National Ski Council Federation Newsbeat
May 2022
Bode Miller Launches Peak Ski Company with Six New Ski Designs. Miller is launching a new venture, Peak Ski Company, a direct-to-consumer ski brand leading with a line of six all-mountain skis designed for skiers like you and me—which is to say, skiable by mortal enthusiasts. Miller is joined by co-founder Andy Wirth, most recently the president and CEO of Squaw Valley Ski Holdings until 2018, who will serve as the brand’s CEO. More. Outside Online
Indy Pass Introduces New XC Pass. Indy Pass has introduced the new Indy XC Pass for 2022-23, which will include two days of access to seven cross-country ski areas in North America. The pass costs $69 for adults, $29 for youth ages 12 and under. Cross-country access will also be included on the regular Indy Pass ($279 adult, $119 youth) in addition to the two days at each of the 82 alpine partner ski areas. More. SAM
Vail Resorts to Add Housing for 875 Employees Across Four Resorts. Vail Resorts has planned four new investments in employee housing at Park City Mountain, Utah, Whistler Blackcomb, B.C., Vail Mountain, Colo., and Okemo Mountain Resort, Vt. The new housing will in total provide affordable housing options to more than 875 VR employees, an increase of more than 10 percent across the company’s resorts. More. SAM
Vail Town Council Halts Vail Resorts Affordable Housing Project. The Vail town council voted 4-3 on Tuesday to begin possible condemnation proceedings on a 23-acre parcel of Vail Resorts-owned land in East Vail, citing concerns over the wellbeing of a herd of bighorn sheep in the adjacent natural preservation. The land was selected in 2019 as an approved site for a $17 million affordable housing development to house 165 employees. Vail Resorts had pledged an additional $100,000 for habitat improvement aimed at preserving the herd of bighorn sheep, which uses part of that parcel for critical winter range at times. More. SAM
Indy Rebrands Core Pass Product, Reduces Blackout Dates. Indy has rebranded its primary pass product as the Indy Base Pass. The Indy Base Pass—not to be confused with the similar-sounding Ikon Base Pass—will continue to provide two days at Indy’s roster of independent partner resorts, subject to newly reduced blackout dates. The Indy+ Pass will remain unrestricted at all resorts. More. SAM
Winter Park Proposed Master Plan Calls for Gondola to Connect Town and Resort. A proposed 10-to-15-year master development plan for Winter Park Resort, Colo., includes a series of gondolas spanning nearly three miles that would connect downtown Winter Park to the Winter Park Resort village, among a variety of other elements that include new and replacement lifts, expanded terrain, new facilities, and more. More. SAM
NY Olympic Regional Development Authority Plans $91.7 Million in Improvements. The state Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) board of directors approved more than $91.7 million in upcoming capital projects, including nearly $20 million for construction of a new lodge at the North Creek Ski Bowl and $38 million for seven new or upgraded lifts at ORDA’s Whiteface, Gore, and Belleayre mountains. More. SAM
Stowe Mountain to Implement Paid Parking. Stowe Mountain Resort will implement a new parking plan for the 2022-23 season that includes paid and free parking as well as carpool incentives. The new strategy aims to reduce traffic congestion on the resort’s two-lane access road, a topic of much discussion this winter. More. SAM
More H-2B Visas Released for This Summer, NSAA Sets Sights on Winter Period. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released 35,000 additional H-2B visas for employers with start dates between April 1 and Sept. 30. The release more than doubles the 33,000 H-2B visas authorized by statute. NSAA director of risk and regulatory affairs Dave Byrd said that additional H-2Bs will also be needed for this winter season. More. SAM
Vail Resorts’ Rob Katz and Sugarbush’s Win Smith to be Recognized by NSAA. Win Smith and Rob Katz will receive the 2022 National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) Lifetime Achievement and Industry Impact Awards, respectively. Smith owned Sugarbush for more than 19 years before selling the resort to Alterra Mountain Company in January 2020. After 15 years as CEO of Vail Resorts, Katz stepped down in November 2021 and assumed the role of executive chairperson. More. SAM
Former Jay Peak Owner Ariel Quiros Sentenced to Five Years. Ariel Quiros, the former owner of Jay Peak Resort, was sentenced to serve five years in prison and pay more than $8 million in restitution for his role in a “Ponzi-like” scheme that misused $200 million of EB-5 investor funds raised to support capital projects at Jay Peak and Burke Mountain, as well as a biomedical research center in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. Projects at Jay and Burke came to fruition, but the biomedical research center never did. More. SAM
Lake Tahoe Chosen for Latest Monopoly Game. Makers of the game, Top Trumps USA, will replace the famous Atlantic City squares (from Boardwalk to Park Place) with representations of much-loved Lake Tahoe historic landmarks, treasured natural destinations, and summertime favorites. Under license from Hasbro, the games will be out in February 2023, and the public can help select the features on the board game. More. SnowBrains
Taos Ski Valley Looks to Reach Net-Zero Emissions with Help of a 100% Electric Snow Groomer. Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico recently became the first North American ski resort to use a fully electric snow groomer by putting a PistenBully 100 E into operation. This is just one of several actions the mountain village is taking to promote sustainability and achieve its pledge to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. More. Electrek via Google Alerts
How The Ski and Snowboard Industry is Changing in 2022 (and What Comes Next). The 2021-22 snow season was marked by immense change as the industry continues to grapple with the ongoing effects of Covid-19 and climate change, but also sees increasing advancements in technology, sustainability and retail. More. Forbes via Google Alerts
Skier Sets Fastest Known Time on Mount Hood in Just His Underpants. Skier Jack Kuenzle just redefined the concept of going fast and light in the mountains. On Kuenzle skied up and down Oregon’s 11,249-foot Mount Hood in 1 hour 31 minutes 31 seconds—a mark that is believed to be the new fastest known time. More. Ski Magazine
The Last Best Ski Bars in the World. A completely opinionated list of the last great ski bars across the globe. These classic ski bars have been around long enough to earn a spot on this list, and a visit to any of them promises a true après-ski experience you’ll remember—and want to revisit. More. Ski Magazine
