National Ski Council Federation Newsbeat
May 2015
US Ski Team Takes NASTAR Reins. If you’re running gates, the US Ski Team will soon have its collective eye on you. The US Ski Team and NASTAR have entered into an agreement where the team manages NASTAR with the idea of raising the profile of ski racing in America. Keys are to bring greater awareness to the sport and value to the industry while also motivating all ages of skiers to get involved in racing. More. ActionHub
Whistler-Blackcomb to Go Smoke-Free. Whistler-Blackcomb announced it will roll out a new smoke-free policy May 31 coinciding with World No Tobacco Day. The policy will prohibit smoking anywhere on Whistler-Blackcomb property including lift lines, chairlifts, gondolas, ski runs, hiking trails, valley base areas, parking lots, the bike park trails on Whistler Mountain, and all Whistler-Blackcomb bar and restaurant locations including outdoor patios. More. SAM
Lindsey Vonn Named Honorary Ambassador for 2018 Winter Games. U.S. alpine skiing star Lindsey Vonn was appointed as an honorary ambassador for the 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Pyeongchang at a ceremony in Seoul. She is the first non-Korean individual to be named as an honorary ambassador for the Pyeongchang Olympics. More. Chosum Media via Google Alert
Summer Plan at Heavenly Gets Final Approval. The Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board added the final stamp of approval to an extensive expansion of on-mountain summer activities at Heavenly Mountain Resort. Billed as Epic Discovery, new attractions will include multiple zip line canopy tours, a ropes course, an alpine coaster, a mountain bike park, additional multi-use trails, and interpretive and educational tours. Work is set to begin this summer. More. SAM
Thredbo Joins Mountain Collective. Thredbo, Australia, has joined The Mountain Collective as a full resort partner for the 2015-16 season, making it the first resort outside of North America to be added to the multi-resort pass. The news comes on the heels of Vail Resorts’ purchase of Perisher last month and further indicates that North American ski areas see opportunity in the ski and ride market Down Under. More. SAM
Skier visits drop 5 percent nationally in 2014-15. U.S. ski industry officials estimate that this winter was the second worst nationwide for skier visits in the last 15 years. According to the National Ski Areas Association, the industry’s trade group, ski areas tallied 53.6 million skier and snowboarder visits in the 2014-15 season, down 5 percent from the prior season and 3.8 percent from the five-season industry average. More. Summit Daily via Google Alert
Bike Industry Goes Crazy for “Mid-Fats.” Each year, bike season kicks off with April’s Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California. The four-day event fills the pit area of the Laguna Seca Raceway with vendors from every segment of the cycling industry. Here’s a look at what’s new. Hint: it involves a lot of “plus sizing”—plumper wheels and tires that bridge the gap between traditional trail riding rubber and the fat bike craze. More. Mountain Magazine
Lift Revenues Up, Visits Down at Vail Resorts. Vail Resorts has reported that for the 2014-15 season, total lift revenues, including an allocated portion of season pass revenue, were up approximately 8.5 percent, while total skier visits for the company’s nine mountain resorts were down 2.8 percent compared to 2013-14. More. SAM
NSAA Recognizes Individual, Resort Achievements.
2015 Lifetime Achievement Award: NSAA presented 2015 Lifetime Achievement Awards to David Ingemie, president of Snowsports Industries America, and Bob Roberts, president and CEO of the 2015 California Ski Industry Association. Both have announced their planned retirements.
Conversion Cup: Killington, Vt., earned the 2015 Conversion Cup. Killington expanded its aggressive beginner learning program, offering free skis (500 of them) and snowboards (200) to adult lesson takers, and 200 pairs of skis and boots to children. To qualify, lesson takers had to complete four lessons. Killington reports that 96 percent of those who participated in the program say they will continue with the sport, and 94 percent said having the equipment was a prime motivation and contributing factor. About 66 said they went on to visit another resort during the season.
Ski Area Safety Awards: NSAA’s annual Safety Awards were awarded to Sun Valley Resort, Idaho; Angel Fire Resort, New Mexico, Aspen Snowmass, Colo., Wachusett Mountain, Mass., and Snowbowl, Ariz. Adam Wunderlich, mountain patrol manager at Boreal Mountain Resort, Calif., was named the 2015 Safety Champion.
2015 Golden Eagle Awards: SKI Magazine honored three ski areas with the 2015 Golden Eagle Awards for Environmental Excellence, including Winter Park Resort, Colo., Mt. Hood Meadows, Ore., and Shawnee Peak, Maine. Brent Giles of Powdr Corp., Utah, was named the 2015 “Hero of Sustainability.” SAM
Snow Sports Market Sales Reach $4.1 Billion in February. The NPD Group and SIA have released retail results showing the snow sports market up 3%, reaching $4.1 billion in sales through February 2014, $124 million more than the same time last season. Total market projections are based on retail data collected by The NPD Group from the Point of Sale systems of more than 1,200 snow sports retailers.
Sales for the month of February 2015 were down 4% compared to sales in the month of February 2014. Weather patterns that include heavy snow in the Northeast and poor snow sports conditions on the Pacific coast continued to impact the snow sports market. More. SIA
