Two Colorado Resorts Get New Operators
The owners of Okemo Mountain, Vt., Tim and Diane Mueller, announced at the beginning of February that they had signed a binding contract-of-sale for the Steamboat Ski & Resort Company from American Skiing Company. To complete the $91.4 million sale, the Muellers brought in additional partners to form Triple Peaks, LLC, which will be the parent company of three operating resorts, Okemo, Mount Sunapee, N.H., and Steamboat. Bill Killebrew, once owner of Heavenly Valley and current majority owner of Eldora Mountain Resort, Colo., is one of those partners.
At Winter Park, after a year-long search to find a partner to operate the city-owned resort, the mayor of Denver announced that Intrawest would be that partner. In exchange for a 50-year lease with extension options, Intrawest will make a $3 million payment to the city when the contract is approved and will guarantee a significant investment during the first ten years, including a village at the base of the mountain. Intrawest will also have to continue to make annual payments to the city, which under the old operating contract was $1 million plus three percent of gross revenues.
ADA Defined More Narrowly
The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) announced that the Supreme Court made a recent ruling that will narrow the scope of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) when it comes to workers with partial or limited disabilities. The actual case involved a Toyota employee who developed injuries due to the repetitive nature of his job and asked to be reassigned.
The company argued that it was under no obligation to reassign him. The Court found for the employer and ruled that a disability is defined by an individual’s ability or inability to perform every day life functions, not an individual’s ability or inability to complete certain functions at work. According to the NSAA, the ruling will make it harder for employees with partial disabilities to make a claim under ADA.
Retail Numbers Slide at the End of the Year
After a great pre-season start, sales of wintersport products dropped during December, leading to an overall decrease of seven percent over last year’s numbers. According to the SnowSports Industries America (SIA) retail audit, sales at specialty and chain stores combined were $1.27 billion compared to $1.36 billion last year. Specialty stores accounted for $977 million, down 6.5 percent over last year, and chain stores represented $291 million in sales, down 8.9 percent.
At both specialty and chain stores, alpine equipment saw a sizeable drop in skis, boots and poles. Alpine ski sales fell 16.8 percent to $102 million at specialty stores and fell 13.2 percent to $15.3 million at chain stores. Bright spots were fat skis and twin tips, with increases at specialty stores of 34 percent and 26.1 percent respectively. The increases didn’t come without a cost. Carver ski sales at these same stores were off 47 percent in units.
Nordic and snowboard equipment did well across the board posting gains. Nordic skis at specialty stores climbed 32.9 percent to $7.7 million while snowboard sales grew 10.8 percent to $64.4 million at specialty shops. Snowshoes also saw gains of 33.9 percent to $10.9 million at specialty stores and a gain of 2.6 percent to $2.4 million at chain stores.
A New Website for First-Timers
Mountain Sports Media and the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) have announced the launch of a new Website, www.discoversnow.com, for first-time skiers and snowboarders. The Website contains a list of each resort’s learn-to-ski/snowboard programs and a link to the area. In addition, visitors to the site can also read up on health and safety issues and get some basic orientation to the sport.
The site is designed and marketed to work in conjunction with word of mouth. By placing ads in Ski and Skiing, Mountain Sports Media and NSAA are asking core downhillers to introduce a friend to the sport through the site.
SIA Vegas Show Results Up in the Air
It has yet to be seen whether this year’s earlier dates of the SnowSports Industries America (SIA) show, in late January as opposed to early March, was a success. The number of buyers registered for the 2002 show was down by more than 500 people to 5,164 from last year’s total of 5,772. However, the number of exhibitors and exhibitor space was up.
The mood was generally upbeat, but by moving the dates back, the show was no longer an order-writing venue, but a window-shopping experience. Manufacturers will not be able to tell how successful the show was until later in March.
Another hitch in the new dates is the potential for cross-over with the dates of the Outdoor Retailer (OR) show. For example, in 2003, exhibitors have only one day to get from one show to the next and set up their booths. For this reason, SIA and OR are looking at combining the two shows into one super show. Should the two entities come to an agreement, the first joint show would be in 2004.
Durango Passes First Expansion Hurdle
Durango Mountain Resort, Colo., had its master plan approved by a joint county planning commission this past January. The approval was a first step in a 25-year development plan designed to bring more destination visitors and second-home owners to the resort.
The plan calls for 1,649 units on 612 acres, which will include luxury hotels, lodges, resort condos, transfer lifts and recreational facilities. The resort has also promised to build one employee housing unit for every 10 free-market units and 20,000 square feet of commercial space. Durango still has a long road ahead, however, as they develop the plan and seek further county approvals.
WestRock Still Plowing Forward
Last month, the $1.2 billion, 3,608-acre WestRock Lake Cascade ski resort development plan in Idaho, faced an all-day public hearing and a week-long public comment period. The 10-hour session before the Idaho Land Board gave both developers and opponents an opportunity to see where future battles may lie.
Other than the usual environmental issues, employee housing, sky-rocketing property values and abandoned projects loomed large on the public’s psyche. The developers of WestRock addressed each issue and are hoping it will be enough for a favorable vote in mid-March. The proposed resort already has zoning permits in place, and given this final approval, could, in theory, start to break ground.
Goodwill Games Are Cancelled
AOL Time Warner, which took control of the Goodwill Games after its acquisition of Turner Broadcasting System, has pulled the plug on the athletic program, which ran in both summer and winter. Ted Turner originally designed the games in 1986 as a way for the U.S. and then Soviet Union to come together on friendlier terms. Since then, the games have struggled to make ends meet and their popularity waned.
New Website at Canadian Ski Council
The Canadian Ski Council has created a new, bilingual Website to give the snowsports industry background on winter sports in Canada. The Website features business information such as a member list, statistics and events and is accessed via two addresses: www.canadianskicouncil.org and www.conseilcanadienduski.org.
Obits
John Sackett, a cross-country master’s competitor who was scheduled to work as a technician at the 2002 Winter Olympics, was killed in an auto accident in Minnesota.
For more obituaries, see page 10 of the Speak Out section in this issue.
People
The U.S. Forest Service made three key changes in national leadership: Joel Holtrop was named new deputy chief for state and private forestry; Paula Brouha will become director of strategic planning and resource assessment; and Gloria Manning was named associate deputy chief for national forest systems.
The National Disabled Ski Hall of Fame inducted Gwen Allard of the Adaptive Sports Foundation at Windham Mountain, N.Y., during a ceremony in Breckenridge, Colo., in December.
Mountain Sports Media appointed Doug Corper to become eastern ad director based in New York.
Powder magazine made several appointments: Keith Carlsen was named editor-at-large and director of special projects, Steve Metcalf was named editor, Porter Fox was named features editor and Josh Rhea is the new online editor for the magazine.
American Skiing Company has made a number of personnel changes: Skip King has left the company as VP of communications to start his own PR and communications firm in Portland, Maine, which will focus on crisis management issues; Stan Hansen moves from senior VP of ASC’s western division of its real estate arm to become managing director at Mount Snow, Vt., and F. Scott Pierpont will move from that position to become VP of resort operations at The Canyons, Utah.
Whistler-Blackcomb, B.C., hired Christopher Nicholson, a former media rep at Sun Peaks, B.C., to be its public relations and communications manager.
Harbor Resorts, named Stevens Pass, Wash., GM Ron Nova to become vice president in charge of management and planning for Stevens Pass as well as Schweitzer Mountain, Idaho, and Mission Ridge, Wash.
Brian Bressel was promoted to GM of Sierra Summit Mountain Resort, Calif….Rose Reinhardt was appointed new risk manager at Mountain High Resort. She left a similar position at Bear Mountain to take the job…Tim Larive, longtime director of marketing and sales at Mount Shasta Board and Ski Park, has left the resort to work as a real estate appraiser with Bryan and Grass Appraisals. Scott Ferguson, former group sales and summer events coordinator, was named to take over for Larive. Mount Shasta also promoted Karen Montgomery to the position of marketing and events coordinator…Intrawest Corp. appointed Adrienne Portnoy lodging sales manager at the Village at Squaw Valley.
Vail Resorts hired Jennifer Brown to become the new communications manager for Vail Mountain, Colo., replacing Kristin Yantis who left the firm to take a job with the Bachelor Gulch Ritz Carlton.
Kirk Duncan moved from Mount Spokane Ski Area, Wash., to become director of skier operations revenue at Mountain Creek, N.J. He will be responsible for ski school, rental, retail and food service staff. His job at Mount Spokane will be split up by Randy Chambers, Von Klohe and Vicki Chambers.
Joe Wachtel has left Granite Peak, Wis. Owner Charles Skinner, Mountain Manager John Pullen and Marketing Director Vicki Baumann will split the GM duties.
Blackjack Resort, Mich., hired Barry Bolich to join its team as mountain manager of the area.
In Ohio, Boston Mills/Brandywine Ski Resort announced several management changes: Robin Finch was promoted to Brandywine mountain manager to take over for Dave Mayer, who stepped down to take on a less-demanding role following major surgery; Pete Horn was promoted to Boston Mills rental manager while Ken Miller will be Brandywine rental manager, and Carla Menhorn was hired as school club coordinator for both of the ski areas.
In New Hampshire, Attitash Bear Peak named Katherine Gadman communications director.
Supplier News
Sports and Resorts Consulting, Inc. Principal Scott Robinson has new contact information. He will keep his consulting company and will also provide loss control and claims services for clients of Associates of Glens Falls and K&K Insurance. The new address is P.O. Box 604, Glens Falls, NY 12801; phone (518) 824-0069; fax (518) 824-0070.
World Cup Supply was chosen to provide on-hill race and event supplies for the 2002 Winter Olympics.
TICO Manufacturing announced it is moving both its offices and manufacturing plant to Pennsylvania. The new address is 3143 Main Street, Suite 4, P.O. Box 565, West Middlesex, PA 16159. The new phone number is 1-866-241-8426 or (724) 528-8013.
A new supplier, First Ascent, has entered the industry as a management consulting company for the resort industry. It is headed up by former American Skiing Company Investor Relations Director Daniel Kashman. The new company can be reached at 520 8th Ave., 22nd floor, New York, NY 10018 or by phone at (212) 868-3568; fax (419) 844-0148.
Salomon’s Boulder-based design center will close in September. Most of the center’s functions will relocate to the company’s global design center in Annecy, France. Salomon reports that some Boulder employees will transfer to France and that the move has no effect on the Portland, Oregon-based operations of the company’s U.S. division.
Talks between the owner of embattled Paulsen Wire Rope and a potential buyer fell through in January, but CEO Wolfgang Oswald noted he hoped to begin new negotiations with another potential buyer in the near future.
Supplier Personnel
Design Workshop announced six promotions: Terrall Budge was named principal-in-charge of the Park City office; Mimi Burns was named principal in the firm’s Albuquerque office; David Kenyon was promoted to principal-in-charge of the Tempe, Ariz., office; Glenn Walters has become principal-in-charge at the Vail office; CFO Mark Feldman was promoted to associate and Greg Stewart was named an associate, to work out of the Jackson, Wyo., office.
Rossignol ski company has transferred Hilary Hartley from France to the U.S. to become alpine product director. Also at Rossignol, Jerome Noviant was promoted to the international alpine ski product management team and Claudia Stern was named alpine product manager for women’s products.
Skis Dynastar recently hired Elizabeth Crossley to manage its Sportline category.
