THE NORTHEAST
Waitin’ for snow
by JOHN HITCHCOCK
Never in the history of eastern skiing have operators faced the coming of winter with such stoicism, conservatism and silence. Few superlatives are heard, no boasting, little concrete information and lots of worried looks. That was the picture when ski people got together this summer.
Biggest news was made in New Jersey where Vernon Valley took over Great Gorge.
Other positive side of the coin is represented by the opening of two new areas: Greylock Glen Resort in Adams, Mass and Cortina Valley near Hunter, N.Y. which will open with two chairs, a Poma and snowmaking in December.
Other than these, there were few major projects underway this summer. Big Bromley was replacing most of its original J-bars with two new chairlifts and installing even more snowmaking. Stratton and Maine’s Sunday River and Sugarloaf were going to the top with snowmaking.
Jiminy Peak in Hancock, Mass., after a quarter century on leased land, finally acquired title to its land and reorganized, with Brian Fairbank moving from general manager to president. Jiminy succeeded in securing an SBA participation loan.
In Vermont, manager Kent Scruton limited his comments at Haystack to “We intend to open this winter.” And at Glen Ellen, Gina van Loon and company failed to stay afloat, though it was reported that efforts were being made by other interests to open for the winter. Mad River plans to open on schedule, despite earlier rumors of problems.
In Maine, the redoubtable John Christie encountered financial reefs at Saddleback, and his new 6000-ft chairlift, as well as a variety of building projects at the base area, were casualties of the financial crunch.
Obtaining complete information on any of the ski resorts proved to be as difficult this summer as finding snow last winter, what with operators showing an understandable reluctance to publicize their problems. The rule appears to be “Keep your mouth shut, pray for good snow and cold weather and beg, borrow or steal money to expand the snowmaking.”
MOUNTAIN STATES
More beds than lifts
by BARBARA WICKS
At Snowbird, Dick Bass agreed to purchase Ted Johnson’s reported 11 per cent interest in the resort. It was Johnson who originally put together the land package and master plan for Snowbird, and he was formerly president and general manager.
The resort’s summer business really took off. Tram business increased 34 per cent, over 900 brunches were served each Sunday in August, convention business tripled. Snowbird’s bridal package (nicknamed “Bridal Bird” by marketing department employees) also swelled the coffers. There were 21 weddings (two right on the tram) and 37 receptions.
The “Bird” has substituted a volume ticket plan for season passes. Skiers purchase 20 tickets for $100, giving savings of $3 off the normal $8 day pass. Tickets can be purchased beyond the 20 ticket package in increments of ten. Closing date for these tickets is November 2, and further savings were available to those who purchased before September 21.
Big Sky, Montana is expected to have over 2,000 beds for skiers this winter. At Angel Fire, N.M., over 100 new condominium units in three separate projects will be open for the coming season.
Idaho’s Schweitzer Basin greeted over half a million visitors at the Spokane World’s Fair. With a theme of “Man’s use of winter environment for recreation,” manager Sam Wormington, ski school director Bill Haskins and two other instructors spent the better part of spring, summer and fall showing films of the area and answering a constant flow of questions about skiing and Schweitzer.
COLORADO
Lift rates are up
by LOIS BARR
Lift tickets are up all over in Colorado, reflecting the fact that, despite a record season last year, rising costs spoiled most of the bottom line figures. On adult day tickets Steamboat goes from $7 to $9.50; Breckenridge up 50 cents to $7.50; Crested Butte, A-Basin, Telluride and Winter Park up $1 each.
Marble Ski Area, source of much controversy since its founding two years ago, is bankrupt. It was being built in a confirmed mudslide area, and was the object of opposition by many environmental groups.
Telluride land sales dwindling on ski ranch sites near the ski area . . . A-Basin installed its fourth double chairlift, this one from midway to summit . . . Vail replacing all cars on its No. 1 gondola with new models. The old silver cars for sale. Interested parties contact Ted Ryczek, Box 7, Vail, Colo. 81657.
THE SIERRAS
Latest on Squaw
by BOB LOCHNER
Construction work on base facilities in Squaw Valley resumed in mid-September after a one-month delay due to financial problems, and the resort should be ready for the start of the 1974-75 ski season.
Mainline Properties of America, whose parent firm, Mainline Corporation Ltd. of Australia, placed itself in voluntary receivership August 19, has obtained a $1.25 million loan from Bank of America and indicated it would be able to complete most of the construction and remodelling started last spring.
Mainline had purchased the holdings of the State of California at the public auction last February for a total of $2,555,000 and has already paid $1 million, with the next payment of $221,000 due next March. The company also acquired Squaw Valley Lodge in a property exchange with Alex Cushing and had just finished gutting the interior of the building when work was halted in mid-August.
Title had not actually changed hands, however, and Cushing, whose completely independent Squaw Valley Ski Corp. operates the massive lift system at the resort, gave Mainline a September 16 deadline for resuming work on the lodge. If Mainline had been unable to finish the job, Cushing was prepared to take it back and restore it himself.
Throughout all this, the Squaw Valley Ski Corp. continued with its $1.5 million lift-improvement program, conducted by Lift Engineering Co. of Carson City.
The Disney organization, stalled on Mineral King, has launched a series of feasibility studies for a year-round resort in the Independence/Mt. Lola region about 12 miles north of Truckee, Calif.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Search for growth
by LUANNE PFEIFER
The search for major winter sports resorts to cater to the huge southern California market continues. Latest study is a special report by FWSA executive administrator, Charles Morse, issued in September, on an area called Moses/Magpie Mountains.
The area lies 12 air miles southeast of Mineral King, whose eight-year court battle to exist is still unresolved. The Morse report is positive, and says that only Moses/Magpie and Mineral King meet the criteria established for the region: 1) elevation for reliable snow in southern California — eight-nine thousand feet; 2) 40” annual precipitation minimum; 3) outside National Parks or wilderness area; 4) north-facing slopes; 5) gentle-to-moderate slopes; 6) minimum of 300 acres.
In addition, the report says, unlike Mineral King, there is no need to cross a national park for access. The report goes on to say, “present thinking is that a cog rail system would be a major, if not the only, public access to higher areas above a village.”
As for Mineral King, it remains grounded, and Disney is looking at resort potential in the Tahoe region. However, Disney spokesman Bob Hicks stressed, “We are not giving up the idea of developing Mineral King for this. It is just that we realize Mineral King is a long time away.”
China Lake ski area, long starved for overnight lodging, will see a 124-unit condominium project opening in January at adjacent Huntington Lake.
PACIFIC NORTHWEST
Aspen to Washington?
by JOHN HOEFLING
If Pacific northwesterners can’t get to Aspen, the Aspen Skiing Corp. intends to bring a bit of that area to the northwest.
Under the guidance of project director Jerry Blann, the Aspen group is ready to undertake a final, comprehensive evaluation of the Early Winters area of the Upper Methow valley in north-central Washington. The area has a potential of 4,000 feet of vertical, and would be planned as a four-season resort, with most northwest metropolitan areas within reasonable driving time.
Lightning did $150,000 damage to No. 1 chair of Oregon’s Mt. Bachelor. The lift will be back in service for the coming season.
Application of the Graduated Fee Schedule has caused Timberline Lodge’s Dick Kohnstamm to declare an end to his 20-year operation of this national landmark.
Kohnstamm has been paying an average $20,000 per year in annual fees. this would increase to $57,000, a fee he feels is unrealistic.
He is willing to sign a commitment to invest $4 in private funds immediately, if he can get a “sound” permit. If not, he’ll “just walk away,” he says.
Professor predicts good winter ahead
Meteorology Professor (Emeritus) Hurd C. Willett has good news for the ski area industry, and it is best where it counts the most.
First of all, he predicts it will be “quite cold” in the Central and Eastern parts of the country, with temperatures “considerably below normal” from late December to mid-February. It may be milder than normal before and after that period.
Precipitation in the northeast, according to Professor Hurd, will probably be subnormal from the mountains to the Atlantic, but will be “substantially above normal” in the Adirondacks, Green Mountains and White Mountains. Professor Hurd points out that even those areas in the subnormal precipitation zone will benefit from an accumulation of snow, thanks to the abnormally cold temperatures.
The Great Lakes and Ohio section will have normal to above normal precipitation this winter, and Professor Hurd predicts heavier snowfall than for the southern tier — south of Pennsylvania.
The predictions are made on the basis of extensive study of cycles. He hit last winter’s weather right on the head, but he is less sure of this coming winter because this past summer introduced some anomalies. Also of significance this year was the occurance of double sunspot cycle reverses. (Not wanting to spoil anything, SAM did not press for details.)
Sun Valley film wins award
The winning film in the “Ski Resort and Travel” category of the International Ski Film Festival was “It’s a place called Sun Valley” —A 24-minute film by Dick Barrymore. It won against 13 other entries, including films from Big Sky, Tod Mt., Killington, Copper Mt., Continental Rockies, Michigan, Tahoe Donner and six from Europe.
The Festival, which was the first of what will be an annual event, was sponsored by Samsonite, and produced by Harry Leonard & Co. Winners in each category are shown in a two-hour show, continuously repeated, at the Fall consumer ski shows Leonard stages across the country.
Judges were writers from ski and travel publications. The other categories were: Ski Racing & Competition, Ski Equipment/Training & Technology, Films & Commercials for Television and finally Other Winter Sports films.
Aspen eyes Oregon region
The Aspen Skiing Corporation is currently studying the Early Winters region of Oregon’s Okanogan National Forest with a view to developing it as a four-seasons resort.
The Aspen group has been quoted as saying that Early Winters is “probably the best suited potential four-seasons ski resort in the western U.S.”
With a no expansion policy at home in Aspen, the Aspen Skiing Corporation is actively searching for a destination resort site.
Fred Pabst is honored
Fred Pabst, veteran of 40 years in the ski area business, was honored October 6 at a reception given by the man who purchased Big Bromley from him, Stig Albertsson. The occasion was to recognize Pabst’s selection as the recipient of the National Ski Writers’ Association “Golden Quill” award.
N.Y. operators to market ski equipment
An unusual and creative program for a state ski area association has been put together for the N.Y. Ski Area Operators’ Association (NYSAOA) by its executive director, Don Boyle.
An agreement was worked out with Spalding whereby a NYSAOA line of ski equipment will be available to member areas for marketing in their areas. The equipment available includes two rental skis, a boot, a pole and bindings. All equipment will carry NYSAOA identification and cosmetics in addition to Spaldings’s.
Using the collective buying power of the association, members will be able to enjoy exceptionally long mark-ups. For instance, on the “Short Circuit” rental ski, which normally retails for $125, will be available under the program for $52.25, instead of the usual wholesale price of $75.00.
Sno-engineering drops Val Moritz project
Sno-engineering, which, as reported in the Summer issue of SAM, was involved in the ski area design and construction of the large Val Moritz resort project in Colorado, has withdrawn from this project in a disagreement with the developers. Sno-engineering president, Jim Branch, chalked it up to “differing philosophies” on land utilization and ski area design.
NSAA President Seibert is wed
NSAA president, Pete Seibert, of Vail Associates, was married September 14 to Joy Elizabeth Case. The couple honeymooned in Scotland.
The service was performed by Fr. Thomes Stone, a parish priest at Vail in its early days, and known to Seibert as his “favorite ecclesiastical ski bum.”
SNOW 75—“A World’s Fair of Winter Sports”
The headline above is the title and promotional subhead of an international gathering of the world of winter sports in Basel, Switzerland, October 14-19, 1975.
Among the six classifications of exhibitors will be one called “Transportation Systems,” which will encompass all types of lifts, over-snow vehicles, artificial ski surfaces and snow-making equipment.
Other classifications are Winter Tourism, Winter Sports Industry (manufacturers of clothing and equipment), Sports and Competition (ski history and the role of competition), Safety and Rescue Systems, and Urbanization and Alpine Environment (planning and development of resorts, parks and winter sports centers).
The show will be open to trade and public alike, and is scheduled to fill 200,000 sq. ft. of Basel’s huge Swiss Industries Fair.
Snow 75 is another brainchild of Serge Lang, Europe’s premier ski writer and the “father” of World Cup competition. SAM interviewed Lang, who is on the executive board of Snow 75, and we excerpt some of his replies:
It often takes a long time for new ideas to get translated into action. When World Cup competition finally arrived, after years of discussion, suddenly everybody was convinced that it was just what they had been awaiting for years. Snow 75 has been the same experience.
After years of thinking about it, and talking to skiers, ski racers and ski industry figures around the world, suddenly, everyone became convinced that this was the right idea at the right time and at the right place.
Despite the existence of many shows and fairs in the ski world, many of the highest quality, the world of winter sports was still missing an international exhibition with real international flavor—something with the character of a universal presentation.
Contrasted with present shows, which are more-or-less ski business supermarkets, what we visualize is a fair for all those who are involved with the big, white world of skiing and wintersports, reaching from the Alps to Japan, from Scandinavia to the High Tatra, from Australia to the Andes, from the High Sierra to the Rockies to the Laurentians of Quebec—a world in which the supplier and the consumer has his place.
North American suppliers to the ski area industry will find they are leading in many ways. There are many parts of Europe, as well in the rest of the world, where skiing is just starting to develop, and very few of these area managers and owners have been exposed to many of the developments in lift, over-snow vehicle, grooming and snowmaking technology. And North American area operators who come will also find that they are more than regional operators: they are part of a world-wide movement where many ideas are fully exportable!”
More details can be obtained through Harry Leonard & Co., 53 West 82nd Street, New York, N.Y. 10028, or through Snow 75, c/o Swiss Industries Fair, Postfach, CH-4021, Basel, Switzerland.
Insurance breakaway in the West
Two regional associations, Sierra Ski Areas Association and the Pacific Northwest Ski Areas Association, have broken with the NSAA Insurance Plan and have endorsed the formation of a Western Ski Areas Insurance Plan.
Graham Anderson, of USI Pettit-Morry Co. in Seattle, is in charge of the new program, and Howard Anderson Associates, of Ellensburg, WA, will supervise the engineering aspects. Anderson previously represented the NSAA Insurance Plan managers, Barringer and Williams.
Underwritten by the Fireman’s Fund group, the program will offer fire, business interruption and several other coverages in addition to liability and property coverage. A dividend feature has been built in which will permit participating members to recover a share of profits of the insurance company “providing the good liability experience of Western areas continues.”
While NSAA officially took the line that “competition is healthy”, there was clearly some worry lest the western defection could prove contagious, and that other regional or state associations would be similarly tempted.
Rufus Barringer pointedly recalled the days of insurance instability and of sudden blanket cancellations of ski area policies by underwriters prior to the existence of the NSAA plan.
MARKETING
Market program for skier growth
The pilot study for the “More People on Skis” program, undertaken by the marketing management consulting firm of Glendinning Associates, was accepted by the American Ski Federation (ASF), and the full report commissioned.
Glendinning, which is receiving a fee of $35,000, will “develop a comprehensive action-oriented marketing program for the ski industry.” It will be designed to help those segments of the ski industry (areas, retailers, manufacturers etc.) that “could benefit from, and financially support, an industry-wide marketing effort.” The report is scheduled for delivery in “early 1975.”
In addition to SIA, which was the prime mover on the project, the program has the financial backing of NSAA, PSIA and SRI. Other ASF organizations are expected to participate in the “proportional financial backing.”
Fred Andresen, chairman of the SIA ad hoc committee that initiated the program, told SAM, “We have been talking to ourselves in the ski industry instead of communicating the benefits of the sport to people who might ski if they only knew about these benefits.”
The Glendinning program will be a blueprint for action, and much of the action that will be recommended will be self-funding, according to Andresen. He predicts it will show how much of the money currently being spent inwardly to sell hard-core skiers, can be effectively redirected, possibly in a co-operatively funded effort.
Eastern pass for association budget
Eastern Ski Areas Association has announced the Ski East Pass, the proceeds from which are designed to fund 96 per cent of the association’s operating expenses. At presstime, half the association’s membership had agreed to honor the passes.
Total passes to be sold is 220, and these are distributed geographically throughout the 17-state region so as to minimize the impact of the passes in any one sector. The non-transferable pass sells for $250, and a special corporate pass for $500, transferable to company staff or clients, is also available.
Rockies seek European skiers
In a market-expanding move of daring and imagination, a three-man task force from the Rockies went to England, Germany and Switzerland in September to drum up ski tourist business from Europe. Joining forces with the Rockies group was United Airlines.
Making up the team were Ernie Blake of Taos, John Francis of Snowmass and Bill Brehmer of Aspen Highlands.
The Europeans, who have long counted on a substantial stream of American skiers to swell their tourist incomes, heard about the Rocky Mountains’ dry powder, bright sun and luxurious lodging, and were given a heady dose of America’s own special brand of local color: cowboys, Indians, old mining lore and the like.
Also covered was the favorable rate of exchange that most Europeans enjoy since dollar devaluation.
In comparing today’s total ski vacation experience in the Rockies and the Alps, Blake is willing to give the Europeans the edge in only one item: “Their pastries,” he says, “are far superior.”
N.J. areas merge
Vernon Valley and Great Gorge, New Jersey’s two major ski areas, have merged. The combined area, which extends along one ridge, will boast 13 double chairlifts and more than 40 trails.
The snowmaking systems at the areas will be interconnected for the coming season giving a capacity of 70,000 cubic feet of air per minute—a massive system which unquestionably makes the combined facilities the largest snowmaking system in the world. Since most of the trails are also lighted, this will be the largest night skiing facility as well.
Cortina Valley opens in December
Perhaps the brightest spot in the east this year is a few miles from Hunter Mountain in the town of Haines Falls. There a brand new ski area is scheduled to open its doors to skiers this December, with two Poma double chairs and a Poma platter lift.
Called Cortina Valley, the area will have a compressed air snowmaking system, possibly supplemented with some airless. Cortina is starting right off with a limit of 900 day tickets, and expects to have no more than a 5-7 minute lift line wait.
Base lodge facilities have been designed to appear as a cluster of connected buildings, rather than as one large building. They include a lodge, cafeteria and discotheque, ski shop and rentals, ski school, nursery and play area, administrative offices and a beef specialty restaurant and bar/lounge for away-from-the-crowd luncheons and fireside dinners.
“Owners of the new area is Mario Belardino, of Staten Island, N.Y., one-time owner of the nearby Villagio Italia. “When I was studying at the University of Rome I had friends who lived in Cortina d’Ampezzo, a ski resort known for its elegance and quality,” says Belardino. “We plan to emphasize the same features.”
MEETINGS
NSAA Board meets in 7 Springs
The principal action of the NSAA Board meeting at Seven Springs, Pa., in September was to pledge a $10,000 participation in a program for developing ways to get more people on skis. The American Ski Federation (a coordinating body consisting of the heads of NSAA, SIA, PSIA and other ski organizations) will be sponsoring the program, which initially consists of a $35,000 expenditure to a marketing firm, Glendinning Associates, “to develop an action-oriented marketing program.”
The Board also took a stand on hot-dogging, and voted to reaffirm the safety guidelines that were in force last year, but which one faction of the freestyle movement wants to abandon.
The NSAA Board also approved a Ziff-Davis proposal to drop the quarterly magazine format of the association publication, National Ski Area News, and to switch to a nine-times-per-year newspaper tabloid. Losses on the magazine were behind the change, plus an expressed wish to “have a more frequent communication with the membership.” The NSAA Newsletters will be dropped in favor of the tabloid. (See editorial on Page 8.)
PEOPLE
Bea Jones moves from Telluride to Bear Valley, CA as director of marketing . . . Susie Graven named marketing director of California’s Kirkwood. Last year she was NASTAR coordinator at Aspen Highlands . . . Jim Belter appointed general manager of Alpine Valley in southeast Michigan . . . Martin Schill, formerly general manager of Snow Ridge, N.Y. has moved to West Mt., N.Y., citing “superb location and great real estate potential”.
Appointed director of Black Mt., N.H. is Donald Bemis . . . R. Benjamin Williams becomes director of the Tyrol Ski School . . . Dave Murakami named PR director at Colorado’s Lake Eldora . . . Mike Sullivan is new marketing director at A-Basin in Colorado. He previously held same position at Indianhead, Mich.
Roger Roundtree named marketing director at Purgatory in southern Colorado . . . New general manager at Powderhorn in Colorado is Harold Harvey, who replaces Larry Klumb . . . Jerry Muth former Vail ski school director, also past PSIA president, is opening a “Head First” retail outlet in the Covered Bridge store at Vail. Les Streeter opened the softwear section last year.
Big Sky in Montana has appointed Donald Kast to head up its ski school. He was previous director at Donner Ski Ranch in California . . . At Red River in New Mexico, Gary Hohnstein has been promoted from assistant manager to manager. Tom Veale has been named business manager for the area, and Drew Gudycki the new ski school director.
Ed Pilkerton goes from Sun Valley to g.m. post at Bear Valley. He is replaced as hotel operations director at Sun Valley by Keith Whitfield, formerly with Park City. Also to Sun Valley as director of sales is Terry Lazar, formerly of Hanson Industries
Doug Hollingworth takes over as food and beverage manager at Utah’s Park City resort . . . Steamboats’s new ski patrol director is Corky Heid . . . John Travis named director of racing at Kissing Bridge, N.Y.
SUPPLIER NEWS
Heron breaks with Poma
In a move that was described as “by mutual agreement and under very friendly circumstances,” Heron Engineering Company (the company’s original name) has ended its relations with Poma.
Jim Stuart, who has replaced Win Reschke as president, says, “We are now concentrating on the design and manufacturing of chairlifts—both double and triple—and feel very confident this is the proper course for American markets.”
Free testing for snow makers
Larchmont Engineering, snowmaking pioneers located in Lexington, Mass. is making its testing laboratories available to ski areas free of charge.
Larchmont, which operates the Blue Hills Ski Area in Canton, Mass., maintains field testing equipment there, and ski areas have been invited by Larchmont to bring their own equipment for on-site testing. Since the area is located next to the ocean, it is “the acid test” for snowmaking, according to Larchmont president, Joe Tropeano. “You can be sure that if you get a favorable reading under these conditions your snowmakers will perform better under more favorable conditions.”
MCP announces drawing winners
Moulded Chemical Products Company, manufacturers of polyurethane sheave liners, has announced the winners in its Ski-rific Drawing. Return-reply cards questioning sheave liner usage were sent to mountain managers of most ski areas throughout the United States. Completed returned cards automatically entered the respondents in the MCP drawing.
First prize winner, of a check for $100.00 to be used at his local ski shop, was Stanley Whitney, operations manager, Pico Peak Ski Resort, Inc., Rutland, Vermont. Second place, $50.00 winner, was Merrill R. Jones, lift maintenance supervisor, Winter Park, Colorado. Third place, $25.000 winner, was Al Voltz, area manager, 49 degrees North, Chewelah, Washington.
Avery takes Thiokol post
Joe Avery, formerly with West Mt. Sales, has been appointed sales representative for New England by Thiokol. Avery will be headquartered at 121 Gill Street, Auburn, Maine until the Spring when he expects to relocate.
Avery is a director of Ski Area Suppliers Association.
SMI “Sells Snow to Eskimos!”
Snow Machines International reports a whole new use for their patented snowmaking machinery.
As a direct result of the energy crisis, oil exploration and drilling in Northwestern Canada has greatly increased the need for vehicular traffic over the tundra and muskeg, but Canadian environmental regulations require a solid packed snow surface before travel is permitted. Contrary to popular fact, though, very little snow falls in the Arctic and what does is susceptible to the high winds. Therefore, some form of snowmaking was in order.
“That’s when they came to us,” reports Hugh Knapp, sales manager of Snow Machines. “The engineers needed a unit that could be easily mounted to their all-terrain vehicles but yet could blow the snow directly down at the proposed road to offset the wind factor. It also had to be able to operate 24 hours a day at temperatures down to minus 40 deg. F. In the end they built rolling houses around each two machines leaving just the fan blades out in the open. The house also protects the necessary generator, pump and one-man crew from the cold. Water is provided by shuttling tank trucks back and forth from an unfrozen source.
All involved claim they have been the butt of numerous jokes about selling snowmaking to the Eskimos, but as Knapp points out, “This does seem to be a first.”
Command Engineering formed in Canada
The assets of North American Engineering, of London, Ontario, long involved in international snowmaking, have been purchased by a consortium consisting of DeLeuw Cather Canada, Ltd., and Command Engineering. Jeffrey A. White is president of the new company, Command Engineering (International) Ltd. William J. Malone of the DeLeuw Cather group is chairman of the board.
Command will specialize in all aspects of resort design and engineering, including snowmaking installation. It is currently working on Dr. Thomas H. Brigham’s multi-million dollar resort development in West Virginia, Snowshoe Corporation.
Command Engineering (Internation) Ltd. is located at Box 2154, Terminal A. London, Ont.
