Acquisitions
Mount Snow face-lift planned by new owners
First priority: snowmaking to the top, resulting in a 50 per cent increase in total coverage. Also first priority is the gearing up of all lifts to capacity. This will include getting rid of the bubbles on three chairs. “The idea of them was to give skier comfort on a cold, windy day which is exactly the sort of day when they couldn’t be used because of the wind,” explained a Killington executive.
Another top priority is “to groom the living hell out of that mountain and relate it to the snowmaking,” he added.
Despite the short time available, Mt. Snow will have a full range of package plans in operation this winter. Essentially this means everything from two through seven day versions of lift only, lift-plus-lesson, and lift-plus-lesson-plus-equipment plans. In addition, there will be a one-call area lodging service.
The man in charge (title still not firm) is Chris Diamond, who has been Preston Smith’s assistant at Killington, and, as Assistant V.P., an officer of the Sherburne Corp. The manager of skiing at Mt. Snow, with broad operational responsibilities, will be Bruce McCloy.
Mt. Snow will be run completely separately from Killington this winter, with no joint marketing or joint tickets. “Whenever we meet the public there will be representatives for each area,” said Foster Chandler, Killington V.P. marketing.
Preston Leete Smith, president and chief executive officer of Sherburne Corp., said the transaction involved the purchase of all assets of the ski resort from First Wisconsin Mortgage Trust. “We want to concentrate on redeveloping the skiing experience at Mt. Snow by bringing the various facilities on the mountain into balance,” Smith said. “We intend to take a slow, steady approach,” he added.
The way things were hopping at Mt. Snow in September made one wonder what Smith would do if he was in a hurry!
Two Midwest areas change ownership
Timberline Ski Area, in Arena, Wisc., has been purchased by a group of ten Madison families. Increased snowmaking plus food service and a bar were the first order of business, according to co-owners Keith Syvrud and John Hook.
Also operating under new management is Cascade Mountain, Portage, Wisc.
Tyrol Ski Area changes hands
Tyrol Ski Area in Jackson, N.H. has been purchased by brothers Timothy and Peter Bailey. Plans are under way for trail expansion and a major addition to the base lodge.
Tyrol services its 14 trails and slopes and its 1,000-ft. vertical with a double chair, a T-bar and a Poma. It is one of the five areas in New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington Valley.
Woody Anderson buys a second ski area
Woody Anderson, former general manager of Utah’s Park City Resort, and currently owner and operator of Pomerell Ski Area in Idaho, has purchased a second Idaho area, Magic Valley, located 35 miles from Twin Falls and 60 miles from Pomerell.
No changes are planned for this year; expansion is probable next summer.
Area Roundup
Midwest lift and snowmaking booms
On the heels of a profitable 1976-77 season, many midwestern areas are in the throes of major expansion.
Among those adding lifts are Minnesota’s Wild Mountain, a second quad . . . a quad at Crystal Mt., Mich . . . a triple at Timber Ridge, also in Michigan . . . two quads—the first chairlift for the area—at Royal Valley, Mich . . . and three doubles at Michigan’s newest area, Blackjack. At Trollhaugen in Wisconsin the world’s first double quad — a Borvig — is going in.
Snowmaking is also being expanded by many. In Wisconsin, Timberline doubled its snowmaking, as did Cascade Mt. Tyrol Basin also expanded substantially. Schuss Mountain in Michigan doubled its snowmaking capacity, while Ski Brule, also in Michigan, made a major expansion to cover all the area’s slopes. Both Boyne and Boyne Highlands are converting to the Boyne SnowMaker units they patented, with the installation of about 20 units at each area.
New area opens in Upper Peninsula
A rarity these days, a brand new ski area, Blackjack, will open this winter in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Featuring a 465-ft. vertical, the 12 runs will be served by three double chairs. The area is a family-owned operation, according to co-owner Dick Steiger, a stockholder in nearby Big Powderhorn.
There is no overnight lodging yet, but the area is opening with a day lodge, complete with cafeteria and bar, rental equipment and a ski school.
Timberline wins environmental battle
Timberline Lodge has emerged the winner in another court battle over the completion of the long-awaited Palmer lift, high above the Lodge on Mt. Hood. All challenging suits brought by the Oregon Environmental Council and the Mazamas Mountaineering Club were dismissed by the U.S. District Court recently.
This means that Timberline will complete the new lift, which was 85 per cent done at the time of dismissal anyway. It should be ready for operation in late October, according to Lodge operator Richard Kohnstamm.
Financial woes plague Oregon ski areas
Three Pacific Northwest areas may not be open this winter unless new ownership and/or capital is forthcoming before winter. Willamette Pass and Hoodoo Ski Bowl, both Oregon areas hard hit by last winter’s snow drought, will discontinue operation unless new owners are found.
Financially troubled Mt. Ashland may get monetary relief enabling it to continue if a local county bond issue of $625,000 receives a favorable vote at a November 8 election. Jackson County has proposed the issue for the purpose of building a chairlift and for maintenance of present facilities.
People
Bauer replaces Hock as ‘Ski’ Publisher
George Bauer has been appointed publisher of Ski magazine, replacing Nick Hock, who had held the post since 1973. Hock remains publisher of Ski Business and Ski’s Guide to Cross Country Skiing.
Bauer, who most recently was advertising director of Golf magazine, had been advertising director of Ski under its previous owners from 1967 to 1970, when he joined Bob Beattie’s Worldwide Ski Corp. He again served as advertising director of Ski 1973 to 1975.
Bauer, an ardent off-soundings yachtsman, is also a long-time ski patrolman.
Killebrew, Pfosi killed in airplane accident
Hugh W. Killebrew, Jr., owner and operator of Heavenly Valley, was killed in a mid-air collision between the plane he was piloting on take-off from the South Lake Tahoe Airport and a second plane, also on take-off, which overtook him. The Killebrew plane crashed on Highway 50, while the second plane returned safely to the airport. (A tribute appears in Speak-out on Page 8.)
Also killed were Paul Pfosi, for ten years the ski school director at Waterville Valley, and more recently the director of skiing at Heavenly Valley; Inge Ingejeike, marketing director; and Sherrie Allie reservations supervisor at the resort.
Under provisions of a contingency plan he had made earlier, Killebrew’s son, William, takes over Heavenly Valley operations as general manager.
Meyers named top ski writer in U.S.
Charlie Meyers, SAM stringer for the Rockies, and ski editor of the Denver Post, was awarded the 1977 Harold Hirsch Award as the nation’s outstanding ski writer.
Last year’s winner was Bill Berry, also a frequent contributor to SAM.
Meyers received the honor at the USSA convention at Snowmass, Colo.
Jack Buchheister and Gary McGraw become Winter Park VP’s, for public affairs and operations respectively; Randy Woolwine takes over as lift department manager. Tom Dorgan will direct the ski school at Cascade Mt., Wis . . . Woodie Thomas, formerly manager at Pine Knob, will manage Maplehurst Ski Area, Kewadin, Mich . . . Stephen E. Eccleston is the Director of the Killington Ski School . . . Kathe Dillmann, previously with NASTAR as national coordinator, has been appointed Director of Communications for NSAA . . . Wally Huffman is new director of operations for Sun Valley; Robert Button appointed to work as his associate, and Jack Acuff named office manager . . . Mike Beebe, of Temple Mt., was re-elected to a third term as president of the N.H. Ski Area Operators . . . Cliff White retires as president of Sunshine Village, Banff, Alberta, after 17 years; he is replaced by John Gow . . . Vicki Smith is new Director of Sales for Copper Mt., Colo; Jerry Muth is Copper’s Skier Services Manager . . . C. Robert Foster is director of skiing, and Christye P. Pergament Director of Marketing for Holiday Valley, N.Y. . . . Michael L. Iman is new Ski School Director of Northstar-at-Tahoe, replacing Bruno Beinder who has gone to Keystone in that position . . . Peter Palm, formerly at Steamboat, will manager Big Powderhorn at Bessemer, Mich . . . Keith Petrie moves from Mt. Spokane to Multorpor, Oregon as general manager, and Sam Wormington, previously at Idaho’s Schweitzer Basin, takes his place at Mt. Spokane . . . Bruce Colon is new GM at Snow Valley, Vt . . . Retired Army General Hal G. Moore is exec VP at Crested Butte. Rene Farwig is new ski school director at Park City.
New ski industry research published
Organizations with ski industry research libraries will be interested in a new study by Charles Hirschler, of SMART (Sports Marketing and Research Technology) on various aspects of the ski market.
The study concentrates on the change in the market—and thus of marketing techniques—between 1970 and 1975, but includes a lot of historical data that covers from 1956 forward.
The study is available for $100 from SMART, Inc., Box 25, New Canaan, CT 06840.
Charter planned for visiting French show
A mountain symposium and ski area equipment trade show will take place April 12-17 in Grenoble, France. Called SAM 78 (Salon de l’Amenagement en Montagne), it is the third edition, the last one having been in 1976.
All types of ski area equipment will be exhibited. Seminars will be held on several subjects: lifts (safety, ticket systems, lift-line controls), slope grooming, snowmaking, employee relations and the development of economic activities in mountain environments.
There are plans to organize a charter group of North American ski area personnel and other ski industry figures. Participants will visit SAM 78, and the trip will include some busman’s holiday experiences at some top French ski resorts.
Anyone interested in joing this charter should contact Ski Area Management.
Ski promotion group formed in midwest
A broad cross-section of individuals and businesses involved in the ski industry have formed Ski Mid America, Inc., an organization dedicated to the sound growth of the sport and industry.
“A membership . . . should be treated like an insurance policy for the future growth and strength of skiing,” said an August progress report.
The founding meeting was attended by over 100 people representing retailers, suppliers, manufacturers, media, ski areas, instructors, ski patrol and other interested groups.
“Ski East” expands, becomes “Ski Country”
Media Montage, publishers of the magazine supplement, Ski East for the past seven years, have merged their organization with Media Networks Inc., publishers of consumer magazine inserts. In a related move, Ski East has changed its name to Ski Country and has expanded its distribution to the midwest.
According to Alan Bross, founder and president of media montage, Ski Country will be delivered “to major concentrations of affluent skier households in the east and midwest through county-by-county and town-by-town circulation breakouts of major newspapers such as the Boston Globe, New York Times and Chicago Tribune.”
The publishers predict their November issue will reach 1.5 million skiers.
CTEC opens Eastern office
Jan Leonard, President of CTEC Inc., announced that Stu Kidder has joined CTEC as manager of their soon-to-be-established East Coast Office. CTEC which is a consulting engineering and equipment supplying firm has been involved primarily in ski lift rebuilding and re-engineering projects across the country. It was decided an eastern office was needed to help coordinate eastern projects and provide closer customer liaison. CTEC currently has offices in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Sacramento, California.
Stu Kidder comes to CTEC with 10 years of experience with the Hall Ski Lift Company, most recently acting as Sales Coordinator. In the fall and winter Kidder will be working at Ski Crotched, New Hampshire, after which he will establish a permanent office for CTEC. “Stu’s considerable experience and knowledge of ski lifts is commensurate with the company’s goal of being the leader in lift consulting work” said Leonard.
Oregon skiers will pay to park
Oregon skiers will have to pay more for their use of areas this coming season—all because a law was passed creating a commission to advise the state regarding removal of snow from winter recreation parking locations. This Commission will designate and establish priorities for parking areas that will be plowed by Oregon’s highway division.
The new law requires vehicles using such designated parking areas between Nov. 15 and April 30 to purchase parking permits. Motorists will pay a $1 fee for daily permits, or $5 for an annual permit. Law violators will be fined $10.
Revenues from fees and fines will go to state highway funds for removing snow from these designated areas.
New promotional film sells the ski sport
A new 24-minute promotional film, “Skiing is Believing” has been produced and released by Ski Industries America. Unlike the traditional promotional ski movie, this one has a story line and distinct characters who ski at different levels of skill, and thus provide a broad ski spectrum for the viewer to identify with.
Joe Jay Jalbert, the producer, and Don LaFontaine, scriptwriter, are both accomplished professionals with long lists of screen credits behind them.
Distribution of the film is being jointly sponsored by NSAA and SIA, and will be conducted through Modern Talking Pictures, Bandera TV Productions and Sports World Cinema. “We are working very hard at pinpointing distribution to assume the maximum exposure for this refreshing new film,” said David Ingemie, marketing director of SIA.
Copies of the 16mm color film may be purchased through SIA, Box 2270, Peabody, Mass., 01960, for $100.
Vernon Valley adds skateboard park
Vernon Valley in New Jersey has added seven skateboard bowls to its bag of tricks. An Alpine Slide was already in place.
Ski Team and CBS sign three-year agreement
The U.S. Ski Team and CBS Television Sports announced their three-year association in which CBS becomes the exclusive broadcast agent for the Team in all FIS-sanctioned events through April of 1980. According to a CBS spokesman, at least three World Cup or international skiing competitions a year will be aired on the network’s “CBS Sports Spectacular.”
Warren Hellman, who directs the team’s financial affairs, said, “The funds from this agreement have been pivotal to provide for what we believe to be the most significant aspect relative to long range growth of the U.S. Ski Team.”
