SAM Coverage
History
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Guess Who’s Coming to Ride?
A description of Aspen Mountain opening to snowboarders on April 1, 2001. About 2,500 snowboarders showed up on the historic day.
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NSAA Celebrates Its 35th
How and why NSAA came into being 35 years ago at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.
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Bob Heron, Lift Pioneer
Renowned ropeway engineer Bob Heron has made an indelible mark on the ski industry during a remarkable career filled with firsts. Includes “A Lift…
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If You Build It, They Will Come
The history of the ski industry is the history of uphill transportation. Beginning a new series of features about lifts and their impact.
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In Califonia, It Seldom Rains, Then It Pours
A look at the history of the weather patterns that affect California ski areas and an explanation of the two different jet streams that…
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Mel Borgersen On PNSAA, Past And Future
A farewell address from Mel Borgersen, who is retiring as president of the Pacific Northwest Ski Areas Association (PNSAA). The author looks back at…
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Ski Inc.
Excerpts from Chris Diamond’s must-read new book. In his new book, “Ski Inc.,” former Steamboat president and COO Chris Diamond provides a window into…
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Trailblazers : : Ron Ratnik
From World War II refugee to snowmaking innovator. SAM: How did you come to America? Ratnik: My family fled Estonia in 1944 as the…
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Getting a Grip
With all the excitement being generated by the Next Games, the X Games, and the emphasis on more and more freestyle terrain features, it…
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Some Thoughts on Our Fortieth
To prepare myself for this 40th anniversary publishers’ memo I cruised through our 20th and 25th celebrations. Scary! So much that I was planning…
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Little Big Mountain
Outside of Toronto lies a ski area that has shown the industry how lots of experience plus a little innovation can go a long…
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Two Greats Pass On
Sverre Engen, last of the three Norwegian brothers, Alf, Sverre and Corey, who made so much ski history in the U.S., died April 4…
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Remembering Dave McTaggart
The ski industry has often served as a magnet for quixotic, flamboyant, sometimes beloved, often roguish charmers. Few have surpassed David McTaggart, who died…
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Coming Full Circle
The following is an excerpted book review from the November 1985 issue of Ski Area Management magazine. Commentary can be found at the end…
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Just Cleaning Up at Aspen
The novelty of allowing snowboarding at Aspen lasted until about mid-afternoon on the day they opened the doors. After that, anyone who suddenly materialized…
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A Ramble in Ski Statistics
Perhaps you’ve heard the old one about how, more than 60 years ago, skier statistics got started down the slippery slope they have been…
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Ski Historians Meet At Sun Valley
They came from as far as Norway and Australia, they ranged in age from mid-thirties to mid-eighties and they skied like demons. The occasion…