Sierra resorts still expand
Squaw Valley is getting two new lifts. One is the Solitude chair which parallels the existing Shirley Lake lift; the other, Newport, will serve a portion of Siberia Bowl. Squaw’s Alex Cushing also hopes to have a restaurant in operation at High Camp, the top cable-car station, by the first snowfall.
Heavenly Valley opened up another 200 acres of skiing with completion of its fifteenth chair, Stagecoach, on the northeast side of Boulder Peak in the Nevada sector of its two-state complex. A third base facility has also been started at the bottom of Stagecoach, where parking, restrooms and ticket booths will be located. The lift serves the women’s downhill course, which will be used in both the National Alpine Championships February 14-18 and World Cup races March 11-13.
Bear Valley expanded its intermediate terrain by 350 per cent with development of Bear West, 250 acres served by the new Hibernation chair, No. 7 at the resort’s Mt. Reba ski-slopes.
And nearby Kirkwood now also offers seven chairs following the addition of its Hole-in-the-Wall lift, which will be supported by the new Hahnenkamm Lodge, a 3200-square foot structure with 2000-square-foot deck operated by ski-school director Hannes Lamprecht.
Ski Incline will operate with its existing facilities, but under new management by the community’s Incline Village General Improvement District, which floated a bond issue to purchase the area from its previous owner, Japan Golf.
The old Incline staff, headed by general manager Gordon Horsley, moved just a few miles up the hill and will run Slide Mountain in 1976-77.
Wisconsin areas in expansion moves
Rib Mountain in Wisconsin has installed a chairlift, as has Whitecap Mountain. At Sugar Hills, to which owner Charles Skinner has returned after three years as president of Maine’s Sugar Loaf USA, has added Big Thunder chairlift, doubling capacity in the Thunder Valley.
Many areas have sharply increased their snowmaking capabilities, including Alpine Valley (25 per cent) and Olympia (formerly Highlands), which, under the new ownership of Bob Schneider, has added 20 per cent.
At Telemark, touring and cross country racing facilities have been expanded following the area’s selection as official Midwest Training Center for the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team.
Killington adds a chair and snowmaking
Killington has added a 4,400-ft chair with 1,600-ft vertical and a 1,200 skiers per hour capacity.
In addition, the area’s huge snowmaking capacity has been enlarged by increasing the water pumping capacity on the upper mountain by 50 per cent. Among other benefits, the increased capacity will permit the 7,400-ft Cascade expert trail to be covered independently from top to bottom. This trail has also been modified to meet FIS requirements for an approved Giant Slalom trail.
New area to open in N.H.
Scheduled to open Thanksgiving Day is New Hampshire’s newest ski area at Brickyard Mountain Inn, Laconia. The 4-season resort complex will be managed by Bernard McCudden. John Vorel will head the ski school.
The recreational facilities were designed by Merle C. Trepp, veteran ski area operator, and include extensive snowmkaing, lifts and six new ski trails which command spectacular views of Lake Winnipesauke.
Bogus completes expansion program
The third and final phase of Bogus Basin’s expansion program was undertaken this summer to the tune of $1,637,000—the largest project ever undertaken by the Idaho area in one year.
The most costly single item is a new, mile-long double chairlift with 1,800-ft vertical which opens up 600 acres of skiable terrain.
In addition, over 2,000 feet of pipe and culvert were laid to eliminate drainage problems, major remodeling and enlarging of a day lodge was undertaken, a new vehicle maintenance building erected, three tennis courts constructed and increased lighting for night skiing installed.
The area is operated by the non-profit Bogus Basin Recreational Association.
Aspen expansion project delayed
Answering questions from stockholders and other interested citizens, Aspen Skiing Corporation president D. R. C. Brown reiterated recently that cumbersome approval procedures in Pitkin County will prevent work on the proposed No. 12 “High Alpine” double chairlift at Snowmass this year.
Brown said a portion of the $650,000 budgeted for No. 12 lift and trail construction will be diverted to other projects but that the services of approximately 30 people required for construction will not be needed. He added that, as planned, the company is spending approximately $900,000 in improving the quality of skiing at the corporation’s three facilities on Aspen — Aspen Mountain, Buttermilk and Snowmass.
Brown also noted that he appreciated the expeditious measures taken by Pitkin County Planner Bill Kane in obtaining approvals under current procedures. But he added that “the combination of local processes and Forest Service indecision and bureaucratic red tape prevented commencement of the lift construction project.” Although approved by County Commissioners, final approval by White River National Forest officials is still pending.
Alyeska adds 6,000-ft. chair
Chair No. 4, its third in four years, has been added at Alaska’s Mt. Alyeska. The lift is 6,000 feet long, has a 2,100-ft. vertical and a 970 per hour capacity. The top drive terminal is powered by a 250 hp electric motor.
Alyeska Resort and its parent company, Alaska Airlines, have spent more than $1 million for capital improvements this year.
ACQUISITIONS
Harry Bass buys control of Vail
Control of Vail was effectively gained by Harry W. Bass on September 10 following the successful conclusion of an offer by his Goliad Oil & Gas Company to purchase up to 400,000 shares of Vail Assoc. stock at $14.00 per share.
At the expiration of the offer, 770,800 shares had been tendered to Goliad, which represented virtually all of the 980,000 outstanding shares of Vail not already owned by Bass. The 440,000 were to be prorated from among the total shares tendered.
At a Vail Associates board meeting on the next day, Bass announced that he foresaw no changes in policy and no changes in management. He stressed that his brother, Dick, who owns Snowbird in Utah, had no financial interest in Vail, and that he, Harry, had none in Snowbird.
Unlike the tender offer from Contran in the Summer of 1975, which was aggressively and successfully fought by Vail, the Bass offer, which was originally for 250,000 shares at $12 per share, was considered “friendly” by Vail management. Bass raised the offer to 400,000 shares at $14 and the Vail board endorsed it to shareholders as a good offer.
Pressed for reasons why he had made the offer, Bass would not go beyond saying that he simply wanted to buy control. (He now owns 52 percent.) He also cited his long involvement with the resort as a stockholder, member of the board and home owner.
Evergreen Valley is bought by businessmen
The ill-fated Evergreen Valley Resort in Stoneham, Maine, was bought in August by three businessmen for $1.25 million with bank approval.
The partially-completed resort, which includes tennis courts, bridle trails, ski slopes and a lodge-restaurant complex, had gone into receivership last year when its previous owners defaulted on loans.
New owners are Harry Paradis and Rupert Aldrich of Maine, and Bruce Williams, a resort owner for Wolfeboro, N.H.
LAW
LTV sued for breach of contract
A $29 million suit has been filed in Steamboat Springs County Court by Steamboat Springs Village Resort Corp. against LTV Corp charging breach of contract. The plaintiffs, who actually are the Ware Travelstead, George Steinbrenner et als group, had previously announced their intention to buy the Steamboat Springs ski operation from LTV Recreation Development Co.
The suit specified $14 million damages for loss of future profits on the property. In addition, $15 million is asked as exemplary damages for “material misrepresentation, attended by circumstances of fraud, malice or insult or a wanton or reckless disregard for plaintiff’s feelings.”
There was also $335,000 asked for special damages, and $500,000 for injury to the plaintiff’s reputation.
Among other details, the complaint alleges that on or about July 1, LTV repudiated the previous agreement to sell, and alleges that thereafter the plaintiffs were denied access to any information.
At press time LTV had no comment on the suit.
Hit-and-run legislation introduced in N. Hampshire
In response to the increasing number of hit-and-run accidents on ski slopes in recent years, Richard D. Hanson, a New Hampshire state representative and a member of the board of directors of the Eastern Ski Association, introduced the first legislation designed to curb such actions. The bill, which is an amendment to the present Tramway Law, would make it a misdemeanor for anyone involved in a ski accident to leave the scene.
“My hopes are that we will gradually strengthen this law based on ideas and suggestions from skiers, area personnel and ski patrol people,” said Hanson. If the bill passes in the winter 1977 session of the New Hamsphire legislature, a skier could be fined up to $100 for a hit-and-run violation.
Currently, no states have legislation covering skier-involved accidents, according to Hanson. Although the ski areas would be responsible for enforcing the law and the penalties are very mild, the ESA is supporting the bill and hopes to see others like it passed in other states, because it brings “legal help in curbing the rising number of skiing accidents.”
Freestyle organizations settle their differences
Professional Freestyle Associates and Halco, the producers for American Freestyle Skiing Association (AFSA), have reached a settlement of their disputes.
The core of the settlement calls for the dropping of PFA’s suit against Halco, the mutual ceasing from public feuding and an agreement by Halco to limit its use of the word “championships” in its events. Both parties expressed satisfaction with the outcome.
In the meantime, J. D. Nelson of AFSA has presented a program to NSAA for its consideration. The program is designed to alleviate the insurance problem currently faced by the ski area industry because of inverted aerial maneuvers. If the AFSA program (see Summer SAM “Crossroads for Freestyle”) is accepted and endorsed by NSAA, it could be in operation for this winter. If it is not accepted by NSAA, the probability is that the ski area industry will close ranks against inverted maneuvers on their mountains.
Forest Service studies lift ticket pricing
The firm of Laventhol and Horwath has been selected by the Forest Service for a study of all aspects of lift ticket pricing. The study is intended to give the Forest Service the research data on which to base future guidelines for handling permittee requests for price adjustments.
Among the five areas stipulated for investigation, the study will go into “the nature and scope of the competitive situation of the ski area industry operating on National Forest lands. . . The existing competitive situation for the various categories of services, as well as the overall operations for the areas, shall be determined.”
In addition, it calls for developing “a procedure for identifying the inequities in noncompetitive pricing or where markets are not being equitably served. . . The equitability factor shall pertain to areas where there is concern that pricing for tourist markets are unfairly related to resident markets.”
The heart of the study is to “develop a procedure for evaluating prices to ensure reasonableness and equitableness in serving the market.” The Forest Service adds that it expects this procedure to be as simple as possible, be administratively practical, allow for speedy decisions and be durable in time.
The study, which will cost $89,000, is to be completed by March 1977. Laventhol and Horwath named several subcontractors in their successful proposal, including Ted Farwell.
Ski lift operators training film
Authorized Personnel Only, a new 16 mm sound and color training film for ski lift operator attendants is available to ski area operators throughout the nation for use in their employee training programs. The film, a first in the industry, went into production last January. Sponsors of the $40,000 film project are the American Home Assurance Company and Barringer & Williams, NSAA Insurance Plan Managers.
The film focuses primarily on the role of the chairlift operator, although surface ski lift operations are also dealt with. The film is offered to interested ski area operators at print cost, and copies are available to NSAA member areas for $160, and to non-members for $250. A limited number of prints are available for loan and all inquiries on the film should be directed to Barringer & Williams, Managers, 90 South Main Street, Rochester, New Hampshire 03867 (603-332-5800). The film will also be used extensively at state and regional ski area operators meetings.
NSAA acts in support of ski team
The National Ski Areas Association has designated January 1, and 2, 1977 as “U.S. Ski Team Days.”
On these dates, participating ski areas throughout the nation will be soliciting their customers to purchase a pin for $2.00 to support the team. The pin has the logo of the ski team superimposed over an outline of the United States. Most of the “collectors” at the ski areas will be members of junior racing teams. As an incentive for them to do the job they will be allowed to retain 20% of the sales, which must be used by the ski area to foster and promote junior competitive programs at the area.
Coca-Cola/USA, co-sponsor of the drive, is supplying support material such as attractive display posters and identification bibs for the collectors. U.S. Ski Team Days is being organized and coordinated directly by NSAA, Tom Corcoran, of Waterville Valley, Chairman. NSAA is asking for strong, enthusiastic support by every ski area.
Also in support of the U.S. Ski Team, NSAA will issue 125 Gold Passes for the 1976-1977 ski season, entitling the owner or his designee to a free lift ticket, any time, at almost every major ski area in the U.S.
Gold passes are available to the first 125 people who make a contribution of $1500 or more to the U.S. Ski Educational Foundation, which supports the training and competition of the U.S. Alpine and Nordic Ski Teams.
Professional avalanche seminars announced
Two 5-day professional seminars have been scheduled by Sierra Avalanche Seminars, Box 8, Norden, CA 95724 (916) 426-3037. The first is at Crystal Mountain, WA, December 16-20; the second at Alpine Meadows, CA, January 24-28.
The professional seminar “is designed to provide necessary knowledge and skills for avalanche control personnel.” The curriculum consists of classroom lectures as well as field sessions with explosives, shot placements, cornice control, snowpack analysis.
Tuition is $185.00, which includes literature and lift use, but excludes meals, lodging and equipment.
PEOPLE
Gene McMasters has been appointed General Manager of the Windham Mountain Club, N.Y. McMasters was previously Marketing Director at Loon Mt., and before that held the same position at Mt. Snow. . . Charlie Haskins is new National Director of NSPS. He succeeds Harry Pollard who served eight years in the post. . . Roger Lessman has been named Lift Maintenance Manager for Vail. . . Paul Pfosi, for the past 10 years the Director of Skiing at Waterville Valley, has been appointed to the same post at Heavenly Valley. . . James R. Modrall III has been appointed President of Schuss Mountain, Mich., and Brian L. Cairns VP and General Manager. . . Thomas J. Torge returns to Kissing Bridge as Director of Racing. For the past two years he has been Racing Director at Killington. . . R. Gary Andrus was named VP Marketing for Copper Mountain.
SUPPLIER NEWS
Trade show schedule
Two January trade shows have been scheduled by NSAA. The first is sponsored by ESAA and will take place at Stratton Mountain, January 16-18. The second is tentatively scheduled for January 24-26 at Snowmass, Colorado.
Prior to these shows, the Ontario Ski Resorts Association is staging a trade show at the Talisman Resort, January 10-11 which will be promoted throughout eastern Canada, according to the organizers.
N. H. selects group for snowmaking study
The State of New Hampshire Special Services Division has selected the proposal of Jeff White (Delta Assoc.) and Command Engineering to design a snowmaking system for Sunapee State Park in Sunapee, N.H.
The system, valued in excess of $1.5 million, was approved by the state legislature in 1975, subject to 50 per cent Bureau of Outdoor Recreation funding.
Several firms from the U.S. and Canada submitted proposals for the project, and the Toronto-based Command-Delta group was selected.
“We hope that final funding and contract negotiations will be completed soon,” said White, “so that tendering on the project can start early in the new year. Completion is planned for the Fall of 1977.”
Tropeano addresses European operators
Joe Tropeano, of Larchmont Engineering, was the guest speaker at the 2nd International Symposium at Davos, Switzerland in September. He spoke on snow quality as the basis for safer and more enjoyable skiing, as well as on the methods of making snow.
Larchmont Engineering specializes in irrigation and snowmaking, and has developed many products in each field. The firm is headed by Joe Tropeano and his brother Phil. The two recently received a citation from the Department of Commerce for their work in irrigation development in Istanbul and Teheran.
Maxey Sales Manager
Maxey Manufacturing Co., of Fort Collins, Colo., has appointed J. L. “Mack” McCain to the post of International Sales Manager for the Maxey snow grooming equipment.
A Colorado resident for the past eight years, McCain has been in sales management, the last five working with ski areas across the country on ski poster and bumper sticker design.
Maxey designs and manufactures Snow Movers, Snow Groomers and Snowmobile Trail Groomers. The company aso specializes in trailers for use in handling tracked vehicles and snow grooming equipment.
