National Ski Council Federation Newsbeat
May-June 2019
Industry Advocates for Federal Action on Climate Change. A coalition of outdoor businesses and associations converged on Washington D.C. to advocate for climate legislation that will help protect the outdoor recreation economy. May 22 was the Lawmaker Education and Advocacy Day (LEAD) on carbon pricing. And the Outdoor Business Climate Partnership (NSAA, Outdoor Industry Association, and SnowSports Industries America) joined more than 75 other businesses and associations, including Colorado Ski Country USA, Ski Vermont, Ski New Hampshire, and the Pacific Northwest Ski Areas Association (PNSAA), to “LEAD on Carbon.” More. SAM
Skier Visits Top 59 Million in 2018-19 Season. The preliminary total skier-visit numbers at North American resorts reached 59.1 million for the 2018-19 winter season, up nearly 11 percent compared to the 2017-18 total of 53.3 million visits. It ranks as the fourth most total visits since NSAA began tracking visitation in 1978-79. More. SAM
The Top 10 Places to Ski and Snowboard in the Summer. Is ski season over in the moderate climes and you’re still itching to hit the slopes? Check out these destinations South of the equator (or North enough) for summertime shredding. More. Outside Magazine Ed. Note: There’s also skiing at Mammoth and Squaw Valley in California. Mammoth states that they will be open through early August. Squaw plans to be open weekends through July 7.
Killington retains World Cup. U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced that it has signed a contract with POWDR, Killington’s parent company, to keep the World Cup at the resort through 2020. The event includes the women’s giant slalom and slalom races, the latter of which U.S. Ski Team racer Mikaela Shiffrin has won each year since the competition was first held at Killington in 2016. More. Rutland (VT) Herald via Google Alerts
One-Way Connection Creates Austria’s New Biggest Ski Area in 19/20. A new lift and a new lift pass will complete the connection between Austria’s huge Saalbach ski region and the Schmitten ski area at Zell am See next winter to give a combined area of nearly 350km of slopes, but the jury is still out as to whether this can be considered the new biggest ski area in Austria… yet. More. InTheSnow
All Electric Snow Groomer Unveiled. Groomer (or ‘piste basher’) manufacturer PistenBully has unveiled the world’s first all-electric slope groomer at the Interalpin 2019 trade fair, currently underway in Innsbruck. The new machine, the PistenBully 100 E, appears to be a major breakthrough for ski areas that have been looking for ways to cut their CO2 emissions. More. InTheSnow
Mary Jo Tarallo Leaves Learn to Ski and Snowboard Week. Mary Jo Tarallo is moving on to start Sun and Snow Adventures. The new project will feature a blog addressing issues related to recreational activities, health, and travel. It will highlight Tarallo’s expertise in strategic planning, public relations, communications, and writing. Tarallo will also be working with the North American Snowsports Journalist Association. SAM Ed. Note. Tarallo spoke to the 2015 NSCF Annual Meeting in Lake Placid.
