National Ski Council Federation Newsbeat
December 2015
Ski and Snowboard Baggage Fees on Airlines Worldwide. Face it: as if airline travel these days isn’t enough of a hassle, traveling with skis or a snowboard has become an absolute pain. As a result, many travelers who used to bring their own gear now rent when they arrive at their destination. That, however, can be costly, and the situation can be further complicated by skiers who use AT boots or other specialized gear.
Thankfully, Matt Clark, Marketing Manager of LUEX Travel, has already done the heavy lifting and compiled a current list of ski and snowboard baggage restrictions and fees for 95 airlines across the globe. The following chart should prove an effective resource as you plan your ski and ride getaways for 2015-16. More. First Tracks!!
NBC Picks Up World Cup TV Coverage. With the demise of Universal Sports Network, NBC Sports has acquired the U.S. television rights to World Cup skiing and other winter sports. The signal from Universal Sports shut down Nov. 16, leaving many U.S. ski racing fans in the dark. NBC Sports Group announced today that it has formally acquired Universal Sports Network assets from World Championship Sports Network, including the rights to nearly all International Ski Federation World Cup events. More.
SIA’s David Ingemie is 2015 BEWI Award Winner. David Ingemie, president of Snowsports Industries America (SIA), was presented with the 30th annual BEWI Award during a luncheon in his honor last month. BEWI Productions president Bernie Weichsel, the award’s namesake, called David “an iconic figure in the U.S and international snowsports business,” noting that he has headed up SIA for more than 30 years. More. SAM !! Ed. Note: Dave Ingemie was at the 2012 NSCF Annual Meeting at Telluride. He is retiring from SIA in January.
Vail to Host Women’s-Specific Ski Fest. Inspired by the Norse goddess of winter, Vail Mountain will host its inaugural annual SKADI Fest, a women’s ski event at the Colorado resort’s Lionshead base. From January 20-22, 2016, female skiers will be treated to customized on-mountain guided experiences with female instructors, evening VIP events, and female-specific ski equipment demos. “SKADI, pronounced ‘Scotty,’ means the Norse goddess of winter. More. First Tracks!!
Ski Town Outhouse Wins Best Restroom in America. Supply company Cintas announced that Minturn, a tiny town sandwiched between Vail and Beaver Creek, was a finalist in the contest to find which bathroom was the best in the United States. The town’s grassroots voting effort succeeded and this week Cintas announced that the unique looking restrooms had taken the grand prize. The restrooms were built with 320 different fabricated wood pieces and are arranged to mimic a mine entrance in homage to Minturn’s mining history. Inside, turquoise walls, copper accents, and tree paintings complete the design, which cost the city about $100,000 to build. More. Curbed Ski
‘Uphillers’ At Western Resorts Grow In Popularity, Rules, Regulations. On any given day at winter resorts in the West, dozens of people on skis, snowshoes or foot can be seen heading out of the base area to get in a run within resort boundaries without riding the lift. Ski industry experts say the growth in sales of free-heeled bindings, climbing skins and trax are among the industry’s fastest – right along with its compatriot, backcountry skiing gear. It’s grown so quickly that the U.S. Forest Service, on whose land most ski resorts reside, have released rules permitting resorts to charge for uphill access. More. SnoCountry
Vail Resorts Commits $30M to Employee Housing. Vail Resorts came out with two major initiatives yesterday, each with the company’s employee base in mind: The EpicPromise Foundation, to support employees’ educational development and general well-being; and an employee housing program. More. SAM
Omni Buys Bretton Woods, Mount Washington Hotel. After operating the properties since 2009, Omni Hotels & Resorts announced on Wednesday that it has acquired Bretton Woods ski area and the Omni Mount Washington Hotel from CNL Lifestyle Properties, a real estate investment trust. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The purchase also includes the Bretton Woods cross-country ski center, the resort’s Mount Washington and Mount Pleasant golf courses, the Omni Bretton Arms Inn, the Lodge at Bretton Woods, and 500 acres for future expansion and development. More. First Tracks!!
UberSKI Launches in Utah, Other Ski Towns Targeted. Hailed as the first skiing-specific foray for the ridesharing giant, uberSKI launched in Utah Dec. 9, offering rides in AWD vehicles along with space for your gear. The service, a partnership with Backcountry.com, will offer rides from Salt Lake City to any ski resort near Ogden, the Cottonwood Canyons or in Park City — all for the same base rates of uberX and uberXL plus a $4 surcharge. More. Curbed Ski Ed. Note: Uber also now operates from Reno to the Tahoe resorts.
Former Intrawest Head Joins Telluride as CEO and Part Owner. Bill Jensen, a ski industry veteran, one-time head of Intrawest and a former executive at Vail Resorts, is joining Telluride as its CEO and partner, the Colorado ski resort’s majority owner, Chuck Horning, announced on Monday. More. First Tracks!!
In Wake of Hunter Mountain Purchase, Peak Resorts Announces Reciprocal Pass Benefits with Mount Snow. After adding Hunter Mountain to its portfolio on Monday, Peak Resorts acted swiftly to ensure season passholders at the Catskills resort felt welcome to the family. The company has announced that all Hunter Mountain season passes would be valid at its flagship resort, Mount Snow in southern Vermont, every day but Saturdays through Sunday, Dec. 18, and vice versa. More. First Tracks!!
Panorama Expands Taynton Bowl. Following the completion of a major glading project and new ridgetop access road, skiers and riders will find Panorama’s Taynton Bowl 60 acres bigger and more easily accessible this winter. Along with many other resort enhancements, this winter’s guest will reap the benefits of more than C$10 million worth of recent improvements. More. First Tracks!!
Cannonsburg Buys Pando (MI). The owners of Cannonsburg Ski Area in western Michigan have purchased the Pando Winter Sports Complex, about 15 minutes outside of Grand Rapids in the village of Rockford. The deal closed on Friday.
Pando operates alpine and cross-country skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing facilities. All six ski lifts are rope tows, while another four cable tows service the tubing hill. More. First Tracks!!
Eldora files appeal on feds’ expansion decision. Eldora Mountain Resort is appealing the U.S. Forest Service’s decision on its planned expansion, which green-lighted some elements of the ski area’s plans but deferred action on those aspects that management considers most critical to its success. The appeal points out that a draft record of decision released March 19 would have permitted boundary expansions totaling about 88 acres to accommodate the planned Placer and Jolly Jug lifts, which the resort believes are needed to expand its vertical terrain to 2,000 feet from about 1,600 feet. More. Denver Post via Curbed Ski
Judge Denies Injunction That Would Have Closed Most of Seven Springs. A county judge has ruled against a Pennsylvania couple, denying their request to close a seasonal road that crosses most of Seven Springs’ ski terrain. Fayette County Judge Nancy Vernon denied the request of Gabriel and Gloria Hudock of Canonsburg, Penn., to issue an injunction forcing the township to keep Neals Run Road open this winter. Neals Run Road crosses the entirety of Seven Springs’ North Face, and keeping the road open would have bisected virtually every ski run accessed by the resort’s North Pole, North Face, Giant Steps and Gunnar Lifts — 70% of Seven Springs’ skiable terrain, according to court papers filed in the case. More. First Tracks!!
Forest Service Approves Breckenridge Summer Plan. The U.S. Forest Service earlier this month approved Epic Discovery, Vail Resorts’ plan for summer activities at its Breckenridge Ski Resort in Colorado. Included in the plan are zip lines, canopy tours, challenge courses, a climbing wall, observation tower in Horseshoe Bowl, off-highway vehicle tours, hiking and biking trails. More. First Tracks!!
Over $400,000 in Improvements Greets Guests at Bolton Valley (VT). Skiers and riders will soon return to the slopes of Bolton Valley for the 2015-16 winter season. When they arrive they will be greeted by over $400,000 of improvements. Upgrades were mostly focused around the Vermont ski resort’s base areas and include new pavement, work in the base lodge, upgraded hotel rooms and two new restaurants. More. First Tracks!!
