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  • Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. Submits Top Bid for Jay Peak at $76 Million

    PGRI president and CEO Vern Greco shares his thoughts on the acquisition with SAM. SAM Magazine—Jay, Vt., Sept. 8, 2022—Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. (PGRI) made the highest and best final bid to buy Jay Peak, $76 million, following an auction with multiple bidders. PGRI president and CEO Vern Greco told SAM that after three years spent pursuing the acquisition, PGRI is poised to bring renewed stability to the resort and its staff, and tap into its passion and energy. The prevailing bid remains subject to approval by the United States District Court in Southern Florida during a final hearing scheduled for Sept. 16. Judge Darrin P. Gayles, who has presided over the receivership in federal...

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What's Behind KSL's $3 Billion "Continuation Vehicle" for Alterra?

SAM Magazine—Denver, Feb. 2, 2024—KSL Capital Partners (KSL) closed a "single-asset continuation vehicle" for Alterra Mountain Company in late January, with total commitments of more than $3 billion, KSL said in a press release. What it didn't say, and what many in the industry are speculating about, is what this all means. Let's start with w...

NY AG Asks Court to Compel Sale of Shuttered Toggenburg Mountain

SAM Magazine—Fabius, N.Y., Jan. 31, 2024—In a new court filing, New York Attorney General Letitia James has said the owners of Toggenburg Mountain in upstate New York violated the state’s antitrust law by purchasing and shutting down the competing ski area and should be ordered to sell the property. Intermountain Management, which owns Labra...

Registration Open for Cutter’s Camp 2024

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Jan. 31, 2024—Registration is now open for the 20th anniversary spring session of Cutter's Camp, May 13-17, 2024, at Timberline, Mt. Hood, Ore. The five-day program for terrain park professionals features on-hill and classroom workshops, one-on-one customized operator coaching, and demos of the latest machines a...

ASPEN ONE SUSTAINABILITY REPORT HIGHLIGHTS ADVOCACY, RESEARCH, AND ACTION

SAM Magazine—Aspen, Colo., Jan. 30, 2024—A new sustainability report from Aspen One, the parent company of Aspen Skiing Company, ASPENX, and Aspen Hospitality, highlights the company’s environmental and social responsibility efforts in areas such as political action, research, and philanthropy. The report presents as part educational tool, pa...

Vail Resorts Marks Sustainability Progress

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Jan. 29, 2024—Vail Resorts marked its second year of 100 percent renewable energy use at its 37 North American resorts and made strides in landfill waste reduction and energy efficiency company-wide, according to its 2022-23 Environmental & Social Responsibility Report. The report assesses the company’s pr...

Heavenly Launches Probe After Guest Gets Stuck Overnight on Gondola

UPDATE: SAM Magazine—South Lake Tahoe, Calif., Jan 31, 2024— Following an internal investigation, Heavenly COO Tom Fortune has taken responsibility for the circumstances that led to a female snowboarder being stranded overnight on the ski area’s gondola. “I am responsible for all aspects of mountain operations, including the safety of our...

A Discussion with Outgoing Gunstock GM Tom Day

SAM Magazine—Gilford, N.H., Jan. 26, 2024—Tom Day, who began his career in the ski industry as a lift attendant at New Hampshire’s Waterville Valley in 1978, plans to retire from his post as general manager of Gunstock Mountain Resort at the end of the current ski season. SAM recently chatted with Day for an informal “exit interview” abou...

Consumer Shows: Growth-Bound with Snowbound

There's a new sheriff in Showville, and he wants to reshape the place. Raccoon Media Group has brought its entertainment-oriented consumer show format to Boston and is doubling down on the concept, pioneered in its National Snow Show in the U.K. The company has been pleased with the reception it has had in Boston with Snowbound, its new show, in th...

Sleeping Giant Owner Tells SAM Weather, Snowmaking, and Worker Issues Led to Shutdown

SAM Magazine—Cody, Wyo., Jan. 24, 2024—Sleeping Giant Ski Area won’t awaken from its slumber for the 2023-24 season.Sleeping Giant Live Cam Hit by the combination of a crippled snowmaking system and an unprecedented lack of natural snow, Sleeping Giant will not open this year, resort owner Nick Piazza announced on Jan. 12 after a hoped-for J...

2024 “I AM A SNOWMAKER” VOTING IS NOW OPEN

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Jan. 22, 2024—Online voting for the 2024 “I AM a Snowmaker” contest is now open through midnight (EST) on Friday, Feb. 2. Since it debuted the winter of 2013-14, the annual I AM contest—sponsored by HKD Snowmakers—has highlighted the hard work, determination, and camaraderie of snowmakers, recognizing how cri...

Snow People—January 2024

In SAM’s Snow People, we highlight recent personnel moves that have been made in the mountain resort industry. From resort hires, promotions, and retirements to supplier news, awards and obits, we celebrate the people that make this industry thrive. PEOPLE TOM DAY, GUNSTOCK, NH Gunstock general manager Tom Day will retire following the 2023-24...

Holiday Bookings, Revenues Declined at Western Destinations

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Jan. 18, 2024—The challenges presented by meager snowfall, school holidays that started nearly a week later than usual, and ongoing resistance to high daily rates at Western mountain destinations dampened occupancy during December, according to the monthly Market Briefing released by DestiMetrics, the business i...

Fire Destroys Lodge at Utah’s Nordic Valley, Forces Resort Closure

SAM Magazine—Eden, Utah, Jan. 16, 2024—An early morning fire ripped through the lodge at Nordic Valley Resort yesterday, causing extensive damage to the building and leading ski area officials to cease operations until further notice. A ski area worker noticed flames and smoke emanating from the unoccupied lodge around 1:50 a.m., according to ...

Showdown Montana and Others Offer Remedy for Slow Start to Winter

SAM Magazine—Neihart, Mont., Jan. 12, 2024—A few days after Showdown Montana opened for the season on Dec. 23, the ski area extended an offer for season pass holders at Blacktail Mountain Ski Area to ski for free until their home area can open. This started a trend of other open Montana ski areas extending a similar offer in response to the slo...

Maine’s Big Moose Goes Natural After Storm Knocks Out Snowmaking

SAM Magazine—Greenville Junction, Maine, Jan. 12, 2024—The nonprofit group that operates Maine’s Big Moose Mountain is forging ahead with its ski operations despite a recent storm that crippled its snowmaking system.Friends of the Mountain A few degrees colder and the Dec. 18 storm could have been a boon for the Piscataquis County ski area, ...

Falling Trees Cause Loaded Gondola Cabin to Detach, Fall at Austrian Ski Area

SAM Magazine—Oetz, Austria, Jan. 11, 2024—A gondola cabin with four passengers in it detached from the haul rope and fell 23-33 feet after “several trees” fell on the line of the Acherkogelbahn gondola at Hochoetz ski area, according to multiple reports.  Three of the adults sustained serious injuries, with one taken to the hospital with ...

One Dead, One Injured in Inbounds Palisades Tahoe Avalanche

SAM Magazine—Placer County, Calif., Jan. 10, 2024—At least one person was killed and another sustained non-life-threatening injuries in an inbounds avalanche at Palisades Tahoe this morning. The Placer County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) confirmed the fatality and injury in a statement shared to Facebook ahead of a 2.30 p.m. PST press conference....

UNSEASONABLE WEATHER DRIVES HOLIDAY BUSINESS DOWN

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Jan. 5, 2024—Given the unseasonable weather seen across much of North America, most mountain resort operators have not been singing the praises of Mother Nature this winter. Instead, they credited staff, snowmaking, and a little creativity for whatever success they experienced over the Christmas holiday period. Pano...

2023 Terrain Park Contest Winners Revealed

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Jan. 5, 2024—More than 3,500 votes, the most ever, were cast in the 17th annual SAM Terrain Park Contest in which a total of 69 resort-submitted entries from ski areas around the globe competed for the top spot in one of four categories: features, events, edits, and park crew.  The votes have been tallied, and the ...

Suspect Sought in Colo. Hit-and-Run Crash Between Skier and Ski Biker

SAM Magazine–Keystone, Colo., Jan. 5, 2024–A collision between a skier and a ski-bike rider at a Colorado ski area has put a spotlight on safety issues around the use of snow toys and highlights a state law making it a crime to leave the scene of a serious ski crash. The Jan. 2 incident, involving a 72-year-old male skier, his daughter, and an...

Mechanical Issue Closes Hesperus for the Season

SAM Magazine—Durango, Colo., Jan. 3, 2024—The gearbox for Hesperus Ski Area’s only lift suffered a major mechanical failure during preparations for the 2023-24 season, “making it impossible to open” for this winter, the ski area said, since a replacement gearbox for the old Riblet double cannot be sourced and the only option is to re-manu...

Donald Koch Promoted to GM of Hidden Valley Ski Resort  (Mo.)

SAM Magazine—Wildwood, Mo., Jan. 3, 2024—Longtime operations leader Donald (DJ) Koch was promoted to general manager of Hidden Valley Ski Resort, following former GM Tony Santora's appointment to general manager of Jack Frost Big Boulder, Pa., both owned and operated by Vail Resorts. Koch stepped into the new role Jan. 1, 2024.   "We are th...

Tony Santora Named GM of Jack Frost Big Boulder

SAM Magazine—White Haven, Pa., Dec. 21, 2023—Vail Resorts appointed Tony Santora as the new general manager of Jack Frost Big Boulder, effective Jan. 1, 2024. Santora previously served as GM of VR-owned Hidden Valley Ski Resort in Missouri.  A Utah native, Santora graduated from the University of Utah, where he earned his MBA from the David E...

Study Shows Economic Value of North Carolina Ski Industry

SAM Magazine—Banner Elk, N.C., Dec. 22, 2023—A study commissioned by the North Carolina Ski Areas Association (NCSAA) found that the state’s six operating alpine ski areas had an overall economic value of $244.3 million for the 2022-23 winter season, including visitor expenditures and ski area revenues as well as indirect and induced economic...

Sunday River’s Rapid Recovery and Other Northeast Storm Updates

SAM Magazine—Bethel, Maine, Dec. 22, 2023—Despite significant damage from a Monday weather event that dropped 5 inches of rain on Sunday River in a short period of time, the resort is on track to reopen with limited terrain tomorrow, Dec. 23. Waterville Valley base area operations manager Marrisa Preston jumps in mid-storm to clear the main ba...

Late Rally Resulted in Strong Quebec Ski Season Last Year, Report Says

SAM Magazine—Terrebonne, Quebec, Dec. 21, 2023—Ski areas in Quebec enjoyed a strong season in 2022-23, but while most ski areas in the province benefited from a surge in late-season skier visits, a relative handful of resorts continued to dominate the region. Overall, ski areas generated more than C$429 million (US$318 million) last season, ...

Rain, Flooding Disrupts Northeast Ski Area Operations

SAM Magazine—Dover, Vt., Dec. 19, 2023—Several inches of rain fell across most of New England Sunday into Monday, causing many ski areas to temporarily suspend operations due to the heavy precipitation and high winds or significant local flooding, or both. According to early reports, damage to resort infrastructure appears to be limited. Damage...

New Lone Peak Tram Opens at Big Sky Resort

SAM Magazine—Big Sky, Mont., Dec. 19, 2023—Lone Peak tram, the largest on-mountain infrastructure project in Big Sky Resort’s history, opens today. Courtesy of Big Sky ResortThe resort broke ground on the installation in summer 2022 and began load testing the new Doppelmayr/Garaventa ropeway system in November of this year.  The grand openi...

PSIA-AASI and Vail Resorts, Town of Vail to Host Interski 2027

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., Dec. 14, 2023—The Professional Ski Instructors of America and American Association of Snowboard Instructors (PSIA-AASI), in partnership with Vail Resorts and the town of Vail, Colo., will host Interski 2027.Interski 2023, courtesy of PSIA-AASI The event, held every four years at different locations, will bring toge...

Bookings Decline at Western Destinations

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Dec. 13, 2023—Modest snowfall across much of the West and rate-sensitive customers weary of high prices combined to bring down on-the-books occupancy (and some daily rates) for the full winter season, according to DestiMetrics, the Business Intelligence division of Inntopia, in its most recent Monthly Market Bri...

Powder Mountain to Offer Private Skiing for Homeowners, Install Three New Lifts

SAM Magazine—Eden, Utah, Dec. 13, 2023—In order to keep Powder Mountain financially viable, CEO Reed Hastings plans to sell more real estate at the property and provide homeowners with an area of lift-served terrain that only they can access beginning in 2024-25. The rest of the 8,464-acre resort will remain open to the public.  “While many...

Vail Resorts Reports on Continued Pass Sales Growth, New Capital Plan

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Dec. 8, 2023—On a Dec. 7 earnings call, Vail Resorts CEO Kirsten Lynch reported continued pass sales growth in both units and revenue for the company headed into the 2023-24 season. Pass product sales for the North American ski season increased approximately 4 percent in units and approximately 11 percent in sale...

Shaun White Invests in Windells, High Cascade Parent Company

SAM Magazine—Mt. Hood, Ore., Dec. 8, 2023—Legendary snowboarder Shaun White is part of a trio of big names making a significant investment in We Are Camp, the parent company of Windells action sports camp and High Cascade snowboard camp, which White attended as a youth, helping to propel his career.  We Are Camp operates action sports camps f...

Indy Pass, Entabeni, Unofficial Networks to Aid Hickory Ski Center

SAM Magazine—Warrensburg, N.Y., Dec. 5, 2023—Hickory Ski Center is getting a lifeline to fund payment for liability insurance that will allow the ski area to open its lifts for the first time since 2015.  Indy Pass and Entabeni Systems CEO Erik Mogensen and Unofficial Networks publisher Tim Konrad are providing financial assistance to pay a $...

Death of 6-Year-Old Raises Questions About Lift Safety, Training

SAM Magazine—Saint-Côme, Quebec, Dec. 1, 2023—The coroner’s report about the Jan. 29, 2023, death of a 6-year-old girl at Val Saint-Côme resort in Quebec calls into question ski area staff training and safety practices, as the investigation revealed several missteps during the accident.   According to the report, Lily Leblanc was in a sk...

Vail Resorts to Acquire Crans-Montana in Switzerland

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Dec. 1, 2023—Vail Resorts has entered into an agreement to acquire Crans-Montana Mountain Resort in Switzerland from CPI Property Group (CPIPG), the majority owner of Remontées Mécaniques (French for “ski lifts”) Crans Montana Aminona (CMA) SA, which controls and operates all the resort's lifts and supporti...

Salt Lake Named Preferred Host for 2034 Winter Games

SAM Magazine—Salt Lake City, Nov. 30, 2023—The International Olympic Committee (IOC) yesterday named Salt Lake City as the “preferred city” to host the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Once a preferred host has been selected, no other cities are permitted to apply to host the same Games, making Salt Lake now the sole candidate for ...

Capacity Management, Parking Brought to Fore in Park City Suit

SAM Magazine—Park City, Utah, Nov. 27, 2023—Vail Resorts lost its appeal of the Park City planning commission’s decision to deny approval to Park City Mountain for installing two new chairlifts that would effectively replace three existing chairlifts.  At the heart of the court’s decision were two issues that have been the source of ire a...

Ski Season’s Slow Start Continues

SAM Magazine—Wardsboro, Vt., Nov. 22, 2023—Inconsistency has been the theme so far in this young winter season across North America. Stratton Mountain Opening DayThere's been just enough snow and cold to get some ski areas’ lifts spinning, while others wait for their window to make enough snow for a good product. Several areas have had to pus...

Newberry Named VP and GM at Kirkwood

SAM Magazine—Kirkwood, Calif., Nov. 16, 2023—Ricky Newberry has been named VP and GM of Kirkwood Mountain Resort. Newberry comes from Heavenly, where he’s served as VP of mountain operations since 2021. However, he started his 23-year ski industry career at Kirkwood in 1999, straight out of college, on the ski patrol. Both ski areas are owned...

Alterra Appoints Perlman, Cohen to New EVP Roles; Seeks Presidents for Steamboat and Mammoth

SAM Magazine—Denver, Nov. 16, 2023—Alterra Mountain Company has appointed Ron Cohen, president and COO of Mammoth Mountain, Calif., and Rob Perlman, president and COO of Steamboat, Colo., to the newly created roles of executive vice president (EVP), regional operations.Rob Perlman In that capacity, both will serve on Alterra’s executive leade...

Lodging Rates and Bookings Plateau at Western Destinations

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Nov. 15, 2023—The boom in summer lodging business at Western mountain destinations cooled this past summer, with revenues flat compared to the prior season, and winter business appears to be following a similar pattern. That's the news according to the latest monthly Market Briefing from DestiMetrics, the busine...

A Chat with New Hampshire’s Black Mountain Crew, Including New GM Gareth Slattery

SAM Magazine— Jackson, N.H., Nov. 15, 2023—Amidst a variety of news coming out of the ski area recently, ski industry veteran Gareth Slattery has been named general manager of Black Mountain, N.H. Slattery worked for 17 years at Cannon Mountain, where he climbed the ranks in positions that included patrol director and risk manager. He most rece...

Mountain Collective Gathers in NYC; Reports Strong Sales

SAM Magazine—New York, N.Y., Nov. 13, 2023—The Mountain Collective team held its annual NYC winter kick-off event at the Carroll Place gastropub in the Village on Nov. 2. The gathering followed an in-person Mountain Collective team board meeting, which was attended by executives of participating resorts, including Snowbird president Dave Fields...

Palisades Tahoe Employee Dies in Collision Involving a Snowmobile

SAM Magazine—Olympic Valley, Calif., Nov. 10, 2023—Palisades Tahoe employee Brian Gimbert, 34, of Tahoma, CA, died as a result of a collision involving a snowmobile early Thursday morning, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) reported. Officials at the resort said the accident happened during snowmaking operations on the Alpine side of Palisades...

Christine Schultheis Named GM of Kimberley Alpine Resort

SAM Magazine—Kimberley, British Columbia, Nov. 10, 2023—Kimberley Alpine Resort named Christine Schultheis as its new general manager. Schultheis, a charted professional in human resources with a degree in economics, joined parent company Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR) in 2010 serving administrative roles in human resources, and most rec...

Consumer Ski Shows Report Record Attendance

SAM Magazine—Boston, Mass., Nov. 8, 2023—The producers of two of the largest consumer ski shows in the nation—Snowbound Boston, and Snowvana in Portland, Ore.—reported a record number of attendees, vendors, and sales at their events this past weekend. Snowbound's pre-show reception: Mary Walsh, Snowboarder; Tim Smith, Waterville Valley; Je...

Detroit Mountain Names Tom Thiel as GM

SAM Magazine—Detroit Lakes, Minn., Nov. 6, 2023—Detroit Mountain has named Tom Thiel as its new general manager. Thiel, a former beverage sales manager and self-described outdoor enthusiast, will be responsible for running the day-to-day operations of the city-owned facility that offers downhill and cross-country mountain biking in summer and 4...

Snow People—November 2023

In SAM’s Snow People, we highlight recent personnel moves that have been made in the mountain resort industry. From resort hires, promotions, and retirements to supplier news, awards and obits, we celebrate the people that make this industry thrive. PEOPLE CHARLES BLIER, CAMELBACK RESORT Charles Blier joins Camelback Resort as the vice preside...

Late October Snow Primes the Pump for More Ski Area Openings

SAM Magazine—Killington, Vt., Nov. 2, 2023—More North American ski areas are opening for the season after late-October snowstorms pummeled various regions this past week and cooler temps allowed other areas to fire up their snowmaking systems. Here is a rundown of some recent and soon-to-come opening dates. Courtesy of Sommet Saint-Sauveur Ea...

California Mountain Resorts Company Buys Bear Valley

SAM Magazine—Bear Valley, Calif., Nov. 2, 2023—California Mountain Resorts Company (CMRC) has acquired Bear Valley. It’s the third acquisition in three years for the growing Golden State conglomerate, which is headed by CEO Karl Kapuscinski. CMRC, which has owned Mountain High since 1997, purchased California’s Dodge Ridge in 2021 and China...

A-Basin to Open for the Season Oct. 29

SAM Magazine—Dillon, Colo., Oct. 27, 2023—Arapahoe Basin announced it will open for the season on Sunday, Oct. 29 at 8:30 a.m. It will run the Black Mountain Express to provide access to the High Noon trail. Opening day will feature complimentary duct tape and donuts for the first guests in line, a Halloween band, and a costume contest with pri...

Exclusivity on the Rise?

Private and semi-private ski resorts have been around for decades. There are several private clubs in New York state and the province of Ontario, and The Hermitage and Quechee Club in Vermont, for example. But it's not easy for an existing resort to move in that direction, as Windham Mountain, N.Y., learned as it launched its rebrand as Windham Mou...

Cockaigne for Sale, Will Not Open This Season

SAM Magazine—Cherry Creek, N.Y., Oct. 26, 2023—Officials at Cockaigne Resort announced on Monday that the ski area, including food and beverage operations, will not open for the 2023-24 season. The 462-acre property, including a 10,000-square-foot lodge built in 2019, has been for sale on-and-off for the past year, and was relisted this summer ...

Eldora Patrollers Look to Unionize

This report was updated on Oct. 26. SAM Magazine—Nederland, Colo., Oct. 25, 2023—Colorado Public Radio (CPR) reported that 71 percent of ski patrollers and medical staff at Eldora Mountain Resort have signed cards in favor of holding a union election. This is the latest such unionization effort among ski area staff following lift mechanics an...

Mountain Towns 2030 Climate Summit Unites Resorts, Communities

SAM Magazine—Vail, Colo., Oct. 24, 2023—The third annual Mountain Towns 2030 Climate Solutions Summit (MT2030) took place Oct. 18-19 in Vail, drawing more than 500 attendees from more than 40 U.S. and international mountain communities.From left: Kate Wilson (Vail Resorts), Darcie Renn (Alterra), Raj Basi (POWDR), and Tom Bradley (Boyne Resorts...

Vail Taps Poole to Head Hunter

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Oct. 19, 2023—Vail Resorts (VR) has chosen Trent Poole to become vice president and GM of Hunter Mountain Resort, effective Oct. 30. He succeeds Russ Coloton, who is retiring after serving 44 years as president of Hunter. An 18-year VR veteran, Poole has a background in finance, project management, and mountain ...

Black Mountain to Open, Assisted by Indy Pass

SAM Magazine—Jackson, N.H., Oct. 18, 2023—A week after announcing that it would not open for the 2023-24 season, owners of New Hampshire’s Black Mountain have reconsidered after reaching an operating agreement with Indy Pass and its parent company Entabeni. Black Mountain officials announced on Oct. 11 that the ski area would remain closed d...

Mountain Capital Partners Inks Joint Venture with Sandia Peak Ski Area

SAM Magazine—Sandia Park, N.M., Oct. 16, 2023—Mountain Capital Partners (MCP) and Sandia Peak Ski Company have entered a joint venture agreement for the operation of Sandia Peak Ski Area, located 35 miles northeast of Albuquerque, N.M. This is MCP’s third New Mexico ski area, bringing the company’s total portfolio to 14 ski, bike, and golf ...

Smuggs' and Stowe Connector Lift Plans Withdrawn

SAM Magazine—Stowe, Vt., Oct. 12, 2023—Plans for a proposed gondola connecting Smugglers’ Notch Resort and Stowe Mountain Resort have been withdrawn following initial disapproval from the Agency of Natural Resources, according to reporting by the News & Citizen.  Stowe, owned by Vail Resorts, and privately-held Smugglers’ Notch have r...