ASC Merges with Meristar
In early December, American Skiing Company (ASC) and MeriStar Hotels& Resorts, the nation’s largest independent hotel management company, signed an agreement to merge and become Doral International, Inc. The new company will be headquartered in Washington, D.C., and oversee 9 resorts, 23 resort hotels, 246 hotels, 15 golf courses and 4 conference facilities. The chairman of the newly-formed company will be ASC’s Leslie B. Otten.
Under the agreement, MeriStar will merge into ASC in a tax-free, stock-for-stock merger. The new company will be comprised of four major leisure and hospitality business units. The first, Doral Leisure division, will specialize in year-round resorts and be led by William (BJ) Fair, the former president and COO of ASC. The second division will focus on hotel management, the third will control international corporate housing under BridgeStreet Accommodations and the fourth will concentrate on real estate with Hernan Martinez, previously COO of ASC’s resort properties, at the helm.
Pending regulatory and shareholder approval, the merger is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2001.
Two Colorado Court Decisions
In mid-November, a Colorado jury convicted Nathan Hall of negligent homicide after a fatal collision with another skier in 1997 at Vail. Hall escaped the greater charge, reckless manslaughter, which carried with it a two- to eight-year sentence, and faces instead one to three years for the lesser charge. The sentencing is scheduled for January 4, 2001.
The incident occurred on April 20, 1997. Hall, according to witnesses, was skiing out of control when he collided with Alan Cobb, a Denver resident, fracturing his skull.
The jury, which deliberated for 17 hours, also convicted Hall of possession of alcohol and possession of marijuana. The conviction marks the first time a skier has been found criminally negligent for his actions.
Two weeks later, Eldora Mountain Resort was found not liable for the 1997 death of a Boulder woman. At question was whether a rope strung near some trees, or the trees themselves, killed the woman. An autopsy indicated a collision with a tree and the jury denied the $1.3 million claim.
Austrian Tragedy Still Unsolved
As of presstime, the cause of the fire that took the lives of 159 pre-season skiers inside a rail tunnel in the Austrian ski village of Kaprun was still unknown. The tragedy is Austria’s worst peacetime disaster.
According to the Association of Austrian Cableways, the Kaprun railway underwent a major inspection in 1997 and was found to comply with the appropriate requirements. In addition, the installation complies with the fire regulations prescribed by the relevant authorities.
Some eyewitnesses reported seeing the train on fire before it went into the tunnel and speculation is that the fire was caused by leaking lubricants.
The tunnel remains closed until a full inquiry is made.
Saddleback Sells Part of Appalachian Trail
After a 20-year battle, the National Park Service and Saddleback Mountain, Maine, have come to an agreement on the fate of a 3.1-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail that crosses Saddleback. In exchange for 1,115 acres and a scenic easement protecting another 320 acres, Saddleback will receive $4 million from the government.
The battle first came about after Saddleback declared its intention to develop the backside of the mountain for skiing. The National Park Service objected to the plan because skiers would have to access the new terrain by crossing the trail and because new lifts would obstruct views.
A-Basin Watching and Waiting
Management at Arapaho Basin, Colo., was waiting at presstime to see whether a group of environmentalists will appeal a federal judge’s decision to dismiss the group’s case against the ski area’s snowmaking plan.
At the same time, A-Basin was continuing to work with the group’s leader, Colorado Wild, on some sort of settlement to continue plans to make snow on about 125 acres of terrain. The lawsuit, which was argued by lawyers for both sides in October, actually charges the U.S. Forest Service with violating federal planning regulations when it approved Arapahoe Basin’s plan to make snow in order to open on schedule in a competitive market. (A-Basin is currently the only Summit County resort without snowmaking.) At issue is whether A-Basin should be allowed to draw clean water from a tributary that dilutes an already-polluted Snake River.
Donner Ski Ranch Sold
When last we checked, a Las Vegas developer intended to purchase Donner Ski Ranch, a Sierra institution since 1946, for a reported $10 million. Arizona Acreage LLC reportedly wants to continue operating Donner as a ski resort, but add shops, restaurants and scatter homes along some of its trails in an effort to turn it into a year-round resort. The proposed sale was approved by 80 percent of the area’s 87 investors last month and at presstime a development plan was in front of Nevada County planners to see what was feasible for the property. The sale apparently wouldn’t close until the buyers can determine how much development will be allowed at Donner.
Majority owner Norm Sayler was reluctant to sell the 460-acre resort, but was perennially underfinanced, having to support operations mainly with profits from his earth-moving and snow-removal business. Sayler, who helped build the first chairlift at Donner in 1955, became general manager in 1958 for original owners Bud and Madelyn Walton and eventually purchased a majority interest with his wife. The ski and snowboard area has always been run on a shoestring as other Sierra resorts expanded and improved with major capital investments.
Wintersport Business Pulls Plug
In November, Wintersport Business, which was launched in January of 1997, announced it would cease publication and halt operation of its Website, regarded by many to be a valuable source of information on suppliers of both softgoods and hardgoods. A letter from Editor Doug McClellan pointed to recent problems from stagnant participation in skiing to a struggling trade show as reasons for the move. A month later, Outdoor Retailer announced it would pick up the slack created in editorial coverage by expanding its January, February and March issues to target snowsports, including writing support from former Wintersport employees McClellan and Peter Kray.
Voters Approve New Ski Resort
Voters were at least decisive on election day in Lassen County, Calif., when they approved a zoning change that could lead to the first ski area built in the state in 30 years. More than 62 percent of county voters said yes to a proposal that will rezone 6,800 acres southwest of Westwood as “mountain resort” land to establish a four-season resort next to the Mountain Meadows Reservoir.
The proposed ski and snowboard area is expected to boast 2,400 feet of vertical, golf courses, single-family homesites modeled on Adirondack-style camps, a village center and lodging. It is being developed by Briar Tazuk, who was involved in the development of One Embarcadero South in San Francisco, and John Koeberer, whose California Parks Company is a resort management and consulting firm. The two formed Dyer Mountain Associates to create the resort and have said it would be developed with an eye toward environmental sensitivity.
Mt. Abram Sold in an Hour
Jeremiah “Josh” Burns, Jr., a senior vice president of Salomon Smith Barney, made the winning bid of $325,000 for Mt. Abram Ski Resort in Maine before a packed Bethel Inn in November. After an hour, auctioneer Tom Saturley declared Burns’ bid the winner for the main resort complex, including 35 ski trails and a 600-foot tubing park, a 9,000-square-foot main lodge, a 2,000-square-foot log building built in 1996, a 1,500-square-foot maintenance garage, two double chairlifts, three T-bars and a handletow.
Saturley said Burns appeared to be “in a little bit of shock” when he realized he was the new owner and immediately started interviewing prospective employees in a side room at the Inn with the intention of opening the ski area this season. Saturley said he was surprised to see an SRO crowd pack the inn a quarter of an hour before the auction began, saying, “it was very exciting for the bidders. It shows a great base of support.”
Preparations had been underway to open the area the week before Christmas when the Camden National Bank announced it was foreclosing on a loan made to Randy and Kathleen Dunican who purchased the area in 1998.
Silver Creek to Become SolVista
The owners of Silver Creek ski resort have decided to rename the area SolVista Golf and Ski Ranch instead of continuing with two lawsuits filed against developers using the Silver Creek name.
Silver Creek filed two lawsuits earlier this year against Silver Meadows, a golf community, and against Grand County’s Resort Management Group, LLC, which manages the Inn at Silver Creek, the Mountainside at Silver Creek, the Summit at Silver Creek and the SilverStar at Silver Creek. The suits claimed that Silver Creek is not a town or geographic location and that the companies were capitalizing on the resort’s name.
With a planned $600 million investment into the ski area to turn it into a four-season destination, management decided that the new resort should have a new name.
Obituaries
Bob Gillen—Publisher of The Snow Industry Letter, Bob Gillen, died November 21 after an 18-month battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 54.
Gillen joined the staff of Ski magazine in the mid-1970s. Later, he held top marketing posts at Crested Butte, Colo., and in Vermont at Sugarbush and Stowe.
John Jay—Pioneer ski film lecturer, John Jay, whose appearances in the post-World War II years is credited with having enticed countless people to take up skiing, died December 8. He was just short of his 85th birthday.
Jay served as an intelligence office in the 10th Mountain Division during World War II and later wrote the official War Department history of that unique outfit. Jay also co-authored “Ski Down The Years,” a heavily illustrated history of the sport in North America.
Jay, who was a direct descendant of his namesake, the first chief Justice of the U.S., was elected to the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame in 1981.
(See also appreciations of Jay and Gillen in Speakout.)
People
Former National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) president Cal Conniff was awarded this year’s BEWI Award at a luncheon in Boston in November. Conniff was presented with the award for his lifetime of skiing contributions from running the local ropetow in Springfield, Vt., to his 17 years with the NSAA starting in the early 1970s.
The National Ski Patrol Eastern Pennsylvania Region presented the first annual Irv Naylor Partners Industry Award to its namesake, the founder and president of Snow Time, Inc.
Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, Calif., promoted three senior managers to vice president: Mammoth West GM Pam Murphy, Mammoth East GM Bill Cockroft and Mammoth Resort Lodging Executive Director Tom Smith.
James Van Dyke was promoted to vice president and COO of Brodie Mountain Resort, Mass., from his position as director of resort operations.
Andrew Cohen was named new general manager of Kimberley Alpine Resort, B.C.
Mt. Washington Alpine Resort, B.C., appointed Peter Gibson, a 21-year employee of the resort since its inception, the new general manager. The resort also promoted Mike Klein to manager of mountain operations and hired Don Sharpe to take on the position of director of resort services.
Booth Creek Ski Holdings, Inc. named David Corbin vice president of resort development.
Ski Areas of New York appointed Dirk Gouwens to be president and executive director replacing Rob Megnin, who left for Eldora, Colo.
Stuart Rempel returned to British Columbia to become Whistler/Blackcomb’s vice president of marketing and sales. Most recently, Rempel was vice president of K2 Skis.
Ski USA, the international marketing arm of NSAA, hired Keri Fuller to become its new program coordinator.
Northstar-at-Tahoe, Calif., appointed Francis Rosal as marketing director and Phil Kaznowski as head coach and team manager for the ski and snowboard teams.
Bret Helenius moved from Ski Windham, N.Y., to Taos Ski Valley, N.M., to become its director of sales.
In Colorado, Winter Park Resort named Jake Dunne, new communications coordinator. . .Copper Mountain Resort appointed Sam Parker the new manager of ski patrol. . .Vail Resorts appointed Tom Cartwright and Wes Jenson as managers of commercial properties.
Powder Mountain, Utah, appointed Kent Matthews its new assistant general manager, Marc Paulsen to the position of marketing and public relations director, Kash Van Meeteren its assistant operations manager and Lee Crowton as the new director of safety and security. Also in Utah, Brian Head Resort named Burke Wilkerson the new CFO and controller. Wilkerson was the corporate financial reporting manager for the MGM Mirage in Las Vegas. Brian Head also named former Snowbird sales manager Craig McCarthy its director of sales and marketing and Andy Furtcamp the rental manager.
The Olympic Regional Development Authority hired Michael Fudzinski as director of snowboarding at Whiteface Mountain Ski Center, N.Y.
Bill Egerton, a 20-year employee with Ski Butternut, Mass., was promoted to grooming supervisor. . .Also in Massachusetts, Brodie Mountain appointed Sherrie Anthony ski and snowboard school director.
In Vermont, Ascutney Mountain Resort, named Mark Wasserman the new food and beverage director. . .Mount Snow appointed Janet O’Brien its new vice president of marketing and sales. . . The reopened Burke Mountain announced that Ford Hubbard has returned as supervisor of mountain operations with Dick Andross, former mountain manager at Cannon Mountain, N.H., becoming general manager. . . Magic Mountain appointed former Stratton groomer Gregg Kinsey as its mountain manager.
U.S. Freestyle Coach Wayne Hilterbrand, the winningest coach in U.S. ski history, resigned “to find some new challenges.” Under Hilterbrand’s watch, U.S. freestyle skiers won five Olympic medals (four gold), 22 World Championships medals (seven gold), 14 World Cup titles and dozens of individual World Cup events. He competed on the World Cup from 1979 to 1983 and started coaching with the national squad in 1987.
Supplier News
The Salt Lake Organizing Committee picked Bombardier Recreational Products as the official supplier of snow grooming equipment to the 2002 Olympic and Paralympic games.
Acordia Northwest, Inc. created a separate unit, Acordia Resort Services, based in Seattle headed by Brian Derouin with help from Carl Neu, Tom McCampbell and Frank Bulkley.
Head Tyrolia Wintersports was appointed official equipment sponsors for the International Pro Skiing Series, which will include five stops in North America this season at Jay Peak, Vt., Tremblant Resort, Quebec, Lake Placid, N.Y., and Northstar-at-Tahoe and Heavenly, Calif.
Seabreeze Trading Corporation has acquired the manufacturing division of SnowCloud Systems to provide in-house silk screening and moved to a larger facility.
Marking Specialists/PTI launched a new Website, www.marking-specialists.com.
Smith Sport Optics moved into larger headquarters and has redesigned its Website, www.Smithsport.com.
Pepsi is sponsoring the seven-lane tubing center at Mount Cranmore, N.H., providing banners, tubes, radar timing and monthly prizes.
Supplier Personnel
K&K Insurance Group hired Scott Robinson of Sports & Resorts Consultants to become a resort consultant in the claims and risk management division.
The Skiing Company has hired Peter Kirkpatrick as its western sales representative for Skiing Trade News and Snoworld.
Burton Snowboards appointed Paul Frascoia its corporate controller and hired Tom D’Urso its new treasurer, both of whom will focus on the cash management of the company. The company also appointed Liam Griffin its marketing coordinator for Canada.
Bob Fries, most recently president of Stratton Mountain, Vt., was appointed president of ignition, Inc., a division of McWhorter Driscoll.
SnowSports Industries America filled five positions: The association named Bob Orbacz, formerly with Elan-Monark, its director of finance; Meg Ellacott its associate director of the trade show; Alyssa Rosinski assistant trade show manager; Betsy Wonnell its supervisor of internet marketing and communications and promoted Henry Cho to be database administrator.
David Kenyon has returned to Design Workshop as a senior landscape architect and Todd Schoeder, a golf course architect, has joined the firm.
LastMinuteTravel.com appointed four people to its sales and marketing team, including Derek Van Nostran, its new director of marketing, Bill Evans, its new e-business developer for airlines, and Jeff Dos Remedios and Stephanie Jessop as account managers.
Industry Calendar
More details at www.saminfo.com/events
- Jan. 8-10: NSAA Eastern Conference and Trade Show — Mount Snow, Vt.
- Jan. 25-26: 2001 Winter Market On-Snow Demo — Park City, Utah
- Jan. 27-30: Outdoor Retailer Winter Market — Salt Lake City, Utah
- Jan. 29-Feb. 4: Take Your Daughter to the Snow Week — Participating resorts
- Jan. 29-31: NSAA Western Conference and Trade Show — Vail, Colo.
- Mar. 9-13: SIA Snowsports Show — Las Vegas, Nev.
- April 7-10: Cross Country Ski Areas Assoc. Annual Conf. — Holmstead Resort, Utah
- April 10-12: Colorado Ski Country USA Snowmakers/Groomers Conf. — Grand Junction, Colo.
- April 24-26: Lift Maintenance Seminar/Snowmakers Conf. — Butternut, Mass.
- April 29-May 4: Canada West Ski Areas Assoc. Conf. & Trade Show — Harrison Hot Springs, B.C.
- May 7-10: NSAA National Trade Show and Conference — Palm Springs, Calif.
- May 14-17: Rocky Mountain Lift Association Meeting — Grand Junction, Colo.
- May 15-17: California Ski Industry Association Maint. and Ops Conf. — Heavenly Ski Resort, Calif.
- May 27-30: Ontario Snow Resorts Assoc. Spring Conf. and Trade Show — TBA
