National Ski Council Federation Newsbeat
November 2016
CNL Lifestyle Properties to Sell 15 Ski Resorts, Other Properties. CNL Lifestyle Properties has entered into a purchase and sale agreement for its portfolio of waterparks, amusement parks and small family entertainment centers, along with its 15 ski resorts. More. SAM Ed. Note: Operations at the affected resorts are not expected to change, since they have long term leases with CNL that will transfer to the new property owners.
Proposed Law Could Let You Pay for Lift Tickets with Pre-Tax Dollars. Legislation currently pending in both houses of the U.S. Congress could soon let you pay for lift tickets, season passes, ski equipment, and more with pre-tax dollars. The Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act (Senate Bill 2218, and House Resolution 1218) would allow a medical care tax deduction for up to $1,000, or $2,000 for a joint return or a head of household, of qualified sports and fitness expenses defined as “amounts paid exclusively for the sole purpose of participating in a physical activity, including: (1) for membership at a fitness facility, (2) for participation or instruction in physical exercise or activity, or (3) for equipment used in a program (including a self-directed program) of physical exercise or activity,” according to the text of SB2218. More. First Tracks!!
Ski Dazzle Seattle Show Canceled. For the last few months, political advertisements have flooded the media, taking up most of the advertising inventory at premium rates. An unusual victim of this ad frenzy was the Ski Dazzle Seattle Ski and Snowboard Show, which was cancelled because the promoters couldn’t afford spots on TV, radio, and in newspapers. The event was scheduled for Nov. 5 and 6. the company plans to bring the ski show back to Seattle in November 2017. More. SAM
Newell Assures That Its Winter Sports Brands Will Continue. In response to a story published recently, Newell Brands has provided clarification that its winter sports brands including K2, Völkl, Marker and others will continue, even if the company cannot successfully divest itself of those brands in 2017. More. First Tracks!!
Dynafit Ski Boots Recalled. Three models of Dynafit alpine touring ski boots have been recalled in the U.S. and Canada, as incidents have occurred where the boots have inadvertently switched from “ski” to “walk” mode. Additionally, the boots’ upper cuffs can separate, and in one model the boot shell can crack, posing a fall hazard and risk of injury to the skier. More. First Tracks!!
The M.A.X. Pass Adds Six More Resorts. The six properties owned by Resorts of the Canadian Rockies— Nakiska in Alberta, Fernie, Kimberley, and Kicking Horse in B.C., and Mont-Sainte-Anne and Stoneham in Quebec—are now accessible to M.A.X. Pass-holders. That brings the total number of resorts on the pass to 38. More. SAM
Vail Closes on Whistler Deal, Adds Epic Pass Benefits. Vail Resorts, Inc. today announced that the company has closed on its acquisition of Canada’s Whistler Blackcomb. In announcing the transaction, the company also added limited Epic Pass benefits for Whistler this winter. Full Epic Pass access to Whistler Blackcomb will come with the 2017-18 ski season, company officials indicate. For now, though, all 2016-17 Epic Pass and Epic Local Pass holders will receive five days of skiing and snowboarding at Whistler Blackcomb this winter season. In addition, Whistler Blackcomb Unlimited season pass holders will receive five days of skiing and snowboarding at any of Vail Resorts’ U.S. ski resorts. More. First Tracks!!
Jet Service Added to Mammoth from Burbank. JetSuiteX, whose parent company, JetSuite, recently announced an investment from JetBlue, offers the speed of private jet travel but at commercial fares, and is the only nonstop service for sale on this route. Fares for the new route start from $129 each way. More. First Tracks!!
New Chairlift Rises at Mt. Bachelor. Bachelor’s new Cloudchaser high-speed detachable quad lift, manufactured by Doppelmayr, will expand the resort’s terrain by 635 acres to 4,318 acres total, making it the fifth largest ski area in the U.S. More. First Tracks!!
New Austrian Gondola Reopens Ski Terrain Closed for 30 Years. Skiers in Zell am See will have the opportunity this winter to ski terrain that’s been inaccessible by lift for over 30 years, thanks to the installation of a new gondola that links the Salzburg resort’s Glemmtal to neighboring Saalbach- Hinterglemm-Fieberbrunn. More. First Tracks!!
Pennsylvania’s Laurel Mountain Confirmed to Reopen This Winter. After several years of false starts, the lifts will spin once again this winter at Laurel Mountain ski area, 72 miles east of Pittsburgh in southwestern Pennsylvania. More. First Tracks!!
Angel Fire Expands Parks, Widens Runs. Angel Fire Resort, in northern New Mexico’s Enchanted Circle, will expand its terrain parks and widen several of its most popular ski trails for the resort’s 50th anniversary season in 2016-17. More. First Tracks!!
Colorado Ski Area Bought Out of Bankruptcy. High above Idaho Springs, the closest ski area to the Denver metro area will operate six days per week this winter beginning in December, Burwell’s company said after closing on the purchase of the ski area last week. More. First Tracks!!
Powder Mountain to Add Acres, Lifts, Villages. This season, the northern Utah resort will have 1,000 more skiable acres and two new lifts up and running by opening day in December. The lifts will open up terrain that was guide-only, and provide access to a pair of planned mountain villages with up to 500 total home sites. The additional acreage within its ropes means Powder Mountain is once again the largest ski and snowboard area in the country: 7,957 acres. It surpasses Park City Mountain for No. 1 with this expansion. More. SnoCountry
Seattle Man Buys Idaho’s Silver Mountain. Kenmore, Wash. resident Tryg Fortun, manager of the real estate investment firm Eclectic, LLC, has purchased the resort for $5 million, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The 1,590-acre ski area has a vertical drop of 2,197 feet, served by one gondola, five chairlifts and one conveyor lift. More. First Tracks!!
Tamarack Homeowners Save Ski Resort. The Tamarack Municipal Association (TMA), the owners’ association of Tamarack Resort, will operate the Idaho ski area after acquiring the resort’s assets and averting a tax auction that had been scheduled. More. First Tracks!!
Ski Utah’s 5th and 6th Grade Passport Program. Available to all fifth and sixth-grade students, children can ski or ride all 14 resorts in Utah for only a $35 processing fee. The Fifth Grade Passport allows the student to ski or ride three times at each of Utah’s 14 resorts, totaling 42 day tickets statewide. The Sixth Grade Passport allows for one day at each resort, totaling 14 day tickets. The passport also includes deals and discounts, including gear rentals, buddy passes and off-mountain activities. More. First Tracks!!
Pennsylvania Ski Areas’ $49 First-Time Program Returns. Eighteen ski resorts in Pennsylvania are offering first-timers the chance to try a new winter sport for $49, including a lift ticket, lesson and rentals. More. First Tracks!!
