Mountain Creek Lodge Destroyed by Fire
Mountain Creek management plans to build a new 40,000-square-foot structure, the Phoenix Base Lodge, which, if all goes well, will be operational by December 18, opening day. Ratnik Industries will replace the guns while Rossignol will replace the rental equipment.
Whitetail Purchase Completed
Snow Time, Inc., owner of Ski Liberty, Ski Roundtop and Ski Windham, completed the purchase of Whitetail Resort, Pa., for $11.1 million on September 27. In a separate transaction, Snow Time also purchased 950 acres of adjacent land for real estate development.
The general manager will be Don MacAskill, the GM of Whitetail under the old ownership, and Kim Smith, former assistant mountain manager at Ski Roundtop, will become the mountain manager at Whitetail.
Lookout Pass Sold
Lookout Associates announced the acquisition of Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area from Dean Cooper in late September. Phil Edholm, most recently president of Elk Meadows, Utah, will be the new president of Lookout. The other three principals are Hans Reifer, Steve Beaulieu and George Smart.
Changes at the area over the next two to five years include additional lifts, base area expansion and hotel development. Because the ski and recreation area operates under a special-use permit from the U.S. Forest Service, the new owners are awaiting completion of the NEPA process before proceeding.
Vail Expansion to Open This Season
Vail Resorts announced that three-fifths of its Category III expansion will be ready for this coming season. The name of the new terrain will be Blue Sky Basin and will open officially January 6, 2000.
Of the total 885 acres of new terrain, 520 acres will be available this season. In addition, three of the four high-speed quad lifts will be in operation and a warming hut, ski patrol outpost and restroom facilities will be available.
Major New Sponsorships for Skiing
Cross Country Ski Areas Association announced that Subaru of America and General Mills Nature Valley granola bars have signed on to sponsor the annual Ski Fest (now referred to as the Subaru SkiFest), consumer intro days and other nordic events.
The terms of the deals were not disclosed, but it is the first time cross country has seen sponsors from outside the industry.
Doe Has New Owners
As of June 1, 1999, Doe Mountain is under new management and ownership. The Pennsylvania ski area was acquired by the Jaffe Group through a deed in lieu of foreclosure filing. Mark Schroetel, most recently the sales manager at Whitetail, will be the general manager and Dennis Abplanalp will become the mountain manager of the newly-named Bear Creek Ski and Recreation area.
Jackson Hole to Open Backcountry
Backcountry adventurers will be granted access to potentially thousands of acres of out-of-bounds skiing at Jackson Hole, Wyo., this winter as resort management reached an agreement with government agencies to open ski area boundaries on a trial basis. After months of negotiations, area managers worked out details of the plan with the Bridger Teton National Forest, Grand Teton National Park, Teton County Search and Rescue, and the Teton County Sheriff’s Office.
As part of the agreement to open the expert, backcountry terrain via six access gates from the ski area, four aspects of the plan will be given top priority during the winter season: safety, education, personal responsibility and respect for private property as well as national forest and parkland.
The open-gate policy will operate this season under a trial basis. If there are too many extensive resource demands on the search and rescue team, the policy may revert back at any time.
Sierra Club Sues Wachusett
The Sierra Club is suing Wachusett Mountain, Mass., to halt its mountain development plan. The suit, filed in late August, comes after Wachusett had developed a compromise plan to assure no old-growth forest on the mountain would be touched and completed a Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Report at the state’s request.
While development plans include two new lifts that are nearing completion in time for this season and the future expansion of the base lodge, it seems the sticking point involves two new trails at mid-mountain that account for eight acres of non-old-growth forest and a triple chair to service them.
Killington Gets… Smaller
Some eight trails on Sunrise Mountain at Killington, Vt., are being allowed to return to their natural state. During the summer, crews removed lift towers and snowmaking pipe and moved the load terminal of a triple up Sunrise Mountain more than a mile. The Sunrise Base Lodge is now being rented to Killington Snowmobile Tours and a local real estate company.
While it might seem strange for an area like Killington to trim its slope count, the former trails are at a low elevation, steep and east-facing, which made them perennially difficult to keep covered with good snow.
Fresh Tracks Magazine On the Press
The new Midwest Fresh Tracks magazine was at the press and ready for regional distribution at ski areas, consumer shows and ski shops in October. While the focus of the original publication was on first-time skiers and snowboarders, the new publication will concentrate on making the case for Midwest winter vacations to families, while retaining some of the original content.
A consortium made up of Midwest ski areas purchased the magazine title and template from The Skiing Company this past spring and is jointly working on the project. MSAA Program Director Phil Peterson is steering the effort.
Big Tupper Closes
There’s an unconfirmed rumor circulating that operators of Big Tupper Ski Area, NY., were appealing to the state for a grant to open its slopes to skiers and snowboarders this winter after an initial decision to close. What is confirmed is that after attempts to get local help with services failed, owners Peter Day and Leroy Pickering decided to sell equipment and land before paying off an estimated $2.2 million in debt.
Its remote location (some 30 miles west of Lake Placid and Whiteface), proximity to larger ski areas such as Whiteface Mountain and recent snow-starved winters all led to the decision to pull the plug, according to Day. Despite moderate lift ticket prices and a total $7 million invested in the mountain over the last four years, the crowds that used to flock to Big Tupper just didn’t show up in recent years.
Salomon Moves, Sues and Discontinues
It’s been a busy time for Salomon North America. After moving its corporate headquarters from Georgetown, Mass., to Beaverton, Ore., the ski and snowboard company lost a suit trying to protect itself against a bargain discounter and recalled its step-in snowboard binding system all in one week.
When the company learned that Ocean State Job Lot had purchased 3,000 pairs of alpine skis from an authorized dealer in Japan and was selling them at bargain-basement prices in New England, it sued to stop the company. But a U.S. District Court jury ruled against Salomon and allowed Job Lot to continue selling the skis at its stores in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Salomon then recalled its Pilot step-in snowboard binding system that same week because production models had mechanical problems related to entry and exit. Salomon decided it would be better to recall the Pilot system and shelve it rather than try to fix the problem while the bindings were in mass production. Salomon will keep the Pilot system out of production indefinitely.
Telluride Terrain Expansion Stalled
Claiming it violated environmental laws by granting approval to Telluride’s plan to add 733 acres of bowl and tree skiing, a suit brought against the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) at the end of September has put the ski resort’s plans on hold. After seven years of environmental impact statements and negotiations with the USFS, the Forest Service granted Telluride’s plan to install seven new lifts and open terrain on Gold Hill and into the bowls beneath Palmyra Peak.
The suit, which alleges the USFS failed to protect streams and air quality when it approved the resort’s plans in June, has Telluride crews concentrating on their slated November 23 opening, but remaining at the ready to begin the expansion. The lawsuit was filed by Colorado Wild, Sheep Mountain Alliance and former USFS employee Philip Miller.
Timberline Proposes Link to Government Camp
A high-speed gondola from Government Camp to Timberline Lodge is the vision of the owners and operators of Timberline Ski Area in Oregon. The three-mile-long gondola would follow the path of the old Skyway trolley used in the 1950s and save passengers the difficult and winding six-mile road to the lodge. Timberline President Jeff Kohnstamm says the eight-passenger gondola would ease frequent traffic and parking problems, and would have a midway station with access to cross-country skiing and other recreation. Timberline receives 1.9 million visitors a year, but just 240,000 of them are skiers and snowboarders.
Work on the gondola would not begin until the spring of 2002 and the project’s preliminary plans are currently being reviewed by the U.S. Forest Service, county and state government officials, as well as environmental groups. If the gondola is built, it will give Timberline a reason to groom the Glade and Alpine trails between the lodge and Government Camp, creating the longest lift-served vertical drop in the country at 4,700 feet.
People
After announcing that he was leaving Kirkwood, Calif., to become the senior VP for sales and marketing at Killington, Vt., Tim Cohee decided to stay at Kirkwood where he is the president and COO.
Vermont Ski Areas Association President Candy Moot announced she was leaving the organization in January. Moot has been affiliated with VSAA for 21 years, five of which as president.
Mad River Glen, Vt., hired Bob Ackland away from Sugarbush Resort to become its new general manager. Ackland comes to Mad River in the wake of the resignation of Robert Mazza in June.
SnowSports Industries America (SIA) named former public relations consultant Bill Clapper to fill the new position of associate director of communications and public relations. SIA has also named three regional managers: Doug Powell, formerly of Descente, will be covering the Rocky Mountain region; Tom Rogers, former marketing director for Garmont, will cover the Northeast and David Wray, former director of marketing for Sims Sports, will cover the West Coast.
Harry Mosgrove has retired as president and CEO of Copper Mountain, Colo. Dave Barry has been named the new COO. The resort also named Wenda Huseman its director of marketing, Susan Seppi director of retail operations, Rob Spence director of F&B and Mark Woodburn VP of sales.
Quebec Ski Areas Association communications manager Nancy Leggett-Bachand has accepted a new position as executive director of the Quebec Community Newspapers Association. . .Guy Desrosiers was promoted to the new position of eastern regional vice president for Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR). Desrosiers will oversee Mont-Sainte-Anne and Stoneham Resort. RCR also appointed Jacques Magnan to the position of eastern deputy vice president and director of operations.
Waterville Valley, N.H., has hired former Loon Mountain assistant snow sports director Peter Weber as its new snow sports director.
In Vermont, Mount Snow hired Sharon Bay to become its new director of marketing and merchandising, and promoted Steve Hiner to become food and beverage director. Chris Bluto becomes Mount Snow’s alternative sports and X-Games manager.
In the Midwest, Barry Smith moves from Shanty Creek to Crystal Mountain, Mich., to take over as lift operations and utilities manager.
Elk Meadows, Utah has hired James Wickersham, P.E. as mountain manager and Cliff Wordal, Sr. as assistant mountain manager. . The Canyons, Utah, announced the appointment of Haley Cheshire as its new tour and travel manager and Kendall Card as the Park City sales representative. ..Deer Valley Resort appointed longtime employee Chris Anderson as the new resort maintenance manager and Jeff Miller as lift maintenance manager.
Purgatory Resort, Colo., named longtime employee Paula Sublett its new human resources director.
In California, Mountain High Resort Director of Snowboarding Chuck Allen was named to the Surfing Hall of Fame… Northstar-at-Tahoe hired Maia Schneider as its new director of sales for marketing.
Supplier News
York Snow, Inc. has brought on Robin R. Smith as sales coordinator… Lenko, Inc. has hired Chris Corrigan, former snowmaking manager at Telluride, Colo., as a service representative …Garaventa CTEC has appointed John Pentesco as vice president of manufacturing, Paul Ehlert has become director of engineering and Steve Turner has been named controller for the lift company. In addition, Louis Wilson has become the project and production coordinator, Gary Mayo is the new customer service manager and Jerry VanOsdol is the West Coast sales manager.Mark Meadows, P.E., has joined Flowtronex International and will lead snowmaking contract engineering and design for pumping systems.
Brian Derouin has joined Acordia’s Resort Services division. . .Resort Sports Network, Inc. named Betsy Brunton director of interactive media.
Dynastar SA hired Bernard Liatti as the general manager. Liatti replaces Jean-Yves Pachoud who resigned. . .Gary Fleming, most recently with Salomon, has joined Karhu USA as vice president of sales and business development. Jeff Krueger, formerly at Salomon North America, has been appointed vice president of product for Sims Sports Inc… Salomon NA appointed Julie Dunleavy as North American sales manager. Sport Chalet Inc. has appointed Craig Levra chief executive officer.
CNA E&S, a business unit of CNA, has formed an alliance with Tennant Risk Services to offer coverage to ski resorts as of September 1999. Coverages will include general liability and property, automobile, worker’s comp, inland marine and boiler and machinery and will be underwritten by one or more of the CNA insurance companies.
Profit Mountain Management, a consulting firm, has closed its doors.
Sitour is launching a North American resort TV network called Recreation Resort Network (RRN).
Corum Real Estate Group has broken ground on more employee housing at Vail Resorts. The project at Beaver Creek will add 76 units. ..K&K Insurance is now providing over $100 million of products coverage to the sports, leisure and entertainment industry.
Sam Geise, P.E., risk management engineer with Acordia Resort Services, has formed Geise Engineering, Inc. Geise Engineering, Inc., will be the exclusive importer of the Alpina dual track utility snowmobile in North America and will distribute Multi-Skilift handle tows. Geise will continue his affiliation with Acordia. Geise Engineering can be reached at (570) 473-8545.
The employees of Mektek, which has gone out of business, have formed AJ’s to continue to service customers with Mektek products. Their phone number is (530) 478-0754.
World Cup Supply, Inc., U.S. distributor of SPM’s event and ski area supplies, acquired Sports Club International, U.S. distributor of DJC Products.
Gillen Tabor Communications will be the Stowe Area Association’s public relations agency.
Industry Calendar
| Dates | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Dec. 6-10 | Ski Industry Week | Squaw Valley, Calif. |
| Dec. 15-19 | Transworld Snowboarding Conf. | Whistler, B.C. |
| Jan. 10-12 | NSAA Eastern Conf./Trade Show | Mount Snow, Vt. |
| Jan. 24-26 | NSAA Western Conf./Trade Show | Snowbird, Utah |
| Feb. 6-9 | ISPO Winter 2000 | Munich, Germany |
| Mar. 3-7 | SIA Vegas 2000 | Las Vegas, Nev. |
| April 16-18 | Cross Country Ski Areas Assoc. Annual Conference | Granlibakken Resort, Calif. |
| April 25-27 | LMS 2000 | Butternut, Mass. |
| April 26-28 | SAM 2000 | Grenoble, France |
| May 4-7 | NSAA National Convention and Trade Show | Orlando, Fla. |
