SAM Coverage
Grooming
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2026 Groomer Report
Snowcat manufacturers continue to refine their machines and after-sale support. Within the steel and aluminum construction of grooming machines lives digital intelligence that continues to…
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Over-Snow Vehicles
How the SAM “Groomer Report” began. Former SAM technical editor Nils Ericksen wrote an article called “Over-Snow Vehicles — a Survey” in the Spring 1979…
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Andrew Nicolas Appointed CEO of Prinoth U.S. Snow Grooming Division
SAM Magazine—Tooele, Utah, Jan. 26, 2026—Prinoth named Andrew Nicolas as CEO of its U.S. snow grooming division in December. In his new role, Nicolas…
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The 2025 SAM Terrain Park Contest Winners
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…
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Getting Trails Ready for Winter
It pays to do work during the summer so trails can open with less snow come winter. In the last decade or so, no…
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2025 Groomer Report
New technology plays an increasingly large role in modern snowcat development and operation. When we break it all down, a groom-ing machine serves two…
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Registration Opens for the 21st Gathering of Cutter’s Camp
SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Jan. 30, 2025—Registration is now open for SAM’s Cutter’s Camp, May 5-9, 2025, at Timberline, Mt. Hood, Ore. The five-day program…
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Winners of the 2024 SAM Terrain Park Contest Revealed
SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Dec. 16, 2024—More than 1,700 votes were cast in the 18th annual SAM Terrain Park Contest in which a total of…
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SAM Terrain Park Contest 2024
Our annual contest shows how park builders flexed their creativity and ambition during the 2023-24 winter season. Every year, as we sift through the…
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Cutters Camp Turns 20
Celebrating 20 years of terrain park community building, collaboration, and knowledge sharing. It started with a conversation with Day Franzen after we profiled him…
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2024 Groomer Report
After years of tweaks and changes, both PistenBully and Prinoth have reached greater uniformity across their model lines, aiming to make life easier for…
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New All-Electric Snow Cat Debuts at Dutch Indoor Ski Dome
SAM Magazine—Zoetermeer, Netherlands, April 10, 2024—Xelom has unveiled an all-electric groomer at SnowWorld Zoetermeer, a Dutch indoor snowsports center located near Rotterdam and The…
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2024 “I AM A SNOWMAKER” VOTING IS NOW OPEN
SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Jan. 22, 2024—Online voting for the 2024 “I AM a Snowmaker” contest is now open through midnight (EST) on Friday, Feb.…
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Mechanical Issue Closes Hesperus for the Season
SAM Magazine—Durango, Colo., Jan. 3, 2024—The gearbox for Hesperus Ski Area’s only lift suffered a major mechanical failure during preparations for the 2023-24 season,…
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New HQs for Mountain Ops
Mountain operations have expanded greatly over the decades, and so must the notion of “maintenance shops.” Maintenance shops are one of those capital expense items…
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Terrain Park Contest 2023
From massive features to culture-cultivating events, video edits, and the crews that make it happen, our annual celebration of resort terrain park builders’ innovation…
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Late October Snow Primes the Pump for More Ski Area Openings
SAM Magazine—Killington, Vt., Nov. 2, 2023—More North American ski areas are opening for the season after late-October snowstorms pummeled various regions this past week…
