SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., April 30, 2020—Vail Resorts is raising $600 million through a bond offering, according to a report from Bloomberg news. A group of lenders granted a two-year waiver on some of the company's debt covenants to make the bond offering possible. The waiver applies until January 2022, making it one of the longest bank...

SAM Magazine—Denver, April 28, 2020—Alterra Mountain Company’s Ikon Pass will include access to two additional resorts beginning the 2020-21 season: Mt. Bachelor, Ore., and Windham Mountain, N.Y. The pass now includes access to 43 mountain destinations worldwide. Ikon Pass holders will have access to seven days each at Mt. Bachelor and Windh...

SAM Magazine—Seven Springs, Pa., April 28, 2020—The man behind the development of Seven Springs Resort, Pa., and HKD Snowmakers, Herman Dupré, died April 25 at his Seven Springs home. He was 87. Dupré took over managing Seven Springs Resort at age 23 upon the death of his father. He transformed the hunting and fishing camp into one of the to...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., April 27, 2020—Vail Resorts (VR) is granting its 2019-20 season pass holders credits of at least 20 percent, and up to 80 percent if they weren’t able to use their passes at all. It is also offering free “Epic Coverage” for the 2020-21 season, which will provide cash refun...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magazine, with a subscription or gift su...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., April 17, 2020—This year’s SAMMY Leadership Award honorees embody many of the mountain resort industry’s hallmarks: creativity, work ethic, entrepreneurship, selflessness, and involvement. The class of 2020 includes Danielle Kristmanson and MJ Legault, the guiding lights of some of our most successful brands, Ken...

SAM Magazine—Tamarack, Idaho, April 17, 2020—Tamarack Resort has named Scott Turlington as its new president. Turlington takes the helm as Jon Reveal, who has served in the role since December 2018, moves to a new position as director of skiing at Tamarack.Scott Turlington, New President of Tamarack Resort Turlington was an executive at Tamarac...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM Magazine—Newry, Maine, April 7, 2020—Sunday River Resort has hired Brian Heon as its new general manager, beginning May 1. Heon is currently the general manager at Wildcat Mountain, N.H., a role he’s held since 2013. In his new position at Sunday River, Heon will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the resort, overseeing moun...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM Magazine—March 31, 2020, Broomfield, Colo.—Vail Resorts is once again shaking up the leadership ranks at its Eastern and Midwest properties. Vice president of terrain development Elia Hamilton—a 2016 SAMMY Award winner and Cutter’s Camp lead educator—will no longer be with the company, effective April 15, 2020. Also ending their time...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM Magazine—March 27, 2020—Gregg Blanchard of slopefillers.com surveyed resort marketers to gauge the state of marketing amid the COVID-19 pandemic. About 70 respondents shared where they were in terms of financial impact, season pass sales, marketing budget, and more. Plus, many shared their sentiments in written responses. At the time, two o...

SAM Magazine—Blandford, Mass., March 26, 2020—Ski Blandford in western Massachusetts will not operate next season. The ski area was purchased in 2017 by the owners of nearby Butternut, and they made a variety of improvements to lifts and snowmaking. However, the area has continued to lose money, and coupled with the current economic uncertainti...

SAM Magazine—Davis, W.Va., March 26, 2020—Timberline Mountain in West Virginia closed in the middle of the 2018-19 season, fell into bankruptcy soon after, and was purchased in December by the owners of Indiana’s Perfect North Slopes. Now, amid the COVID-19 turmoil, the new owners shared good news: plans to invest more than $10 million at Tim...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magazine, with a subscription or gift subscription for someone in need. Together, #WeGotThis. 

SAM Magazine—Vail, Colo., March 24, 2020—These are stressful times, and there's not much time to plan ahead. So, on Saturday SAM talked to someone who thoroughly understands the business, and has time to think: Chris Jarnot, recently retired SVP of Vail Resorts and a veteran of more than 30 years in the industry (and 2007 SAMMY Hall of Famer). We asked about strategies and tactics for the coming days, weeks, and months, and what past crises might teach us.

By Tim Barnhorst, CPCU, ARM,MountainGuard If your resort is closed for the season, focus on discontinuing operations as you would during the end of a normal season. Some specific actions to consider: Unplug computer equipment and point of sale systems in on-mountain lodges and buildings that will not get used during the off-season to avoid dam...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM Magazine—Wilmington, Vt., March 20, 2020—The former Hermitage Club in southern Vermont was sold at auction today to a group of former members for $8,060,000. The sale includes the ski area on Haystack Mountain, a golf course, several local inns, and more. The Vermont Department of Taxes shut down the Hermitage Club in 2018 for missing more...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., March 17, 2020—Is there a 20-something rising star at your ski area who is poised to make an impact and climb through the ranks? If so, we encourage you to submit a nomination for him or her to be profiled as one of the “10 Under 30” in the July issue of SAM magazine. Nominations are due by April 22. This annua...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., March 14, 2020—Vail Resorts is suspending the operations of all its North American mountain resorts and retail stores beginning Sunday, March 15, 2020 through Sunday, March 22, 2020 and will use that time to reassess its approach for the rest of the season. Excerpts from an open letter from Vail Resorts CEO Rob ...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM is providing frequent updates, guidance, and ways to connect about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Visit our Coronavirus Update page for more resources and special reports. For email updates, sign up to receive Headline News, and, if possible, help support the voice of the mountain industry, SAM Magaz...

SAM Magazine—Aspen, Colo., March 10, 2020—The Mountain Collective will include 22 destinations for the 2020-21 season with the addition of Sugarloaf, Maine; Panorama, B.C.; Grand Targhee, Wyo., and the Chamonix region of France. Passes go on sale today. “We are excited to bring The Mountain Collective back for the ninth season with the l...

SAM Magazine—Denver, March 10, 2020—Alterra Mountain Company unveiled plans to invest $223 million in capital improvements across its 15 North American mountain destinations ahead of the 2020-21 winter season. The plan includes $50 million for base area facility development, $48 million toward new lifts and upgrades, expanded terrain, and state...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., March 10, 2020—For the three months ending Jan. 31, 2020, Vail Resorts (VR) total lift revenue increased 8.2 percent, driven by an 8.8 percent growth in skier visitation—including results from Peak Resorts—despite Stevens Pass and Whistler Blackcomb experiencing 14 percent decline in skier visits du...

SAM Magazine—Lincoln, N.H., March 10, 2020—The New England Pass kicked off its annual flash sale yesterday. The pass, which offers direct-to-lift access to Sunday River and Sugarloaf in Maine, and Loon Mountain, N.H., is available starting at $50 down until March 15, 2020. New England Pass has also extended its offerings for next season to incl...

By Skip King, Reputation StrategiesWhether you think the concern—even panic—over COVID-19 is warranted or not is immaterial. The fact is that it’s the leading worldwide story, and it’s likely to stay that way for a while.Part of that is because the news media attracts more ears and eyeballs when something big and alarming is happening. If y...

SAM Magazine—Flagstaff, Ariz., March 6, 2020—Arizona Snowbowl will be replacing its Agassiz chairlift with a state-of-the-art combination Telemix lift from Leitner-Poma. The new high-speed lift will feature six-person chairs interspersed with eight-person gondola cabins and will climb 2,000 vertical feet in less than seven minutes—less than h...

seven things to expect for destination travel businesses By Tom Foley, Senior Vice President of Business Operations and Analytics for Inntopia We’re providing this narrative as a proactive discussion about the potential impacts of the spreading Covid-19 virus, its economic consequences, and the potential impact on the destination travel industr...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., March 4, 2020—Next season’s pass wars are off and running. Alterra announced several days ago that it will put its 2020-21 Ikon passes on sale March 5. Not to be outdone, Vail Resorts’ Epic, with a new Northeast Value Pass and mountain rewards, went on sale March 3. Other resorts beat the big two to the punch...

SAM Magazine—Portland, Maine, March 3, 2020—Ski Maine Association has hired Dirk Gouwens as the organization’s new executive director. Gouwens will replace Greg Sweetser, who is retiring in May after 24 years leading the association. Ski Maine represents 16 alpine ski areas and 21 Nordic ski centers in the state. Gouwens has been the U....