistler Blackcomb, Sept. 2-4, 2025, offering three days of education, networking, and hands-on learning focused on the future of summer operations at mountain resorts. This year’s camp will also feature a partnership with the Canada West Ski Areas Association (CWSAA), bringing together a dynamic mix of resort professionals from across North America.   Whistler Blackcomb has been at the forefront of year-round recreation development, balancing business innovation with environmental sustainability. With a robust lineup of summer attractions—including the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, Peak...

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Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe Plans Its Largest Capital Improvement Ever

SAM Magazine—Reno, Nev., Sept. 28, 2021—Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe, Nev., plans to invest roughly $7.5 million to expand the Lakeview area of the mountain. The plan includes replacement of the 41-year-old Lakeview Triple with a new high-speed lift, new skiable terrain, and improvements to existing terrain ahead of the 2022-23 winter season. It’s esti...

Indy Pass Now Includes 80 Ski Areas

SAM Magazine—Portland, Ore., Sept. 28, 2021—The Indy Pass has added four new resorts, bringing its total partners up to 80 ski areas ahead of its third season on the market. Seven Oaks, Idaho, The Rock Snowpark, Wisc., and Manning Park and Sovereign Lake, B.C., are the latest independents to join the roster.  Sovereign Lake Nordic Club in Nel...

U.S. Ski & Snowboard Names Goldschmidt President and CEO

SAM Magazine—Park City, Utah, Sept. 27, 2021— U.S. Ski & Snowboard has appointed Sophie Goldschmidt as its next president and CEO, effective Oct. 18. Goldschmidt will take over from current president and CEO Tiger Shaw, who is stepping down after eight years in the role. “I am thrilled to be the next leader of U.S. Ski & Snowboard,...

Snowbasin to Add Club Med, Base Area Village

SAM Magazine—Huntsville, Utah, Sept. 27, 2021—A significant new capital plan for Snowbasin, Utah, which includes lifts, terrain, snowmaking, and parking upgrades, will also introduce a base area village and a new 300-room Club Med resort hotel on-site. A lift replacement and parking addition are already underway for the 2021-22 season, while a...

Vail Resorts Fiscal 2021 Results, Insights on Planned Lift Upgrades

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Sept. 24, 2021—Vail Resorts’ (VR) Q4 earnings, released yesterday, show season pass sales for the 2021-22 North American season were up 42 percent in units and 17 percent in sales dollars as of Sept. 17. The earnings news was coupled with the unveiling of a $320 million capital plan that includes 19 new chairli...

Vail Resorts Unveils Winter Operating Plan

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Sept. 20, 2021—Vail Resorts’ (VR) 2021-22 winter operating plan for its 34 North American resorts includes a variety of new Covid safety measures, such as requiring vaccinations for all staff, requiring proof of vaccination for anyone age 12 and up dining at certain indoor outlets, and mandating masks in ...

Aspen Skiing Company to Require Staff Vaccinations

SAM Magazine—Aspen, Colo., Sept. 15, 2021—Aspen Skiing Company (SkiCo) will require all active employees to be fully vaccinated for Covid-19 by Nov. 15. The new policy is unrelated to President Joe Biden’s announcement less than a week ago that he plans to instruct the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to require that all e...

Meet the 2021-22 Summit Series Mentees

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Sept. 15, 2021—Nearly 100 emerging leaders were nominated or applied to be mentees in the forthcoming SAM Summit Series, a season-long mentor/mentee program aimed at developing future leaders in the mountain resort industry. Of that list, 11 have been chosen to participate. The mentees hail from ski areas of all siz...

Booking Pace Slows, Rates Stay Strong at Western Resorts

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Sept. 15, 2021—By the end of August, western mountain destinations were poised to set all-time records for daily rates and revenue—despite wildfires and smoky conditions in many destinations, and a spike in cases of the Delta variant of Covid-19. Summer at Mammoth Mountain ResortBut some headwinds were coolin...

Alterra Partners with Share Winter Foundation

SAM Magazine—Denver, Sept. 14, 2021—Alterra Mountain Company and Share Winter Foundation have entered a multi-year collaboration highlighted by a donation to Share Winter of nearly $4 million in the form of cash and in-kind services, including lessons, lift tickets, equipment rentals, and meal vouchers. The partnership aims to create a more div...

Mt. Rose Raises Minimum Wage, Requires Vaccinations

SAM Magazine—Reno, Nev., Sept. 13, 2021—Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe has raised its minimum wage to $15 per hour for all positions that were previously below, and will provide a five percent cost-of-living increase for year-round and full-time employees. The resort will also require employees to be vaccinated for Covid-19 ahead of the start of its 2021-2...

Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows Now Palisades Tahoe

SAM Magazine—Olympic Valley, Calif., Sept. 13, 2021—After a year of in-depth research and discovery, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows has changed its name to Palisades Tahoe, a nod to the sheer granite faces and chutes that compose some of the mountains’ more extreme terrain.  In August 2020, the resort committed to eliminating the word "squaw"...

Canada Eases Travel Restrictions, Resorts Prepare

SAM Magazine—Kelowna, B.C., Sept. 9, 2021—Canada’s federal government relaxed travel restrictions for fully-vaccinated, non-essential travelers this week, a promising development for destination market resorts. Non-essential international travelers who have had a full course of a Health Canada-approved Covid-19 vaccine no longer need to q...

Jay Gamble Named Wintergreen GM

SAM Magazine—Wintergreen, Va., Sept. 9, 2021—Jay Gamble has been named general manager of Wintergreen Resort in Virginia. Gamble will transition from Ragged Mountain, N.H., where he has served as general manager for the past three years. Both resorts are operated by Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. (PGRI).             Gamble ha...

Snowbound Festivals Postponed to 2022

SAM Magazine—Park City, Utah, Sept. 8, 2021—Snowsports Industries America (SIA) has postponed the 2021 Denver and Boston Snowbound Festivals until November 2022 due to the resurgence of Covid-19 in the Unites States. The 2020 events were also postponed due to the pandemic.  “Over the last year, the Snowbound team has been working to run the...