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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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COVID Insights: Declining Cases

The latest virus tracking reports from Insights Collective are showing light at the end of the tunnel, with new cases and hospitalizations declining.  Only Oregon, Puerto Rico, Arkansas and Vermont saw an increase in cases. We are cautiously optimistic. View the recent virus tracking report. ...

Ontario Resorts Prepare to Reopen

SAM Magazine—Collingwood, Ont., Feb. 9, 2021—The province of Ontario will allow ski resorts to gradually start reopening to the public soon, following a six-week (or longer) closure.Calabogie Peaks On Monday, the province lifted the Emergency Declaration that forced resorts to close beginning on Dec. 26, 2020, just before the key Christmas hol...

Cross Country Ski Area Survey Shows Increased Participation

Cross-country ski areas across Canada and the US were surveyed the second week of January with some promising results reported. Some of the key findings: Revenues were higher than had been projected, healthy season pass sales for more than half of the respondents (some with 20% or greater growth) and day pass sales have increased for more than...

Sugarbush Installs New Solar Array

SAM Magazine—Warren, Vt., Feb. 5, 2021—Sugarbush Resort, in partnership with Green Lantern Solar, has installed a new solar array at Lincoln Peak. The array has a capacity of 133 kilowatts (kW), and will generate 190,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) over the course of a year. This is the latest installation funded by the two organizations, and the firs...

Boyne Resorts Moves to Renewable Electric Energy

SAM Magazine—Boyne Falls, Mich., Feb. 5, 2021—Boyne Resorts has made a renewable energy purchase commitment with CMS Enterprises, a CMS Energy subsidiary, that offsets electric energy consumption at its resorts and facilities throughout North America as of Jan. 1, 2021.  The purchase is among numerous environmental initiatives and newly e...

Covid-19 Insurance Coverage and Liability Update

This report is excerpted from a longer report by Gfeller Laurie LLP. We thank Charles Gfeller for sharing it with SAM. SAM Magazine—West Hartford, Conn., Feb. 5, 2021—Many ski areas and ski industry vendors have been adversely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and associated shutdowns. In the business world generally, this has led to a wa...

SAM & NPD Name Lucky Winner of Tiki Chainsaw Challenge

Yesterday, viewers were entertained with bad lumberjack jokes and live tiki chainsaw-carving with North Pole Design's Senan Gorman and SAM publisher Olivia Rowan. The event was held during the Supplier Direct Connect as part of the virtual NSAA Winter Conference. Attendees could vote for a tiki design ahead of the event, and Gorman crafted the one ...

Covid Insights: Taking the Right Steps

As the U.S. and the world seek to escape the shadow of Covid-19, important steps are being taken on many fronts. Some of these may pose short-term challenges, but all are aimed at long-term recovery. Wonder why those $1,400 checks are so high on President Biden’s wish list? Curious to know how soon air travel might return to normal? Looking for o...

Indy Pass Adds Soldier Mountain and Pomerelle

SAM Magazine—Portland, Ore., Feb. 2, 2021—Soldier Mountain and Pomerelle Mountain Resort, Idaho, have joined the Indy Pass. Each resort will provide Indy Pass holders two days of access through the end of the 2020-21 season. The pass now includes access to 16 ski areas in the Pacific Northwest, and 61 North American ski areas in all.  Sol...

Highway West Vacations to Manage King Pine Ski Area

SAM Magazine—East Madison, N.H., Jan. 29, 2021—Highway West Vacations will be providing full property management for New Hampshire’s King Pine Ski Area, Purity Spring Resort, Tohkomeupog Summer Camp for Boys, and Danforth Bay Camping & RV Resort, effective March 1, 2021. The Hoyt family will remain owners of the resort entities and retain...

Exclusive Wasatch Peaks Ranch Plans to Open for 2021-22

SAM Magazine—Peterson, Utah, Jan. 29, 2021—A new private mountain resort development in Utah aims to open to members for skiing and riding next winter. Called Wasatch Peaks Ranch, it's located 35 minutes north from Salt Lake City, 10 miles south of Snowbasin Resort.  Wasatch Peaks Ranch encompasses 12,740 acres, including a planned 3,000 ...

Bend, Don’t Break: Resilient Leadership Training Reopens

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Jan. 28, 2021—Given the challenges the people in our industry are experiencing right now—and the need for resilience is greater than ever—SAM and High Peaks Group have relaunched the Summit Series Bootcamp: Resilient Leadership Training program to provide leaders at all levels of an organization with the too...

Covid Insights: Turning a Corner?

Virus cases are dropping. So are positivity rates and hospitalizations. Nearly 20 million Americans have begun receiving vaccines. The week’s Virus Tracker from the Insights Collective shows how the pandemic is affecting major resort destination communities and the markets they serve. And the news is looking up. Check out the full report her...

I Am a Snowmaker 2021: And the Winner Is…

SAM Magazine—Boischatel, Quebec, Jan. 25, 2021—More than 4,000 total votes were cast during the seven-day voting period in the 2021 HKD I AM a Snowmaker contest, which showcased four snowmaking teams from resorts across North America: Blue Mountain, Ont.; Eldora, Colo.; Okemo Mountain, Vt.; and Squaw Valley, Calif. Voting concluded Monday, Jan....

Shutdown of French Resorts May Extend Through Entire Season

SAM Magazine—Paris, France, Jan. 20, 2021—Ski resorts in France had hoped they could start up their lifts and welcome skiers and riders on Feb. 1, but rising Covid-19 infections and worries over the new variant of the virus have led French tourism minister Jean Baptiste Lemoyne to declare that resorts, among other businesses, must remain closed...