• Marketing

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., July 28, 2021—There is one week of voting left in the inaugural “Rise Up Challenge,” a new contest highlighting the skilled, young lift mechanics who will keep ski area lifts spinning for decades to come. A $3,500 educational grant, courtesy of sponsor Leitner-Poma of America, goes to the winning resort to suppor...

• Safety
• Area Management

SAM Magazine—Government Camp, Ore., July 23, 2021—As a relentless series of heat waves broil the West, exacerbating an already significant drought, wildfire season is off to an ominous start. North American ski areas have been fortunate not to be in the direct path of any fires thus far, but indirect impacts from smoke and closures are still be...

SAM Magazine—Park City, Utah, July 20, 2021—Deer Valley Resort, Utah, will increase starting wages to $15 per hour for the resort’s hourly, non-tipped positions. Wage adjustments will also be made for eligible staff members to maintain a differential in pay.  Deer Valley staff members eligible for the wage increase will see t...

• Safety

SAM Magazine—Portland, Ore., July 20, 2021—Snow Valley, Calif., Ski Marmot Basin, Alberta, Titus Mountain, N.Y., and Montage Mountain, Pa., have all joined the Indy Pass roster for winter 2021-22, bringing the Indy Pass coalition up to 72 resort partners in 27 states and provinces. Snow Valley is Indy Pass’s first resort partner in Southern C...

• Miscellaneous

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., July 15, 2021—Western mountain destinations will likely set new seasonal records for occupancy, rate, and revenue this summer, according to the latest monthly Market Briefing from DestiMetrics, the business intelligence division of Inntopia. Bookings for the coming winter are already strong as well. The report ...

• Racing

SAM Magazine—Government Camp, Ore., July 14, 2021—After a months-long search, Timberline Lodge, Ore., has promoted two longtime staff members to general manager roles: Rose Phillips will serve as GM of ski area operations, and Scott Skellenger will be the GM of hotel operations. Rose Phillips and Scott Skellenger “The results of this extens...

• Miscellaneous

SAM Magazine—Conway, N.H., July 14, 2021—Overall winter visits to Ski NH’s 33 alpine and cross-country member ski areas during the 2020-21 season totaled 2,295,424 (including alpine skiing, cross country skiing, and tubing visits), which statistically mirrors the 10-year average. The results are better than expected given that many ski areas ...

• Lifts
• Racing

SAM Magazine—Woodstock, Vt., June 30, 2021—Despite a reputation as spandex-clad uber athletes, cross country skiing participants are, in their own words,  a more low-key sporting type: active year-round in the outdoors in a variety of casual, human-powered pursuits. This and other insights stem from "Cross Country Ski Consumer Sentiment," a r...

• Miscellaneous

SAM Magazine—Snowbird, Utah, June 29, 2021—Snowbird can now meet up to 100 percent of the resort's electrical power needs through its new onsite Snowbird Power Systems. The system, currently in its testing phase, allows the resort to make its own power, vastly reducing Snowbird's dependence on the traditional electrical grid and that grid’s ...

• Snowmaking
• Lifts

SAM Magazine—New South Wales, Australia, June 25, 2021—Ski areas in Australia and New Zealand are beginning another pandemic-tinged winter season. Strong demand, increased capacity, and greater familiarity with Covid protocols offer a promising picture, although variables like vaccine rollouts and staffing challenges remain in play.  Thredbo ...

• Resort Development
• Miscellaneous

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., June 24, 2021—A robust rebound is underway in summer visitation at Western mountain destinations, according to the latest information in the monthly Market Briefing from DestiMetrics, the business intelligence division of Inntopia. Compared to a year ago, lodging occupancy during May was up more than five-fold,...

• Snowmaking

SAM Magazine—Denver, June 23, 2021—Skier visits for the 2020-21 season at Colorado Ski Country USA’s (CSCUSA) 22 member ski resorts were up 7.6 percent from the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season, but trailed the five-year average by 3.7 percent. Total statewide skier visits—which includes non-member ski areas’ estimated numbers—reached ...

• Resort Development

SAM Magazine—Portland, Ore., June 22, 2021—The Indy Pass added Eagle Point Resort, Utah, and Sundown Mountain Resort, Iowa, to its growing coalition of 68 independent ski areas. Passholders will have access to two days of skiing and riding at both hills for the 2021-22 season.  “We are proud to be a part of the Indy Pass and its amazing col...

SAM Magazine—Salt Lake City, Utah, June 15, 2021—Utah’s 15 alpine ski areas saw 5,301,766 skier days during the 2020-21 winter season, breaking the previous record of 5.13 million skier days in the 2018-19 season, an increase of nearly 3.5 percent. Ski areas had a successful winter despite the limitations and adjustments most had in place to ...

• Marketing

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., June 15, 2021—The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) presented awards in growth, sustainability, safety, and marketing during a virtual ceremony June 11. The online event was again hosted by “The Snow Report” star Halley O’Brien. “This is a special award year,” noted NSAA president and CEO Kelly Pawla...