Apollo Bows Out of Vail
Apollo held 17.8 percent of Vail’s shares, but nearly 100 percent of the Class A stock that gave it the right to elect two-thirds of Vail’s directors. Its actions mean Apollo will no longer control Vail Resorts.
The Vail Resorts board of directors has decided to reduce the size of the existing board in the interest of improving its effectiveness and focus. Of the 12 directors who have previously served on the Vail board, seven will remain.
Seven Springs to Run Laurel
Laurel Mountain Ski Area, a state-owned ski area which has lived through several different concessionaires, will be operated by Seven Springs Mountain Resort this season.
The most recent concessionaire, George Mowl, took over operations in 1999. After investing millions of dollars in a new base lodge, lifts and snowmaking, Mowl suffered several bad years in a row and did not open last season. The state terminated his lease and put the area’s equipment on the block. There were no takers.
In early October, Seven Springs paid the controlling bank an undisclosed fee to run the area this winter. Both the bank and Seven Springs will review the arrangement at the end of the season to see if, and how, they will continue.
Lone Peak Suit Tossed
A lawsuit filed by Yellowstone Club owner Tim Blixseth against the Forest Service over ownership of a patch of land at the summit of Lone Peak was dismissed by a Federal judge.
At issue is the fact that Big Sky, Moonlight Basin and the Yellowstone Club are all located on the same Montana mountain, and two of the resorts would like to get to the top: Moonlight Basin and the Yellowstone Club. Blixseth claimed that the land belonged to him as part of an earlier Forest Service decision, but the judge ruled that Moonlight Basin has the rights to the peak and had them before Blixseth claims to have taken over the plot of land.
As both areas vie to advertise 4,000 feet of vertical, it looks like Moonlight Basin will get the bragging rights.
SIA Partners with VERB
SnowSports Industries America (SIA) and VERB, a national government funded marketing campaign aimed at improving youth health and fitness, have created VERB Project 0 Degrees (formerly called SnowSports Day), which kicks off December 4.
The plan is for retail shops to host a variety of promotions, athlete appearances, etc., on December 4 to lure kids to the shops. There, kids will pick up “Snow Pass” activity kits. SIA hopes to line up 500 storefronts for the launch, but the program got off to a late start. To reach 250,000 kids over the winter, the program will rely mostly on the VERB and SIA websites.
0 Degrees is intended to dovetail with other industry programs, such as the “Winter Feels Good” public awareness campaign, which is adding a new education section on its website, www.winterfeelsgood.com, to show teachers how they can start new snow sports programs.
A Tamarack Closes, While Another Opens
As the industry eagerly watches a new ski resort open in Idaho, a smaller resort of the same name closes in N.Y. Ski Tamarack, in the Buffalo area, was ordered shut by the executors of Dr. John Lore’s estate, the founder of the small community hill. The ski area, which also includes a golf course, has lost money since its inception and the executors told a local newspaper that they “aren’t in the business of running a ski area.”
Snow Valley for Sale
A southern California area, Snow Valley, is on the block for $7 million. The area has a base elevation of 6,800 feet and its 11 lifts climb the area’s 1,000 feet of vertical. There are 35 trails on the hill.
Two Pacific Northwest Areas Get OK to Expand
Crystal Mountain, Wash., got Forest Service approval on an expansion project that would include a high-speed quad and an aerial tramway. Mount Ashland, Ore., got the greenlight from the Forest Service on 71 new acres of skiing and snowboarding, to be serviced by two new chairlifts and two surface lifts.
Both expansions could still face environmental and community opposition. Crystal is hoping to break ground next summer, while the city-owned Ashland has yet to decide whether to go forward with the expansion.
People
Peter Kray was promoted to editorial director at Ski Press USA.
At the International Skiing History Association, Kathe Dillman becomes the new development director and will steer fundraising and public awareness campaigns for the organization.
At Snowsports Industries America (SIA), a new sales and marketing team will report directly to SIA president David Ingemie: Chris Semon as the new national sales and product manager; Mary Cecile Neville in her current trade marketing manager position; and Alicia Allen, who is in charge of consumer marketing initiatives.
At Sugarbush, Vt., Adam Greshin leaves his post as head of sales and marketing to fill the newly-created position of executive VP of guest and community relations. Also at Sugarbush, Hardy Merrill has assumed the GM position for Mount Ellen; Dan Egan also joins the team and will cultivate corporate business and adventure programs; finally, Peter Nohl becomes the area’s new F&B director.
At Okemo, Vt., and Sunapee, N.H., several promotions were announced: Bruce Schmidt is now VP and GM of Okemo; Jim Remy was promoted to VP and GM of the company’s golf division; Dave Wilcox becomes director of real estate and development at Okemo; and over at Sunapee, Jay Gamble was promoted to VP and GM.
Kathy Metz is the new director of sales at Attitash, N.H.
Kirt Zimmer is the new marketing director at Windham Mountain, N.Y.
Moving west, Randy Barrett is the new VP/GM at Crested Butte in Colorado. Michael Kraatz becomes the VP of real estate and development. Grand Targhee, Wyo., gets a new F&B director, Ross Cameron.
At American Skiing Company, Jenna Prescott fills the newly-created position of VP of retail operations.
At Big Mountain, Mont., Erik Moore becomes sales and marketing advisor.
The Pacific Northwest Ski Areas Association elected new officers: Dan Brewster, GM at The Summit at Snoqualmie, is the new chairman; Dan Rutherford, president of Mt. Bachelor, is the new vice chairman; Mark Milliette, GM of Mission Ridge, becomes secretary; and Jeff Hanson, GM of Mt. Ashland, is the new treasurer.
Alpine Meadows, Calif., welcomes two new directors: Scott Swietanski was promoted to director of mountain ops and Cris Hamilton is the new F&B director.
Owl’s Head in Quebec hired Chris Veillon as its new VP, sales and marketing. Veillon, in turn, added Ken Rourke-Frew and Dan Aucoin as sales and marketing coordinators.
Supplier People
Camoplast, formerly Bombardier, added to its regional sales and product support teams: In the far west, Jeb Eldermeyer is service manager and Kirby George becomes parts manager; in the intermountain region, Jim Larson was promoted to product rep for WA, ID, MT, AK; in the Rocky Mountain region, Jake Endersen and Ben Absmeier were added to the service team and George Martinez to the parts team; in the Midwest, Dean Boerger is the new sales rep and Darin Krueth is a new service rep; in the northeast, Kevin Hickey was added as service rep; and in Canada, Guy Massicotte becomes regional manager for Eastern Canada.
Kwik Ski and Snowboard Products announced the addition of Paul Engelken as sales manager of the winter sports division.
Arc’Teryx CEO, Tom Herbst, will retire January 31, 2005.
Xploremedia announced the addition of Josh Sirlin as account director.
Tait Wardlaw, business unit and product manager at Dynastar, left the company.
Supplier News
Snow Economics, Inc. announced that Whittier Enterprise, Ltd., founded by Carl Whittier, is now the exclusive distributor for all HKD technology products in the Midwest, midwestern Canada, P.E.I., Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, western NY state and western PA.
Camoplast Industrial, formerly Bombardier, is retiring the BR275. EPA Tier II regulations make the engine non-compliant after this year’s production. The BR350 meets the new regulations.
Kwik Ski and Snowboard Products acquired Tomic Ski Poles.
