National Ski Council Federation Newsbeat
September 2026
Vail, Alterra, Boyne, and Powdr Hit With New Antitrust Lawsuit Alleging Ski Pass Price-Fixing. Three skiers have filed a new federal class-action lawsuit accusing four of the biggest ski resort operators in the United States of conspiring to raise and stabilize prices for ski passes, lift tickets, and other destination ski products. More. SnowBrains
Vail Resorts Launches New Marketing Strategy Featuring Flagship Destination Rebrand. Vail is rethinking its strategy going forward to raise the profile of the individual brands within its portfolio. Rather than selling skiers access to a collection of resorts, Vail is attempting to highlight the unique experience of each destination. More. Snowbrains
Ikon Pass Adds Three Resorts in Asia, Two Bonus Mountains in US. Madarao Mountain Resort in Japan and Beidahu Ski Resort and Lake Songhua Resort in China have joined Ikon Pass for winter 2026-27. Also new for 2026-27, Caberfae Peaks in Michigan and Snowy Range Ski Area in Wyoming have been added as Bonus Mountains. More. SAM
Indy Pass Adds More Than 30 Partners, Including Smugglers’ Notch. Indy Pass has added more than 30 new partners, including a headlining partnership with Smugglers’ Notch Resort, Vt. More. SAM
New Mega Pass Announces 25 Partner Resorts For $400. Here’s Who It’s Best For. Today, 14 resorts are joining the Snow Pass, a new multi-resort product offering skiers two days at each partner resort, and 30 percent off additional days. The pass is Northeast-focused, and an excellent intro pass for skiers looking to road trip around and visit smaller, less crowded resorts. More. Ski
8 New Nonstop Flights That Make Getting To The Mountains Easier This Winter. Several airlines are announcing new direct flights into ski country, including routes to ski towns like Bozeman, Montana and Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Plus, skiers looking to book that big ski trip to Japan will find new nonstop routes to Tokyo and Sapporo. More. Ski
The 8 Most Exciting New Lifts Coming to North America This Winter. A few of these have been years in the making, others will open new corners of the mountain. Here’s what’s new in ski country. More. Ski
Sugar Bowl’s New Gondola Nears Completion, Part of $100 Million Transformation. Sugar Bowl is detailing several new updates as it undergoes a $100 million, multi-year transformation, tweaking everything from lift infrastructure to its lodges. More. Powder
Tremblant to Invest CA$42M in Lift Served Expansion, Beginner Area. Mont Tremblant will add 62 acres of skiable terrain served by a new high-speed quad chairlift for the 2027-28 season in the Versant Soleil area of the resort, which is also the future home of the new Club Med Tremblant that’s scheduled to open in 2028. More. SAM
Loon to Add 272 Acres of Tree Skiing for 2027-28. Loon Mountain Resort plans to add 272 acres of inbounds tree skiing for the 2027-28 winter season in an area called Black Ridge. More. SAM
Smugglers’ Notch Undergoing Major Snowmaking Improvements. Significant snowmaking equipment and infrastructure upgrades are underway at Smugglers’ Notch Resort, aimed at improving efficiency and production ahead of the 2026-27 winter season. More. SAM
The Summit at Snoqualmie Ends Ikon Pass Reservations, Skiers React. While Ikon Pass holders will no longer need to reserve a spot at the Summit, the resort plans to continue managing ticket capacity. More. Powder
Saas-Fee, Switzerland, Suspends Summer Skiing, Leaving Only One Glacier Ski Area Open in the European Alps. Saas-Fee, Switzerland, suspended summer skiing on August 10, becoming the second major Swiss glacier ski area to shut down this season as persistent heat continues to deteriorate conditions across the Alps. More. SnowBrains
FREESKIER’s Top Five Legendary Double Chairs in North America. A good two-seater lift is unlike anything else in skiing. Ranked and numbered, these are FREESKIER’s top five legendary double chairs in North America. Put ’em on your bucket list! More. Freeskier
11 Famous Ski Resorts—and What Each One Does Best. Every great ski resort has a superpower. Some are defined by their terrain, some by their snow, and others by the way they make a day on the mountain feel. More. Ski
Hit-and-Run Snowboarder Sentenced to 45 Days More Than 2 Years After Causing Collision at Aspen Mountain. A snowboarder who fled the scene after seriously injuring a skier on Aspen Mountain, Colorado, in 2024 has been sentenced to 45 days in jail. More. SnowBrains
