National Ski Council Federation Newsbeat
May-June 2016
New Hampshire Congressional Representative Relaunches Congressional Ski and Snowboard Caucus. U.S. Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, D-NH, co-chairwoman of the Congressional Ski and Snowboard Caucus, convened fellow caucus members last month for a conversation with two current and former members of the U.S. Olympic Ski Team, Hannah Kearney and Tiger Shaw. Kuster, Kearney, and Shaw were joined at today’s event by Congressman Scott Tipton (CO-03), Congressman Jim Himes (CT-04), and Congressman Peter Welch (VT). Earlier this year, Kuster, along with Congressman Tipton, relaunched the Congressional Ski and Snowboard Caucus as a bipartisan forum to advance the priorities of skiers, snowboarders, and industry professionals across America. More. Google Alerts. Ed. Note: Then Representative Tom Udall spoke to the 2008 NSCF Annual Meeting in Winter Park about the caucus. The caucus became inactive after he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2008.
Colorado Supreme Court Rules Avalanches an Inherent Risk of Skiing. The Colorado Supreme Court ruled that avalanches are an inherent risk of skiing and fall under the state’s liability-limiting Ski Safety Act. In a 5-2 decision, the court agreed that avalanches result from changing snow conditions, changing weather, and variations of steepness and terrain, all of which are specifically noted in the Ski Safety Act. More. SAM
Appeals Court Backs Ban on Snowboarders at Alta. A multi-year battle may be drawing to a close. According to an AP news report, a federal appeals court on Tuesday backed a ban on snowboarders at Alta Ski Resort in Utah, saying that the private business has the right to ban the activity. The ruling and subsequent dismissal of the lawsuit came from the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, marking an end to a long-term battle to change Alta’s no-snowboarding policy. More. Curbed Ski
Skier Visits Rose Slightly, to 53.9 Million, in 2015-16. U.S. ski areas tallied an estimated 53.9 million skier and snowboarder visits during the 2015-16 season, up slightly from last kottke season’s 53.6 million total, according to the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA). A record year in the Pacific Northwest and the Rockies was offset by steep declines in visitation in the eastern half of the country. More. SAM
SIA Headquarters Headed West. Snowsports Industries America (SIA) has informed its staff that the organization’s headquarters will be relocating out west. The organization said the move will put it in better proximity to partner brands, like-minded organizations, and the winter sports environment as a whole. SIA said it’s talking with two snow industry hubs as possible new locations, and a decision will be made this month. Some of SIA’s existing staff will be relocating with the move. SIA will announce details once a final decision is made. More. SAM
Soda Springs, Gore Mountain, Aspen Win Golden Eagle Awards for Environmental Excellence. Soda Springs, Calif., Gore Mountain, N.Y., and Aspen Skiing Co., Colo., earned the 2016 Golden Eagle Awards for Environmental Excellence, presented by SKI Magazine. Additionally, SKI named Kristyn Lingenfelter of Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows in California as the “Hero of Sustainability” honoree for 2016. The Golden Eagle Awards, overseen in a partnership between SKI and the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), are the ski industry’s most prestigious honor for recognizing resort environmental programs and projects. More. SAM
Crystal, Taos Win 2016 NSAA Sustainable Slopes Grants. The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) has named Crystal Mountain, Mich., and Taos Ski Valley, N.M., as recipients of its HKD annual Sustainable Slopes Grant Program. Funds from the program target carbon emission reductions, snowmaking improvements, and climate adaptation at U.S. ski areas. More. SAM
More International Expansion Possible for Vail Resorts. Vail Resorts’ CEO Rob Katz said that the company is looking to expand its portfolio of resorts, with possible acquisitions in Canada and Japan “a higher priority,” according to Snow Hunter’s World Weekly Snow News. The strength of the dollar has increased Vail’s buying power in recent years. Vail went outside U.S. borders for the first time when it purchased Perisher, Australia’s largest ski resort. More. SAM
Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows Partners with China’s Genting Secret Garden Resort. In a move aimed at tapping into the growing Chinese tourist market, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows has entered into a “strategic alliance” with China’s Genting Secret Garden Resort, one of the host areas for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. California is currently the top U.S. destination for Chinese travelers, who spent $2.5 billion in California in 2015, according to research by Visit California. More. SAM
8 Ski Areas Undergoing Major Renovations. The competition to attract skiers and riders from the world over has made continual upgrades and additions nearly a requirement for top-tier ski resorts. That means more lodging, upgraded base areas, new villages and on-mountain improvements like new terrain and lifts. For a sampling of what’s coming, Curbed Ski rounded up eight major renovations currently in the works across ski country. More. Curbed Ski
Mad River Mountain (OH) to Build New Base Lodge. After losing its base lodge to a fire last September and operating out of temporary Sprung Structures this past winter, Mad River Mountain, Ohio, plans to break ground on a new $6.5, 46,000-square-foot base lodge in May. More. SAM
$9 Million Expansion Underway at Cascade Mountain (WI). Cascade Mountain is working on a $9 million expansion project that includes two new lifts, seven new trails, additional cascade snowmaking, an expanded main lodge, paved parking, and base area improvements. And that is just the first part of what will be a three-phase expansion plan. More. SAM
