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SAM Taps Whistler Blackcomb to Host 2025 Summer Ops Camp
SAM Magazine—Whistler, British Columbia, March 18, 2025—SAM’s Summer Ops Camp will be held at Whistler Blackcomb, Sept. 2-4, 2025, offering three days of education, networking, and hands-on learning focused on the future of summer operations at mountain resorts. This year’s camp will also feature a partnership with the Canada West Ski Areas Association (CWSAA), bringing together a dynamic mix of resort professionals from across North America. Whistler Blackcomb has been at the forefront of year-round recreation development, balancing business innovation with environmental sustainability. With a robust lineup of summer attractions—including the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, Peak...
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SAM Magazine—Denver, Colo., April 5, 2021—Alterra Mountain Company has promoted Mark Brownlie from regional chief operating officer (RCOO) for the company’s Western Region to chief operating officer of resorts. Working with the COO of hospitality to drive profitability and growth, Brownlie will oversee all of the company’s 15 destination op...
Resorts Maggie Murray and Jesse True, Arapahoe Basin, Colo. Arapahoe Basin welcomed Maggie Murray as its new finance director and Jesse True as its new marketing director. Murray began her career at Morgan Stanley in Boston before realizing that office towers were not her natural habitat. Her background includes top finance roles in local n...
RESORTS Sarah Sherman, Snowbird Sarah Sherman has been appointed communications manager at Snowbird, working within the marketing team to oversee the resort’s public and media relations and communications. Originally from Los Angeles, Sherman began her career as a snow reporter at Mammoth Mountain after graduating from the University of Souther...
In SAM’s monthly Snow People, we highlight recent personnel moves that have been made in the mountain resort industry. STEVE KRUSE, TIMBERLINE LODGE After 31 years at Timberline Lodge, Ore., longtime GM Steve Kruse has retired. Kruse was a World Cup technician in the 1980s and started at Timberline as the rental and repair m...
SAM Magazine—Wausau, Wis., July 8, 2020—Granite Peak Ski Resort has hired industry veteran Greg Fisher as its new general manager and marketing director. Fisher will be responsible for the overall operations of Granite Peak, including overseeing mountain operations, skier services, food and beverage, ski school operations, facilities, and resor...
In SAM’s Snow People, we highlight recent personnel moves that have been made in the mountain resort industry. For even more updates on industry people, be sure to read News & Views in the upcoming July issue of SAM. Resorts Don Finn, Crystal Mountain, Wash. Don Finn started as Crystal Mountain’s director of sales on March 15...
Snow People is our monthly roundup of happenings to the people of and around the mountain resort industry. Send any personnel news to: news@saminfo.com. CHRIS JARNOT, MAYFLOWER MOUNTAIN VILLAGE, UTAH Industry veteran , and former SAMMY winner, Chris Jarnot has accepted a consulting role with Extell Development Company (EDC), focusing on Extell’...
SAM Magazine—Killington, Vt., Feb. 7, 2020—Following a strong western meeting in Squaw Valley, the 2020 National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) Eastern Winter Conference and Trade Show was held at Killington Resort, Feb. 4 and 5. A big crowd of 677 ski area operators, suppliers, and speakers gathered for informative sessions, great skiing and rid...
Snow People is our monthly roundup of happenings to the people of and around the mountain resort industry. Send any personnel news to: news@saminfo.com.Longtime lift mechanic and operations manager Jeff Harvey Sr., right, stands with his son, Jeff Jr., at Ski Butternut. Jeff Harvey, Sr., and Jeff Harvey, Jr., Ski Butternut, Mass.Jeff Harvey Sr., o...
SAM Magazine—Olympic Valley, Calif., Jan. 17, 2020—A variety of important topics and current issues were presented, pondered, and discussed at the 2020 National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) Western Winter Conference and Trade Show, held at Squaw Valley, Calif., Jan. 14 and 15. A crowd of 687 ski area operators, suppliers, and speakers were full...
Snow People is our monthly roundup of happenings to the people of and around the mountain resort industry. Send any personnel news to: news@saminfo.com. SAMMIE LUKASKIEWICZ, CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN, MICH. Longtime communications professional Sammie Lukaskiewicz has joined Crystal Mountain as public relations director. Since 2017, Lukaskiewicz had been w...
Snow People is our monthly roundup of happenings to the people of and around the mountain resort industry. Send any personnel news to: news@saminfo.com.RICK HERLIHY, WINTER PARK, COLO.Rick Herlihy has transitioned within Alterra Mountain Company from senior revenue manager at Snowshoe Mountain, W.Va., to director of sales at Winter Park, Colo. Herl...
CRANMORE, N.H.Cranmore Mountain Resort, N.H., announced several staffing updates. In resort operations, Tricia Garcia has been promoted to director of base area operations. She brought on Gregg Ludvigson as the resort’s new mountain bike and ski rental shop manager. Linda Dean, former member services supervisor at the rec...
SAM Magazine—Jay Peak, Vt., Oct. 11, 2019—The third annual Mountain Technology Symposium, held Oct. 2-4 at Jay Peak Resort, Vt., drew more than 130 ski industry tech leaders and suppliers to discuss the future of technology in the ski industry. A pre-conference survey highlighted that, according to attendees, the biggest resort challenge and th...
SAM Magazine—Montville, N.J., Sept. 27, 2019— Four-decade industry veteran Jim Haas has been hired as the general manager of Big SNOW America, the new real-snow, indoor, year-round ski and snowboard center at the American Dream retail complex. Haas started his career with Snowshoe Mountain, where he held several management positions in risk, h...
resorts SARAH JONES, STEAMBOAT SKI RESORT, COLO. Sarah Jones has been named the first ever director of sustainability and community engagement at Steamboat Ski Resort. Starting Sept. 30, Jones will be responsible for furthering the resort’s policy goals on climate and energy and developing and driving the resort’s sustainability practic...
SAM Magazine—Lake Geneva, Wis., Aug. 26, 2019—The Midwest Ski Areas Association (MSAA) Summer Meetings & Trade Show drew a large crowd of 424 attendees—including supplier reps and personnel from 55 different ski areas—to the Grand Geneva Resort, Aug. 18-21. The first-time location, a former Playboy Hotel, was well received. Grand Geneva...
In SAM’s monthly Snow People, we highlight recent happenings to people who are part of the mountain resort industry. This time around, we’ve combined July and August. For even more updates on industry people, be sure to read News & Views in each and every issue of SAM Magazine. TESS HOBBS, SNOWBIRD, UTAHTess Hobbs Tess Hobbs has been pr...
In SAM’s monthly Snow People, we highlight recent personnel moves that have been made in the mountain resort industry. For even more updates on industry people, be sure to read News & Views in the upcoming July issue of SAM. DON MACASKILL, WHITETAIL RESORT, MERCERSBURG, PA.Long-time vice president and general manager Don...
SAM Magazine—June 7, 2019, Jay Peak, Vt.—The Vermont Ski Areas Association (Ski Vermont) held its annual meeting at Jay Peak Resort, June 5-6, 2019, a gathering that welcomed 190 attendees from resorts, brands, and tourism. Ski Vermont revealed 2018-19 total skier visits in the state reached 4.1 million, up 5.2 percent year-over-year. “From ...
SAM Magazine—Conway, N.H., June 7, 2019—Ski New Hampshire hosted its annual conference and trade show in Meredith, N.H., June 4-5. At the conference, Ski NH president Jessyca Keeler reported that total visits—including alpine, cross country, and tubing—for winter 2018-19 were an estimated 2.3 million, up more than 100,000 over last year, or...
By Dave ZookThe California mountain resort industry gathered in Squaw Valley for the Lift Maintenance and Operations Education Conference (LMOE) for the second year running on June 4-6, 2019. The underlying theme of the content-rich conference was working together to create a safer, better industry. Topic areas were addressed through three days of ...
In SAM’s monthly Snow People, we highlight recent personnel moves that have been made in the mountain resort industry. MIKE FERGUSON, ALTERRA MOUNTAIN COMPANYAlterra Mountain Company named Mike Ferguson as chief human resources officer. Ferguson will lead the development and implementation of attracting and retaining talent. His responsibil...
SAM Magazine—San Diego, Cali., May 6, 2019 - More than 950 members of the winter resort industry descended on the Hilton Bayfront Hotel in San Diego, Calif., April 29–May 2 for the NSAA National Convention and Tradeshow. It was the most highly attended national convention since 2008. Conventioneers reveled in the aftermath of the fourth-greates...
In SAM’s monthly Snow People, we highlight recent personnel moves that have been made in the mountain resort industry.MARK SEITER and GREG RALPH, Angel Fire Resort, N.M.Mark Seiter was named Angel Fire Resort’s new CFO, and Greg Ralph was named the new director of marketing. Both Seiter and Ralph will report to Angel Fire CEO John Kitts. Seite...
Special Report by Steven Threndyle What do China, shopping malls, and snowball fights have in common? All three were floated as possible ideas for increasing skiing and snowboarding participation during the Mountain Travel Symposium (MTS) at Whistler-Blackcomb in early April. From the cavernous convention space of the Whistler Conference Centre t...
The combined forces of Ski Areas of New York (ISKINY) and Pennsylvania Ski Areas Association (PSAA) once again staged an informative, lively, and entertaining expo, this time at Peek’n Peak in western New York. A total of 324 ski area personnel and suppliersNSAA's Mike Lane uses props to demonstrate ski lift functions with the help of Doppelmayr'...
Nearly 450 resort staff, industry partners, and exhibitors attended the 2018 New England Summit Sept. 11-12 at Sunday River Resort, Maine.Wintry Mix's Alex Kaufman helps us develop PodSAM at NES (Photo courtesy of Dave Gibson) The event kicked off with seminars on topics ranging from web trends to climate change and ended with multiple sessio...
More than 450 ski area and supplier members attended the Midwest Ski Areas Association Summer Meetings and Trade Show, Aug. 19-22, at Boyne Highlands Resort in northern Michigan.MSAA president Amy Reents with two-time Olympic medalist, and Midwesterner, Nick Goepper. Photo: Dave Gibson, Propeller Mediaworks The event was NSAA president Kelly Pawla...
SAM Magazine—New South Wales, Australia, June 9, 2025—After a couple of disappointing winters in Australia, the 2025 season is off to a more optimistic start as snow blanketed the alpine regions of the country over the weekend and several ski areas opened for the season. Credit: Mt. Buller Falls Creek, Mt. Buller, Hotham, Perisher, and Thredb...
SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., June 6, 2025 —Vail Resorts’ fiscal Q3 results were a mixed bag. While net income for the quarter ending April 30 rose roughly 8.5 percent to $392.8 million and year-to-date resort reported EBITDA ticked up 3 percent, Q3 resort reported EBITDA declined 1 percent, skier visits declined 3 percent across the compa...
SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., June 5, 2025—The Ski Resort AI Bootcamp is back with a new round of live sessions this summer, offering fresh insights into how artificial intelligence can be used across resort operations. Presented by SAM and digital agency Eternity, and sponsored by Get Ski Bots, the Ski Resort AI Bootcamp delivers relevant AI ...
SAM Magazine—Denver, June 5, 2025—Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) projected 13.8 million skier visits in Colorado for this season, ranking 2024-25 as the state’s third highest on record for skier visits. Credit: Colorado Ski Country USA The numbers were realized despite variable snow conditions, according to CSCUSA president and CEO Melan...
SAM Magazine—Saint-Jérôme, Quebec, June 3, 2025—Doppelmayr Canada plans to nearly double the size of its headquarters in Saint-Jérôme, Québec, over the next 18 months, adding 185,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space for training, production, and warehousing. The expansion, said the company, is in response to the high demand for r...
SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., May 28, 2025—As June approaches, all but four North American ski areas have sent up last chair for the 2024-25 winter season. Some lasted well into May, and a handful recorded their longest seasons ever.Credit Boyne Mountain Still open for skiing and riding are Arapahoe Basin, Colo.; Arizona Snowbowl, Ariz.; Mammoth...
SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., May 22, 2025—The crews from Bogus Basin, Idaho; Burke Mountain, Vt.; Crotched Mountain, N.H.; Giants Ridge, Minn.; Marmot Basin, A.B.; and Mission Ridge, Wash., have been chosen as finalists in the fifth annual Rise Up Challenge, sponsored by Leitner-Poma of America (LPOA), to compete for an education grant valued at...
SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., May 22, 2025—Vail Resorts’ Epic Pass will include access to resorts in Austria’s Saalbach, Zell am See-Kaprun, Mayrhofen, and Hintertux for the 2025-26 season. The Epic Pass and Epic Adaptive Pass will include a total of five consecutive days of access across Mayrhofen and Hintertux, which encompass six di...
SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., May 14, 2025—Boreal MountainThe National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) recognized standout resorts and individuals for excellence in marketing, safety, sustainability, and guest conversion during its annual awards ceremony Tuesday, May 13, at the NSAA National Convention and Tradeshow in Marco Island, Fla. Boreal M...
SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., May 13, 2025—The National Ski Patrol (NSP) and Snow Angel Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing on-mountain collisions, have partnered on a new initiative to increase awareness of collision risks and encourage responsible behavior among skiers and snowboarders. The initiative will include campaigns to ...
SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., May 13, 2025—Winter lodging results in the Western U.S. ended largely flat for the season, and summer is continuing the trend. Aggregated results among 17 destinations spread across Colorado, Utah, California, Nevada, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho showed a slight dip in occupancy of 0.3 percent, offset by a 1.9 p...
SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., May 12, 2025—U.S. ski areas reported a total of 61.5 million skier visits for 2024-25, a 1.7 percent year-over-year increase, according to preliminary data from the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA). It was the second-highest total since NSAA began tallying skier visits in 1978, trailing only the record-setting...
SAM Magazine—Vernon, N.J., May 9, 2025—Starting in 2025-26, Snow Partners will offer the Snow Triple Play Card (S3P), a new multi-property product designed for occasional skiers and riders that don’t participate enough to justify buying a season pass yet wish to avoid paying the price of ever-rising day tickets. According to data from the ...
SAM Magazine—Twyford, UK, May 7, 2025—Accesso Technology Group has acquired the 1RISK suite of software solutions, including the company’s cloud-based online liability waiver and incident risk management data technology and related assets. Founded in 2012, 1RISK developed technology to streamline the process of securing liability waivers for...
SAM Magazine—Burke, Vt., May 6, 2025—The Bear Den Partners ownership group closed on its purchase of Burke Mountain Resort on Friday, May 2. The resort has been in receivership since 2016, and the sale was allowed to go through following the approval by the overseeing Florida judge for the group’s $11.5 million bid. Members of the new grou...
SAM Magazine—Kaprun, Austria, May 6, 2025—The World Women’s Snowsports Organization (WWSO) hosted its inaugural Summit, April 20–26, 2025, in Kaprun, Austria. The event brought together more than 50 women leaders, coaches, instructors, and advocates from 12 countries to advance the visibility, influence, and impact of women in snowsports ed...
SAM Magazine—Windham, N.Y., April 30, 2025—Chip Seamans, a 39-year ski industry veteran who has served as president of Windham Mountain Club (née Windham Mountain) since 2011, has retired from day-to-day operations. Former director of membership Kristen Leach has been promoted to president, effective immediately. Seamans will continue in an a...
SAM Magazine—Southington, Conn., May 1, 2025—Mount Southington partnered with local schools to introduce students to both winter sports and sustainability through On Board, a youth-focused program developed in partnership with Snowball Effect. Rolled out this past winter, the initiative blends environmental education with physical activity to ...
SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., April 29, 2025—Vail Resorts reported a 3.1 percent decline in skier visits across its 37 North American mountain resorts this winter, even as lift ticket revenue rose 3.4 percent for the season-to-date period ending April 20, buoyed by strong pre-committed season pass sales. While destination visitation from pas...
SAM Magazine—Salt Lake City, Utah, April 24, 2025—Doppelmayr USA promoted Keith Johns to the role of chief executive officer. He succeeds Katharina Schmitz, who stepped down March 31 after five years as CEO. Johns, a mechanical engineer, started at Doppelmayr USA in 2021 as vice president of project management before taking on his most recent ...
SAM Magazine—Fontcouverte-la Toussuire, France, April 22, 2025— Les Sybelles, one of Europe’s largest ski areas, is working with French company MND to develop a new, board game-themed attraction based on Trek 12, an adventure and mountaineering board game. The year-round experience will include 27 installations spread across the resort. M...
SAM Magazine—Boyne, Mich., April 21, 2025—Boyne Resorts has launched season pass products that provide access to all 10 of its properties for the 2025-26 winter season: the unlimited Boyne Passport and the 3–6-day Boyne Explorer. This is the first time Boyne Resorts has offered company-wide season pass product. Its properties remain partners ...
SAM Magazine—Burke, Vt., April 21, 2025—Bear Den Partners has submitted a purchase and sale agreement to acquire Burke Mountain for $11.5 million. The group is led by Ken Graham, founder and chairman of private investment firm Inverness Graham and whose father, Don, once owned Burke Mountain in the early 2000s; Burke Mountain Academy, located i...
SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo. April 18, 2025—Uneven snow conditions and tumultuous economic policies in March and April converged to make the final weeks of the 2024-25 ski season less robust than hoped. But according to Inntopia’s most recent DestiMetrics monthly Market Briefing report, two of three core performance metrics for the season...
SAM Magazine—Big Sky, Mont., April 18, 2025—Through the sale of 125 carriers from the historic Explore 2 lift, Big Sky Resort raised an impressive $162,600 for three local nonprofit organizations: Big Sky Community Housing Trust, Gallatin River Task Force, and Wellness in Action. The March 20 online sale sold out in less than 30 minutes, wit...
SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., April 16, 2025—While many North American ski areas have already stopped spinning lifts for the season, plenty have plans to stretch their spring skiing and riding into May and even beyond.Credit to Jay Peak The cast includes the usual characters, as well as a few outliers looking to capitalize on conditions. Of the ...
SAM Magazine—Aspen, Colo., April 15, 2025—It’s going to be a busy summer at Aspen Snowmass as the resort will take on a broad range of capital projects that will touch all four mountains—Aspen Mountain, Snowmass, Aspen Highlands, and Buttermilk—and cost nearly $80 million. The plans include two new lifts, restaurant reconstruction and exp...
SAM Magazine—Bend, Ore., April 7, 2025—After putting Mt. Bachelor on the market in August 2024, POWDR has decided it’s going to keep the resort in its portfolio after all. In a statement, POWDR said it considered “all facts and circumstances” in evaluating the sale of Mt. Bachelor, the fifth largest ski area in the United States by ski...
SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., April 4, 2025—Vail Resorts filed a notice with the state of Colorado Tuesday that it is closing its HR Shared Services unit in Broomfield. The closure will eliminate 64 jobs as part of the company’s two-year Resource Efficiency Transformation Plan to improve organizational effectiveness in anticipation of anoth...
SAM Magazine—Denver, April 3, 2025—Le Massif de Charlevoix in Quebec will join the Ikon Pass for the 2025-26 season, expanding Ikon’s Canadian footprint to nine destinations, including Quebec’s Mount Tremblant. “Canada offers some of the best mountain experiences in the world,” said Erik Forsell, chief marketing officer of Ikon Pass ...
SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., March 27, 2025—Nominations are now open for SAM’s annual “10 Under 30,” supported by Snow Operating. The feature recognizes 10 individuals under age 30 who are making significant contributions at their mountain resorts and demonstrating leadership potential within the industry. Industry professionals are encou...
