• Snowmaking
• Lifts

SAM Magazine—Pinecrest, Calif., Aug. 17, 2021—California’s Dodge Ridge Ski Resort is being acquired by Mountain High Resort, Calif., owners Invision Capital and Karl Kapuscinski, Mountain High president and CEO. Karl & Audrey Kapuscinski and Frank & Sally HelmLongtime Dodge Ridge owners Frank and Sally Helm are retiring. The Helm fam...

• Miscellaneous
• Grooming
• Trail Maintenance

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Aug. 17, 2021—Despite rising concerns about the Covid-19 Delta variant and smoky conditions across much of the Western U.S., 18 Western mountain destinations across eight states are setting new benchmarks for occupancy, rate, and revenue. And as of July 31, that enthusiasm for mountain vacations was continuing ...

• Snowmaking

SAM Magazine–New South Wales, Australia, Aug. 16, 2021—Ski fields in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, including Perisher and Thredbo, have temporarily shut following a government imposed statewide snap lockdown, in effect Aug. 14-22. The resorts had previously been open to locals.  In a statement on its social channels, Thredbo said, “Whil...

• Lifts
• Miscellaneous

SAM Magazine—Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah, Aug. 13, 2021—Solitude Mountain Resort will increase its starting wage for hourly, non-tipped employees to $15 an hour. Starting Aug. 14, 2021, job offers for summer and winter employment will reflect the new pay scale and current, eligible Solitude employees will see wage adjustments. “I am proud to...

• Miscellaneous
• Lifts

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., August 11, 2021—Vail Resorts has named Rob Katz’s successor: Kirsten Lynch, currently the company’s chief marketing officer, will be appointed chief executive officer and elected to the Vail Resorts’ board of directors, effective Nov. 1, 2021. Kirsten LynchAt that time, Katz, CEO since 2006, will move into...

• Marketing

SAM Magazine— Palmerton, Pa., Aug. 11, 2021—Blue Mountain, Pa., has been sold for nearly $32 million to BMR Resort, a Denver-based LLC formed by equity firm KSL Capital Partners. KSL Capital is affiliated with KSL Resorts, which took over management of Blue Mountain in May.  Details about the management agreement remained opaque until the ...

• Miscellaneous

SAM Magazine—Denver, Aug. 10, 2021—Alterra Mountain Company has promoted industry veteran Dee Byrne to the role of president and COO of Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows (SVAM), effective immediately. Byrne has served as SVAM vice president of skier services since 2017. She will now report to Mark Brownlie, Alterra chief operating officer—mountain...

SAM Magazine—Barrie, Ont., Aug. 10, 2021—The lift maintenance team from Ontario’s Craigleith Ski Club and its featured up-and-coming lift mechanic Leah Parkes won the inaugural Rise Up Challenge sponsored by Leitner-Poma of America, garnering nearly 1,000 of the more than 4,000 total votes cast in the contest. Parkes and the Craigleith team w...

• Safety

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., August 10, 2021—SAM has launched its fourth annual Summit Series for leadership development and is calling for mentee nominations. Throughout the season-long program, mentees will engage with respected industry leaders in dialogue around the key issues of our times, gaining tangible takeaways to apply to their careers, operations, and teams. 

• Racing

SAM Magazine—Portland, Ore., August 10, 2021—Indy Pass is expanding beyond North America with the addition of four Japanese resort partners: Geto Kogan, Tazawako, Okunakayama Kogen, and Shimokura/Panorama. Tazawako, JapanIndy Pass holders will now have up to eight days of skiing and riding in the Tohoku region of Japan’s main island, Hons...

• Marketing
• Safety

SAM Magazine—Oliver, B.C., August 5, 2021—An above average fire season continues to ravage parts of North America, in some cases causing significant disruptions at ski resorts. Baldy Mountain Resort in British Columbia is the latest area to be impacted.  Land scorched by flames during the 2021 wildfire season in B.C. (Courtesy BC Wildfire Ser...

• Safety
• Racing

SAM Magazine—Warren, Vt., August 5, 2021—Sugarbush Resort raised its minimum wage to $15 per hour for all non-tipped positions. To maintain the pay differential, the resort will also make wage adjustments for other eligible staff members. New hires will reflect the new pay scale, and eligible current employees will receive a wage adjustment, ef...

• Marketing

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., August 4, 2021—The Professional Ski Instructors of America and American Association of Snowboard Instructors (PSIA-AASI) has partnered with grassroots organization Women of Winter to host three education events specifically for women in snowsports who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). Women of Win...

• Safety

SAM Magazine—Fabius, N.Y., Aug. 4, 2021—Toggenburg Mountain in upstate New York was acquired by Peter Harris, president of Intermountain Management, which owns nearby Song Mountain and Labrador Mountain. Harris, who purchased the ski area from John and Christine Meier, owners of Greek Peak Mountain Resort, also in upstate New York, plans to cl...

• Area Management
• Miscellaneous

In SAM’s Snow People, we highlight recent personnel moves that have been made in the mountain resort industry. RESORTS JULIE CALDER, JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) promoted Julie Calder to vice president of guest experience, a new position created to lead JHMR’s strategic initiative to elevate the guest experience...