National Ski Council Federation Newsbeat
February 2017
RIP Skiing Magazine. After nearly 70 years of publishing, Skiing magazine printed its final issue this winter—ultimately consumed by its milquetoast longtime sister title, the bigger and marginally more profitable SKI magazine. More. Outside
Intrawest Considering Sale. Intrawest Resort Holdings, the owner or operator of six of North America’s most popular ski resorts, is considering putting itself up for sale. Intrawest now owns or operates Steamboat and Winter Park in Colorado, Stratton Mountain in Vermont, Snowshoe in West Virginia, Quebec’s Tremblant, and Blue Mountain in Ontario. It also operates condominium resort hotels in Mammoth Mountain, Calif. and in Hawaii, and owns British Columbia heli-ski operator Canadian Mountain Holidays. More. First Tracks!!
NSAA President Michael Berry to Retire. During National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) board meeting in Denver at the SIA Snow Show last month, NSAA president Michael Berry informed the board that he is retiring at the end of this calendar year. Berry has been president of NSAA since January 1993. More. SAM
Head Skis’ Headway Pilot Programs Underway. Head Skis has been working with the Professional Ski Instructors of America on a rekindled graduated-length method of learning, called Headway, which guarantees results in just one day. This “total immersion” program combines three different lengths of specially-designed rental skis with all-day instruction, and on-mountain testing of the program has officially begun at two participating resorts. More. SAM
New Heated Goggles Minimize Fogging. Abom, Inc., manufacturer of the world’s first anti-fogging heated ski and snowboard goggles, has refined its technology in announcing the newest addition to its product line, the Abom Heet. The Heet features the second generation of Abom’s heated goggle technology, with a new environmental sensor that automatically heats the lens to eliminate fog. More. First Tracks!!
Rossignol Shows Off New Smart Ski. At the ISPO trade show in Munich, the French brands PIQ and Rossignol showcased the first-ever “connected ski”. The new product integrates a PIQ Robot artificial intelligence device in the Rossignol Hero Master ski. PIQ and Rossignol demonstrated a working prototype at their respective ISPO booths. The skis are embedded with PIQ’s GAIA Intelligence — the first artificial intelligence system that autonomously analyzes sports motions. More. First Tracks!!
Snow Sports Industry’s #FirstDayFaces Campaign Encourages Newbies. The #FirstDayFaces social media campaign highlights newcomers’ first day of learning from a professional instructor. Through Tuesday, February 28, skiing newbies can enter by posting a photo of their first day of learning from their instructor alone or with friends to their favorite social media platform with the hash tag #firstdayfaces. A variety of prizes are offered. More. First Tracks!!
Breckenridge, Keystone Announce Resort Upgrades. Keystone and Breckenridge Ski Resorts in Colorado have announced plans for capital improvements due for next winter, including upgrades to both the Montezuma Express Lift at Keystone and the Falcon SuperChair at Breckenridge to six-passenger chairlifts, and plans to renovate and expand Keystone’s Labonte’s Smokehouse BBQ restaurant. These plans are all subject to U.S. Forest Service approval. More. First Tracks!!
Big Sky Adds Lifts. Big Sky Resort, part of Boyne Resorts headquartered in Michigan, is planning on spending over $150 million on resort improvements over the next eight years. The improvements will include the most advanced chairlift network in North America, elevated lodging, dining and shopping, and more on-mountain activities, according to Stephen Kircher, president of Boyne’s eastern operations and Big Sky. The aim is to establish Big Sky Resort, with its iconic Lone Peak, and surrounding area as the American Alps. More. SnoCountry
New York to Invest $28 million at Whiteface and Gore. Gov. Andrew Cuomo is committing $28 million for capital enhancements at two of New York’s state-owned facilities—Whiteface and Gore Mountain. Both ski areas are located in the Adirondacks, and Cuomo said the goal is to attract more tourists to the areas so they can rival ski resorts in nearby Vermont and Canada. More. SAM
Hyatt Plans Its First Ski Resort in the French Alps. Hyatt Hotels & Resorts has announced plans for Hyatt Centric La Rosière, the first Hyatt Centric hotel in France and Hyatt’s first ski resort in the region. Hyatt has entered into a franchise agreement with La Rosière Gestion SARL to be managed by Sophos Hotels. The new 71-room hotel is expected to open by the 2017-18 winter season. Hyatt Centric La Rosière will bring the Hyatt Centric brand concept to the Savoie region of the French Alps. The hotel will be located moments away from the ski lifts in the center of La Rosière. More. First Tracks!!
State Approves Killington Resort Village. Many years in the planning, the proposed village at the base of the Killington Resort in Vermont has secured Act 250 approval from the state to construct Phase I of the Killington Village Master Plan following a rigorous, multi-year approval process. More. First Tracks!!
Beaver Creek to Install New High-Speed Quad. Colorado’s Beaver Creek Resort will upgrade its Drink of Water Lift (#5) from a two-person fixed grip to a new high-speed quad, to debut as Red Buffalo Express (#5) during the 2017-2018 winter season. More. First Tracks!!
A-Basin Moves Ahead with Terrain Expansion. Arapahoe Basin Ski Area today announced the implementation plan for its latest terrain expansion into The Beavers and The Steep Gullies. Located to the west of the current ski area boundary, the new terrain will add approximately 468 acres of skiable terrain to Arapahoe Basin, bringing the ski area’s total acreage to 1,428 acres upon completion of the project. The new terrain will accommodate a wide range of skiers, from intermediates to experts. More. First Tracks!!
