SAM Magazine—Blakeslee, Pa., Jan. 23, 2026—Vail Resorts has hired Tony Torsell as general manager of Jack Frost Big Boulder, effective Feb. 15. Torsell, who grew up not far from the neighboring ski areas, succeeds previous GM Tony Santora, who is now the vice president of mountain operations at VR-owned Beaver Creek, Colo.  “Coming back hom...

SAM Magazine—Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, Jan. 23, 2026—Unionized workers returned to work today and Le Massif de Charlevoix will reopen for winter operations tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 24, after the resort and the union reached a tentative collective agreement, concluding a three-week strike. Earlier this week, Le Massif ownership ended the ...

SAM Magazine—Happy Valley, Ore., Jan. 21, 2026—MassanuttenThe 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend presented a stark geographical divide across North American ski areas. Based on a cross-continent survey of operators and regional associations, the weekend was defined by record-breaking snowfall and “all-time” attendance in the East, ...

SAM Magazine—Beaupré, Quebec, Jan. 21, 2026—Mont-Sainte-Anne and operator Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR) have reached an agreement with the Quebec government to fund substantial capital improvements at the resort, including the replacement of four lifts with three new ones, new snowmaking infrastructure, and installation of warm-season ...

SAM Magazine—Boyne Falls, Mich., Jan. 21, 2026—Boyne Resorts has launched the Boyne Forever Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3) public charity that will coordinate philanthropic giving and grantmaking across the company’s 13 North American properties. The foundation will focus on three areas: environmental stewardship, community investment,...

SAM Magazine—Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, Quebec, Jan. 20, 2026—Le Massif de Charlevoix has closed for a second time amid an ongoing, indefinite strike by roughly 300 of its unionized employees. The resort closed from Jan. 2–6 when the strike began and had reopened with limited operations starting Jan. 7. Le Massif’s decision to shut do...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Jan. 20, 2026—Online voting for the videos produced by six chosen ski areas competing in the 2026 “I AM a Snowmaker” contest, sponsored by HKD Snowmakers, is now open. Voting ends Monday, Feb. 2, at 11:59 p.m. EST.  Since it debuted in winter 2013-14, the annual I AM contest has served as an important recogniti...

SAM Magazine—Bend, Ore., Jan. 20, 2026—Snowvana will make its East Coast debut when the consumer ski and snowboard expo comes to the Royal Plaza Trade Center in Marlborough, Mass., just outside Boston, Nov. 6-8, 2026. The show will be held in four locations this year including Seattle (Oct. 16-18), Portland, Ore. (Oct. 23-25), and Wisconsin (No...

SAM Magazine—Snowbird, Utah, Jan. 16, 2026—NSAA president Mike Reitzell and Snowbird president Dave Fields at the first track breakfast.A challenging start to the season for much of the west kept some ski area personnel from attending the National Ski Areas Association Western Winter Conference, but a crowd of 690 industry professionals—up fr...

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Jan. 16, 2026—Low snowfall led to a lackluster December for mountain town lodging operations across most of the West, according to the December Market Briefing from Inntopia's DestiMetrics division. But in spite of the challenges, lodging properties managed to mitigate much of the negative impact—at least for ...

SAM Magazine—Nederland, Colo., Jan. 16, 2026—Powdr Corp. has hired Andrew Gast to serve as president and general manager of Eldora Mountain Resort, effective Feb. 1. Gast will serve in his current role as general manager of Mt. Ashland, Ore., until Jan. 24. Powdr CEO Justin Sibley said the company—which remains Eldora’s owner while the Tow...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Jan. 15, 2026—Skier visits for Vail Resorts (VR) destinations were down 20 percent for the season through Jan. 4 compared to a year ago, the company reported today. The news reflects below-normal snowfall across much of the West and the resulting limited operations at many resorts. It also provides a window into ...

SAM Magazine—Jackson, Wyo., Jan. 13, 2026—Jackson Hole Mountain Resort ski patrollers voted against unionizing in a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election held over two days last week, but the result is not yet final because challenged ballots are still under review.  In a social media statement Jan. 10, the Jackson Hole Ski Patrol sa...

SAM Magazine—Nederland, Colo., Jan. 13, 2026—The Town of Nederland’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted Jan. 6 to approve an asset purchase agreement that would pave the way for the municipal acquisition of Eldora Mountain Resort from Powdr Corp. for roughly $120 million. The approved agreement authorizes Nederland to purchase Eldora throug...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Jan. 13, 2026—The Ski Resort AI Bootcamp will return in 2026 with four new virtual live sessions focusing on practical, department-level applications of artificial intelligence for ski areas. The program pairs self-paced coursework with live discussions featuring mountain resort professionals and technology experts....

SAM Magazine—Telluride, Colo., Jan. 9, 2026—The Telluride Professional Ski Patrol union, on strike since Dec. 27, accepted the latest offer from the resort on Thursday, ending the 13-day walkout that had vastly reduced visits and led resort owner Chuck Horning to shutter operations. The resort resumed very limited operations on three runs on Ja...

On the cusp of turning 65, the Wiseman family’s Swiss Valley has done more than persevere, it's found a Perfect future. This is part 1 of Andy Bigford's Revival Road Trip.  Knowing what you don’t know is critical to any successful endeavor. It can also help save the life of an endangered ski area in this weather-challenged corner of southwest...

SAM Magazine—Happy Valley, Ore., Jan. 8, 2026—Killington Resort The two-week 2025-26 holiday period was a tale of haves vs. have-nots. While the East, Midwest, and Canadian Rockies set records with big visitation numbers, the Western U.S. navigated a complex weather pattern that delivered atmospheric rivers in some areas and historically low sn...

SAM Magazine—St. Paul, Minn., Jan. 7, 2026—Minnesota’s 18 operating ski areas generated $359.1 million in total economic value to the state during the 2024-25 winter season, according to an analysis commissioned by the Minnesota Ski Areas Association (MNSAA) and conducted by RRC Associates. The study captured both direct spending at ski areas...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Jan. 7, 2026—Resorts are investing more in technology and increasingly treating it as a strategic priority, according to SAM’s 2025–26 Technology Survey. Respondents indicated the next wave of investment is focused on system integration, guest-facing services, and using data to inform operational and revenue deci...

SAM Magazine—Telluride, Colo., Jan. 5, 2026—After nine days of the resort being closed entirely during a strike by its unionized ski patrollers, Telluride opened two lower mountain trails served by one aerial lift and two conveyors today. The free village gondola is also spinning.  Failed contract negotiations led to a Telluride Professional ...

SAM Magazine—Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, Quebec, Jan. 5, 2026—Following the expiration of their collective agreement, roughly 300 union-represented employees at Le Massif de Charlevoix went on strike, Friday, Jan. 2, forcing the resort to close all operations including lifts, food services, retail, and tobogganing.Credit: Conseil central d...

​SAM Magazine—Happy Valley, Ore., Dec. 30, 2025—Jay PeakExtreme and erratic weather defined the first week of the 2025 Christmas-to-New Year period across much of North America, forcing operators to contend not only with snow, or lack thereof, but also power failures, access disruptions, infrastructure breakdowns, and workforce concerns. Whi...

SAM Magazine—Mono County, Calif., Dec. 29, 2025—A 30-year-old Mammoth Mountain ski patroller died Sunday from injuries sustained in an avalanche on Friday. One other patroller was injured in the incident, which occurred about 7:30 a.m., Dec. 26, on Lincoln Mountain, while the patrollers were conducting avalanche mitigation work.  After both s...

SAM Magazine—Telluride, Colo., Dec. 26, 2025 [Updated 12/29/25]—After months of contract negotiations, the Telluride Professional Ski Patrol Association (TPSPA) authorized a Dec. 27 strike. In response, Telluride Ski and Golf Resort (TSG/Teleski) has said it will close operations Dec. 27 with no clear timeline for reopening. “At this time, w...

SAM Magazine—Wenatchee, Wash., Dec. 19, 2025—After major storms brought torrential rain and damaging winds that washed out roads and depleted an already thin snowpack, further delaying ski area operations in Washington, four outdoor recreation groups coalesced to provide an update and resources for would-be travelers to the state’s mountains ...

SAM Magazine—Telluride, Colo., Dec. 19, 2025—Communication between Telluride Resort and the Telluride Professional Ski Patrol Association (TPSPA) will resume following a union vote earlier this month to reject the resort’s proposed contract, according to reporting by the Telluride Times. Contract negotiations between the resort and the patr...

SAM Magazine—Kellogg, Idaho, Dec. 17, 2025—Idaho ski areas recorded 2.4 million skier visits in 2024-25, the fifth straight season with more than 2 million visits and the second highest total on record, ranking it tenth among 37 states with ski areas and a record 3.9 percent share of skier visits nationally, according to an RRC Associates repor...

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo. Dec. 16, 2025—Below average snowfall and faltering consumer confidence negatively impacted November booking activity at Western destinations, according to the latest Market Briefing from the DestiMetrics division of Inntopia. The booking pace during November plunged 19.8 percent for arrivals in the next six month...

SAM Magazine—Seattle, Wash., Dec. 16, 2025—A series of severe atmospheric rivers beginning on Dec. 9 brought the Pacific Northwest ski season to a grinding halt, forcing the closure of virtually every ski area in Washington and Oregon. Mission RidgeHeavy rains and unseasonably high freezing levels have washed away early-season snowpack and trig...

SAM Magazine—Beaupré, Quebec, Dec. 15, 2025—Quebec regulators have ordered the closure of four aerial lifts at Mont-Sainte-Anne (MSA), postponing the resort’s planned opening and marking the latest regulatory action in a series of infrastructure and safety concerns at the ski area. In a Dec. 12 statement, the Régie du bâtiment du Québec ...

In SAM’s Snow People, we highlight personnel moves in the mountain resort industry. From resort hires, promotions, and retirements to awards, obits, and supplier news, we celebrate the people that make this industry thrive. PEOPLE LUCA SIGNORELLI, ASPEN SNOWMASS, CO Luca Signorelli has been appointed as senior vice president, commercial de...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Dec. 11, 2025—The 20th SAM Terrain Park Contest saw 40 percent more votes than last year and drew 85 resort-submitted entries spread across four categories: features, events, edits, and park crews. A selection of entries were presented in the November 2025 issue of SAM, and all were posted on saminfo.com, where the ...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Dec. 11, 2025—Vail Resorts reported 4 percent year-over-year resort net revenue growth in the 2026 fiscal first quarter ended Oct. 31, 2025, fueled by a 35 percent increase in skier visits and strong pass sales in Australia and post-Labor Day in North America. The gains were somewhat offset by rising costs genera...

SAM Magazine—Mont-Tremblant, Québec, Dec. 9, 2025—Mont-Tremblant will be home to a new ski in, ski out Club Med resort in December 2028. Club Med Tremblant is the second Club Med to be built at a Canadian ski area following the 2021 debut of Club Med Québec Charlevoix at Le Massif and is the result of a collaboration between Club Med, Mont-Tr...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Dec. 9, 2025—Vail Resorts will now offer skiers and riders a discount on lift tickets purchased four or more weeks in advance for 12 of its mountain resorts, loosening the previously limited timeframes that non-Epic Pass holders could buy tickets for less than the highest window rates.Park City Mountain It’s th...

SAM Magazine—Reno, Nev., Dec. 2, 2025—The Sky Tavern board of directors has appointed Chris "Toph" Brown as the Nevada ski area’s new chief executive officer. The decision was announced Oct. 25, 2025, following the retirement of former CEO Pat Cashell. Brown has long been part of the Sky Tavern leadership team, most recently serving as chie...

SAM Magazine—Jackson, N.H., Dec. 1, 2025—Black Mountain and the Town of Jackson have reached a settlement, ending a months-long clash over operations at the ski area, including the town selectboard’s move to revoke alcohol service permission for the mid-mountain Alpine Cabin and a federal lawsuit filed by the ski area in response.  Black Mo...

SAM Magazine—Haute-Savoie, France, Dec. 1, 2025—Alterra Mountain Company added France’s Megève Ski Area as an Ikon Pass partner for 2025-26. Full Ikon Pass holders will have seven days of access with no blackouts to the sprawling ski area in the French Alps, and Ikon Base Pass holders will have five days and no blackouts. Megève is the seco...

SAM Magazine—Vernon, British Columbia, Nov. 25, 2025—Pacific Group Resorts (PGR) has acquired SilverStar Mountain Resort in Vernon, British Columbia, from Powdr. PGR’s portfolio now includes six resorts after its acquisition of Powderhorn Mountain Resort in Colorado earlier this year and Jay Peak Resort in Vermont in 2022.  SilverStar becom...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Nov. 25, 2025—Vail Resorts has appointed Celeste Burgoyne as executive vice president and chief revenue officer, effective Jan. 26, 2026. Burgoyne is the current president of the Americas and global guest innovation for athleisure-wear company lululemon.  In her newly created role, Burgoyne will oversee Vail Re...

SAM Magazine—Paris, Nov. 25, 2025—After a competitive tender process, Compagnie des Alpes (CDA) has secured a new 25-year Public Service Delegation (PSD) to continue operating La Plagne, the world’s largest single ski resort by skiable terrain. CDA subsidiary Société d’Aménagement de La Plagne (SAP) has managed the resort since its creat...

SAM Magazine—Waitsfield, Vt., Nov. 24, 2025—The Mad River Glen co-op board of trustees voted unanimously to exercise its right of first refusal to acquire 1,100 acres of land that surrounds the existing ski area. The vote was triggered after a third-party offered $2.5 million to buy the property from the current owner.  The land the ski area ...

SAM Magazine—Upson, Wis., Nov. 24, 2025—Whitecap Mountains Resort has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, a process that halts collection efforts as the resort negotiates with creditors.  The petition follows several years of financial strain. In 2019, a chimney fire destroyed th...

SAM Magazine—Jackson, Wyo., Nov. 21, 2025—Ninety-three percent of eligible Jackson Hole Ski Patrol employees backed a petition filed with the National Labor Relations Board for a union representation election, according to a release from the patrol. If certified, the group would form the Jackson Hole Ski Patrol Union under Communications Worker...

A special analysis and commentary by Andy Bigford. The town of Nederland’s efforts to buy neighboring Eldora Mountain Resort, with the support of an advisory group called 303 Ski, might be called heroic—and a model for others to follow. The town and 303 Ski rose to the occasion after Powdr Corp. put Eldora on the market, investing more time ...

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo. Nov. 20, 2025—The 2025 summer season closed on Oct. 31 in better shape than it started and wrapped up with moderate gains in occupancy, rates, and seasonal revenue, according to the latest monthly Market Briefing from DestiMetrics, the business intelligence division of Inntopia. Winter bookings remain on a simila...

SAM Magazine—Boston, Mass., Nov. 19, 2025—The stalwart consumer ski and snowboard shows still play an important—and in some cases a growing—role in stoking excitement for winter sports in key markets of the country, and a handful of this year’s events reportedly did well in their current venues as relocation and expansion discussions are ...

SAM Magazine—East Burke, Vt., Nov. 19, 2025—Burke Mountain Resort has named industry veteran Gabe Porter-Henry as its new general manager, effective Dec. 1. He will work alongside interim general manager Tom Day through the end of the calendar year as the resort continues its transition to new ownership under Bear Den Partners. Porter-Henry ha...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., November 19, 2025—More than a dozen North American ski areas have opened for the season, some for daily operations and some weekends only for now, with several more planning to get started before Thanksgiving. Sunday River A stretch of snowy, cold weather in the East has allowed many ski areas to hit—or to soon ...

SAM Magazine—Breckenridge, Colo., Nov. 17, 2025—The Breckenridge Ski Patrol Union (BSPU) and Vail Resorts reached a tentative agreement after a late-night bargaining session on Nov. 13 that ended a planned picket and replaced the patrol’s expiring contract.   “Breckenridge Ski Resort and the Breckenridge Ski Patrol Union are pleased to a...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Nov. 17, 2025—Vail Resorts has partnered with Uber on a new “Uber Ski” service that bundles ride-hail bookings with the ability to purchase Epic Pass products or single-day lift tickets directly in the Uber app. The companies say the tie-in is meant to streamline trip planning and reduce friction for guests g...

SAM Magazine—Jackson, N.H., Nov. 17, 2025—Black Mountain has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the Town of Jackson selectboard of unlawfully attempting to revoke the ski area’s alcohol-service rights at its Alpine Cabin without due process. The ski area said the filing was necessary to “protect our business and the future of Black Mountain....

SAM Magazine—Saint-Sauveur, Quebec, Nov. 11, 2025—Sommet Saint-Sauveur began making snow in earnest on Nov. 6 and got enough down to open for the season at noon on Sunday, becoming the first ski area in eastern North America to open daily for the 2025-26 winter season for lift-served skiing and riding. Sommet Saint-Sauveur opening day. Cold t...

SAM Magazine—Killington, Vt., Nov. 7, 2025—Killington Resort / Pico Mountain has launched a new charitable and sustainability program, Upward & Outward, starting with a $100,000 commitment to support the resort’s Jamaican employees whose families were impacted by Hurricane Melissa. Through the Upward & Outward Employee Relief Fund,...

SAM Magazine—Danbury, N.H., Nov. 6, 2025— SF Mountain Co., LLC (SFMC), a group of local investors with lifelong ties to Ragged Mountain, has acquired the ski area, which went on the market in March of this year. The group has pledged to keep Ragged affordable and rooted in community while investing in its future as a year-round mountain destina...

SAM Magazine—Huntsville, Utah, Nov. 5, 2025—Powder Mountain has appointed Brandi Hammon as president, overseeing all resort operations, real estate, and hospitality. Hammon, an Ogden Valley native, previously served as the resort’s chief revenue officer and has been involved with Powder Mountain’s growth and development since its transitio...

SAM Magazine—Pinedale, Wyo., Nov. 4, 2025 —White Pine Ski Resort has named Dalan Adams as general manager and Austin Bevilacqua as assistant general manager.Dalan Adams and Austin Bevilacqua. Credit: White Pine. Both are longtime Pinedale residents with community ties and experience in outdoor recreation and hospitality. Adams brings near...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., November 4, 2025—Teams from Boyne Mountain, Mich.; Burke Mountain, Vt.; Killington Resort, Vt.; Poley Mountain, New Brunswick; Seven Springs, Pa.; and Steamboat, Colo., have been selected as finalists in the 11th annual “I AM a Snowmaker” contest, sponsored by HKD Snowmakers. Resorts across North America nominat...

SAM Magazine—New York City, Oct. 30, 2025—Indy Pass director Erik Mogensen speaks during the Indy Pass press event.The number of Indy Pass products sold for 2025-26 grew 60 percent year-over-year, and pass holder redemptions at partner ski areas were up 40 percent for the 2024-25 season compared to 2023-24, according to a presentation at the se...