SAM Magazine - West Dover, Vt., May 1, 2008 - One hundred and fifty new fan guns highlight a $5 million snowmaking investment by Vermont's Mount Snow this summer. The upgrades come on the heels of substantial investments in snowmaking last summer, which saw the resort install 101 of the energy efficient SMI guns. Officials at the resort say that th...

SAM Magazine - Orinda, Ca., May 1, 2008 - A web poll conducted by OnTheSnow.Com, threw up some surprises for those who watch the industry. While the choice of Whistler Blackcomb as the top resort in North America may have been expected (the Canadian ski resort consistently scores high rankings in reader's polls conducted by such stalwarts as Ski an...

SAM Magazine-Alta, Wyo., April 25, 2008-Grand Targhee Resort has proclaimed its entire base area will become smoke free as of June 1. The resort's official summer operating season begins June 21. The policy asks all visitors and employees of the resort to refrain from smoking anywhere at the resort except for location at the east end of the mai...

SAM Magazine-Vail, Colo., April 23, 2008-North American search and rescue organizations are taking a harder look at RECCO technology as the system continues to prove itself across the Atlantic. The systems have been widespread in Europe for the last decade, with two avalanche victims being rescued alive this year using the system. According to ...

SAM Magazine-McLean Va., April 25, 2008-Snow Sports product sales are closing in on $3 billion by season's end, according to Kelly Davis, director of research for SnowSports Industries America (SIA). Sales figures are from the SIA Retail Audit, conducted by Leisure Trends Group of Boulder, Colo. Through February, apparel and accessories showed g...

SAM Magazine-Ludlow, Vt. April 22, 2008-Okemo, Vt., Whiteface, N.Y., and Jiminy Peak, Mass., are reporting their best seasons in history, demonstrating that the rebound in visits in the northeast was widespread this winter. Okemo reported skier days up nearly 25 percent over the late-starting 2006-07 season, and up six percent over the resort's ...

SAM Magazine-Salt Lake City, April 22, 2008-Despite a slow start in November, Utah resorts had a very strong season, benefiting from excellent snow conditions from December through February. Final attendance figures at Utah's 13 ski and snowboard resorts should fall somewhere near last season's record-setting 4,082,094 skier days, said Ski Utah pre...

SAM Magazine-Park City, Utah, April 16, 2008-Park City Mountain Resort plans $10.5 million in improvements for the 2008-09 winter season, including a new Doppelmayr CTEC high-speed chair lift, terrain enhancements and renovation of the Mid-Mountain Lodge. "Our goal is to have more of our guests explore the diverse terrain that our mountain ha...

SAM Magazine-Aspen, Colo., April 16, 2008-The Aspen Skiing Company is replacing the Sheer Bliss double at Snowmass with a new Leitner-Poma high speed quad, to the tune of $7 million. The new lift will be realigned to provide easy access to the entire Big Burn and Sheer Bliss areas. This region of Snowmass encompasses nearly 700 acres of terrain and...

SAM Magazine-Lyndonville, Vt., Apr. 14, 2008-How's your succession planning going? If it needs a boost, the second annual Resort Industry Leadership Institute (RILI) June 3-5 at Lyndon State College can help. It provides middle and upper level managers an opportunity to improve their leadership ability through a combination of workshops, keynotes, ...

SAM Magazine-Winter Park, Colo., April 14, 2008-With many ski resorts wrapping up their seasons, two of Clorado's biggest players are looking to lock in passholders for next year with a variety of discounted season pass offers. Following on the heels of Vail Resorts' various offers, Intrawest is courting skiers with a $399 Rocky Mountain Super P...

SAM Magazine-Broomfield, Colo., April 14, 2008-Vail Resorts will utilize a new state-of-the-art radio frequency technology with all of its season passes for next season-the Epic, Colorado, Summit and Heavenly season passes-to provide "easy scan" lift access. The technology makes it possible for skiers and snowboarders to keep their pass zipped insi...

SAM Magazine - Carrabassett Valley, Maine, April 9, 2008 - Sugarloaf has announced a $5 Million investment package at the resort this summer. The initiative will focus on improving snowmaking and the base area. According to the resort, a significant portion of the $5 million will go directly toward the snowmaking system, including upgrading water i...

SAM Magazine-April 9, 2008--With many resorts across the nation shuttering for the season, some ski area operators just can't quit. Idaho's Brundage Mountain Resort has announced that they will extend their winter with weekend operations on April 19-20 and April 26-27. With the news, the resort joins Colorado's Monarch Mountain and Okemo, Vermont, ...

Sam Magazine - Donner Summit, CA, April 9, 2008 - A Doppelmayr quad chair will highlight $2.6 million in improvements at California's Boreal. The new Castle Peak Quad will replace the existing Gunnar's double chair, increasing base area capacity on beginner/novice runs and evolution terrain parks. The new lift will take skiers and riders to a slig...

SAM Magazine, Carrabasett Valley, ME, April 8, 2008 -A series of avalanches in Sugarloaf's backside area on March 31 ran up to 200 feet wide and 200 feet long. The incidences were closed to the public, and the patrol was doing control work at the time. "They were small slides, which we have seen before in this area when base depths are large...

SAM Magazine-Ludlow, Vt., Mar. 31, 2008-Okemo Mountain Resort revealed today that it has been a recent target of criminal efforts to gain access to credit data by infiltration of its computer network. Okemo believes the intruder gained potential access to credit card data, including cardholder names, account numbers and expiration dates. An e...

SAM Magazine-Boulder, Colo., Mar. 27, 2008-In a series of staff changes at Mountain Sports Media, Ski magazine has named Greg Ditrinco editor, and Jake Bogoch has become editor of Skiing. Former Ski editor Kendall Hamilton becomes development editor for parent company Bonnier Corp.'s lifestyle and travel magazines. Ditrinco has been a key figure...

SAM Magazine--Newry, Maine, March 26, 2008--Sunday River announced that the first chondola in the Northeastern U.S. will be installed at the resort and will be up and running for the 2008-2009 season. The chondola will transport winter and summer guests from the South Ridge Base Area to the summit of North Peak, a trip that took two lift rides. Dop...

SAM Magazine-Aspen, Colo., Mar. 20, 2008-Aspen Highlands, Colo., and Cranmore, N.H., have joined the ranks of areas that are extending their seasons. Highlands will run weekends through April 27, providing two "bonus weekends" of operation. Cranmore will operate through April 6, with tubing operations on weekends through April 27. With over 120 ...

SAM Magazine-Taos, N.M., Mar. 20, 2008-Taos Ski Valley opened its slopes to snowboarders yesterday, and thousands of riders turned out to hit the famous slopes and steeps. The end of the snowboard ban at the 53-year-old area leaves just three areas that remain closed to snowboarders: Mad River Glen, Vt., and Deer Valley and Alta, Utah. Sherman P...

SAM Magazine-Vail, Colo., Mar. 18, 2008-The highly competitive Colorado market is known for ultra cheap season passes as giants Intrawest (Winter Park, Copper Mountain and Steamboat) and Vail Resorts (Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone) battle for visits. And the battle has escalated once again. Vail Resorts has thrown the latest punc...

SAM Magazine-Denver, Mar. 18, 2008-Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) says that a snowy January and February fueled a 6.7 percent gain in skier visits over the prior season for the period. In total, Colorado resorts racked up an estimated 5,540,464 visits during January and February. The increase puts the state on track to match last winter's record...

SAM Magazine-Bormio, Italy, Mar. 14, 2008-To complete an historic World Cup haul for the U.S., Olympic champion Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) joined Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) and Bode Miller (Bretton Woods, NH) as a 2008 World Cup champion Friday. This is the first time three American ski racers have won World Cup titles in the same season. The trio ...

SAM Magazine - Golden, B.C., March 10, 2008 - Kicking Horse resort in British Columbia has announced the launch of a new "Big Mountain Centre." Scheduled to open March 22, the Centre is an attempt by the resort to improve and enhance the big-mountain skiing and snowboarding educational experience. With sponsorship from Red Bull, Peak Performance, N...

SAM Magazine-Wolf Creek, Colo., March 14, 2008-Colorado Ski resort Wolf Creek and New England area Loon Mountain have joined Monarch Ski Area in extending their seasons. Others, including Jiminy Peak, Mass., are ready to do the same; for now, though, Jiminy is saying only that it will operate "well into April." The reason for lengthening the sea...

SAM Magazine - Heavenly, Ca., March 14, 2008 - Heavenly Ski Resort has announced the creation of the Heavenly Flyer, the longest zip line in the continental U.S. The year-round ride will propel riders at speeds up to 50 mph and features two separate lines and has a 525 vertical foot drop, matching that of the Space Needle. At 3,300 feet, the Heaven...

SAM Magazine-Princeton, Mass., March 14, 2008-Ski and snowboard equipment demos are regular events at ski areas across the country, but none are like Wachusett Mountain's annual "Ride 'Em & Rank 'Em!" No other equipment preview is available for the general public.   Since its inception six years ago, this consumer demo has given Wachuset...

SAM Magazine-Boise, Idaho, Mar. 14, 2008-Investment bank Credit Suisse is suing Tamarack Resort, claiming the resort has failed to repay $262 million in debt and interest. The company is asking the court to foreclose on the property an award it to Credit Suisse; in anticipation of just such a move, Tamarack filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protectio...

SAM Magazine-Hancock, Mass., Mar. 11, 2008-EOS Ventures, LLC, co-owned by Jiminy Peak CEO Brian Fairbank, is partnering with Sustainable Energy Developments, Inc. (SED), which installed the wind turbine at Jiminy in the summer of 2007, to promote the development of renewable energy.   "More than three years ago, we embarked on a journey and ...

SAM Magazine-Keystone, Colo., Mar. 11, 2008-Keystone Resort has expanded its commitment to the environment by serving sustainable seafood at several of its restaurants. Keystone's move will help support the long-term viability of the ocean and individual marine species; according to a recent United Nations report, nearly 25 percent of the world's s...

SAM Magazine-Bartlett, N.H., Mar. 10, 2008-Peak Resorts is offering a variety of combination passes at its Northeastern resorts for 2008-09, placing them in competition with the Threedom Pass (Waterville Valley, Bretton Woods, and Cranmore) and New England Pass (Sunday River, Sugarloaf, and Loon Mountain). The Nor'easter Pass ($549 to $849, depe...

SAM Magazine-Findley Lake, N.Y., Mar. 10, 2008 -Peek'n Peak Resort and Spa has named Steven R. Lempke president of the resort. Lempke will oversee the entire resort with a strong focus on the customer experience.  "I am pleased that Steve has joined the team at Peek'n Peak," said Paul Kiebler, owner of the resort. "He will be an excellent ...

SAM Magazine-Broomfield, Colo., Mar. 10, 2008-Vail Resorts officials blamed dismal early-season conditions for a drop in the company's net income in the fiscal second quarter, which ended Jan. 31. The company reported net income of $51.3 million compared with prior year net income of $53 million. The company's flagship resort, Vail, opened appro...

SAM Magazine-Broomfield, Colo., Mar. 10, 2008-Poor early-season conditions and a decline in real estate income led to a three percent drop in Vail Resort's net income in the fiscal second quarter, which ended Jan. 31. The company reported net income of $51.3 million compared with prior year net income of $53 million. The company's flagship resor...

SAM Magazine--March 6, 2008--Woodbury, CT--Deadline Nears for the SAMMY and Diversity Leadership Awards Time is running out to send in nominations for two important industry awards: the SAMMY Leadership Award and the Diversity Leadership Award. Both awards close at the end of this month, March 31st, 2008. Nominees for the SAMMY Leadership Awa...

SAM Magazine-Telluride, Colo., Mar. 3, 2008-Telluride has opened Palmyra Peak for the first time in the resort's history. The new hike-to terrain comprises more than 200 acres and nearly 2,000 vertical feet of north facing expert only skiing off of the 13,320 foot peak. The mountain, which towers above Black Iron and Prospect Bowls, was form...

SAM Magazine-Wolf Creek, Colo., March 3, 2008-Colorado Ski resort Wolf Creek has joined Monarch Ski Area in extending its season. The southern Colorado mountain has more than 41 feet of snow, and has announced that it will remain open through April 27. Daily operations will run through April 13, with the ski area firing up the lifts for two more ad...

SAM Magazine-Newry, Maine, Mar. 3, 2008-Loon Mountain, Sunday River and Sugarloaf, all managed by Boyne USA, are offering a three-area New England Pass for the 2008-09 winter season. The New England Pass goes on sale Mar. 7 and offers $50 bonus savings to holders of the three resorts' current multi-area passes, the Threedom Pass (Loon) and Maine Pa...

SAM Magazine-Vancouver, B.C., Feb. 28, 2008-Intrawest has appointed Paul Jorgensen president and CEO at Mountain Creek in New Jersey. Jorgensen will be responsible for all aspects of Mountain Creek resort operations, including real estate development and sales, and will report directly to Alex Wasilov, CEO of Intrawest. In this move, Jorgensen repl...

SAM Magazine-Minturn, Colo., Feb. 28, 2008-A major new ski area development proposed by the Ginn Company took a big step forward with the unanimous approval of the plans by the Minturn Town Council. The Council approved both the annexation of the proposed development to the town and gave preliminary approval to the project. A second vote later ...

SAM Magazine-Reno, Nev., Feb. 28, 2008-Kassbohrer Gelandefahrzeug AG, the parent company of Kassbohrer All Terrain Vehicles, Inc. has agreed to purchase Formatic, formerly Hydrolink Oy Ab, a Finnish manufacturer of snow grooming vehicles. Kassbohrer's global sales and service organization will formally take control on June 2, 2008. Hydrolink Oy ...

SAM Magazine-Boulder, Colo., Feb. 28, 200-Smith Travel Research, Inc. (STR) has acquired Boulder-based RRC Associates. The combination, according to STR head Randy Smith, substantially extends the range of professional and strategic services now offered under the STR umbrella. "We are very excited about the incredible opportunities to assist our ex...

SAM Magazine-Bretton Woods, N.H., Feb. 27, 2008-The 2008-09 Threedom Pass will subtract Loon Mountain and add Bretton Woods to original member areas Waterville Valley and Cranmore. The new lineup gives skiers and riders access to 195 trails, 12 terrain parks, and 893 acres serviced by 28 lifts. The pass goes on sale at all three areas on Mar...

SAM Magazine-Champion, Pa., Feb. 27, 2008-After years of rumored introduction, the Japanese-built Ohara DF357 snowcat has finally made it to the U.S. PBL Enterprises Inc. has put the first demo machine through its initial test runs in Colorado, and the machine is poised to make its official debut at Seven Springs Mountain Resort tonight, according ...

SAM Magazine-Burlington, Vt., Feb. 27, 2008-Snowfall totals in Vermont and Colorado continued on a record-setting pace in February, as a seemingly unending series of storms has hit many resort regions across the country. This month's storms have already shattered a 50-year-old record in Vermont. In Colorado, several resorts have set new year-to-dat...

SAM Magazine-Weathersfield, Vt. Feb. 24, 2008-Internationally recognized ski and travel journalist Paul Robbins, a wordsmith and historian for the U.S. Ski Team for 30 years and, among other accomplishments, a longtime SAM contributor, died Saturday of an apparent heart attack at his home in Vermont. Robbins, whose wit, humor and vast knowledge was...

SAM Magazine-Whistler, B.C., Feb. 22, 2008-Lindsey Vonn, Vail, Colo., became the second U.S. woman to win a World Cup downhill title, as her second-place finish in the race here today clinched the DH championship. She finished one-hundredth of a second behind Swiss Nadia Styger. To complete a banner day on the 2010 Olympics track, team member Julia...

SAM Magazine-Tamarack, Idaho, Feb. 22, 2008-The majority owners of Tamarack Resort have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after the group failed to obtain an $118 million loan, which made it impossible to meet payment on an existing loan of $262 million from Credit Suisse. In all, the group owes more than $300 million to its lenders. Bo...

SAM Magazine--Lincoln, N.H., February 19, 2008--Loon Mountain announced that it will be the first ski resort in the East to partner with Bonneville Envirnmental Foundation to make SkiGreen Tags available to guests. Each Tag represents 100-kilowatt hours of wind energy and offsets 140 pounds of global warming pollution and are sold for $2. The th...

SAM Magazine--February 19, 2008, Ludlow Vt--For the second year running, the Sunday of Presidents' Day Weekend was a record-breaker for Okemo Mountain Resort. Skier and snowboarder visits were up three percent for the day, compared to last year's milestone, and up more than five percent compared to the previous best day in February 2005. Skie...

SAM Magazine - Denver, Colo., February 18, 2008 - Frontier has announced an aggressive move into the winter vacation market, with discounted fares to a variety of ski destinations including Aspen, Durango and Jackson Hole. With rates starting as low as $89 for one-way flights to Aspen and Jackson Hole from Denver, the pricing is an aggressive mo...

SAM Magazine--Tannersville, Pa., Feburary 13, 2008--Starting last week, Charles Blier became the new GM and Executive VP at Camelback Ski Area, which also runs Camelbeach water park. Blier replaces long-time GM Rich Wiseman. Blier will help oversee a 400-room development that will include a three-acre indoor water park. The fifth floor of the de...

SAM Magazine--February 5, 2008--An avalanche blocked Alpine Meadow's access road on Sunday, forcing the resort to close for the day. The slide was triggered by a control team which was running routes above the access road. The crown of the slide was estimated to be as much as 12 feet high in some places. The avalanche underscores the danger of ...

SAM Magazine - Las Vegas, Nev., February 5, 2008 - It's hard to believe that less than one hour from The Strip, you can go skiing. But while the small ski area called Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort, hidden in Lee Canyon, could be one of the best-kept secrets in Nevada, things could to change if the ski area's plans for expansion are approved. ...

SAM Magazine - Monarch, Colo., January 31, 2008 - Colorado's Monarch Mountain has announced that the resort will extend its season by one week, to April 13, 2008. The resort cites exceptional year-to-date snowfall for the extension. According to Monarch, the ski area has received more than 259 inches for December and January, a record amount. "W...

SAM Magazine - Wilmington, Mass., January 31, 2008 - Verizon customers won't be able to escape the boss quite as easily when they take advantage of mid-week powder days in Vermont. The company has announced that a $55 million investment into its Vermont network means that wireless service has been expanded into nearly 60 additional Vermont communit...

SAM Magazine - North Woodstock, NH, January 26, 2008--With a rich history of environmental initiatives (Cranmore was the first ski area east of the Mississippi to convert to biodiesel in 2003), New Hampshire ski areas are strengthening their environmental initiatives as part of a broad effort to reduce their footprints on the planet over the next f...

SAM Magazine-Denver, Jan. 18, 2008-Colorado Ski Country USA's 26 member resorts hosted an estimated 2,873,363 visitors from Oct. 10 through Dec. 31, about average for the state but down 12.5 percent from last year's record for the period. Low snowfall totals in November caused several resorts to delay their opening dates, and got skier visits off t...

SAM Magazine-McLean, Va., Jan. 18, 2008-August to November snow sports sales reached $897 million, an increase of 2 percent over last season's anemic early season sales, reversing a 7 percent drop for the August to October period-even though the heavy snow hadn't started falling yet. "December snow promises relief," said Kelly Davis, director of re...