Big air snowboarding and an alpine team event were approved the International Olympic Committee (IOC) this week as new event inclusions for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association had been among nations lobbying for inclusion of big air. U.S. World Cup stops were released by the F.I.S. as well.

Ohio’s Clear Fork Ski Resort has once again closed. It is scheduled for a sheriff’s sale this month after a judge ordered foreclosure on the property to recover a nearly $2.5 million loan debt.

If you like road trips and have a “bucket list,” make sure the iconic Blue Ridge Parkway is high on that list. This spring I drove the parkway from beginning to end along the spine of the Appalachian Mountains.  I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Jodie Rogers has been promoted to director of food and beverage at Deer Valley Resort. Julie Wilson, Deer Valley’s director of food and beverage for over 30 years, will be retiring from the director position and transitioning to consulting for special food and beverage projects for Deer Valley Resorts, including Solitude Mountain Resort.

The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) recognized accomplished athletes and leaders at its annual Chairman’s Awards Dinner during USSA Congress. Olympic and World Championship gold medal winning moguls skier Hannah Kearney, from Norwich, Vt, was honored by the USSA with the Beck International Award, which is awarded to the top USSA athlete in international competition. 

Combined revenue figures for Rocky Mountain (Colorado, Utah and Wyoming) and Far West (California, Nevada and Oregon) mountain resorts were up 11.2 percent over last season and set an all-time revenue record that exceeded the previous record set in the 2007-08 ski season. 

Patches of snow still dot the hillside at Wachusett Mountain Ski Area, further evidence of one of the most memorable winters ever for the central Massachusetts’ ski resort. Wachusett wrapped up its  historic winter this month with numerous records and accolades.

The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) is taking a deeper look at college ski racing as a viable component of the U.S. Ski Team pipeline with the introduction of a National University Team for alpine ski racing. 

The Siberia Express chairlift at Squaw Valley Resort in California will be upgraded this summer in time for the 2015-16 winter season. Plans include replacing the current high-speed quad, with a high-speed six-passenger chairlift designed to improve reliability, efficiency, and operational effectiveness. 

Quebec’s Tremblant kicks off its summer season May 15 with a number of activities and events for guests. 

Canada West Ski Areas Association presented their 2015 Jim Marshall and Lars Fossberg Awards at their annual conference at Whistler.

Deer Valley has appointed Andrew Fletcher as Solitude Mountain Resort’s new director of food and beverage. Fletcher joined Deer Valley in 1998 as an assistant sous chef at the Silver Lake Lodge. 

Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn made it clear she was sticking around to try to mine some more gold at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. The American superstar, who engineered a dramatic post-injury comeback last winter, was named the first International Ambassador for the Games.

New Hampshire's House of Representatives passed an amended bill creating a special taxing district allowing the state to back $28 million in bonds toward redeveloping the Balsams Resort and ski area, which closed in 2011.

Whistler Blackcomb will extend the skiing and snowboarding season on Whistler Mountain until Sunday, June 7. The extension will allow skiers and snowboarders to enjoy three extra weeks of late season spring skiing and riding. 

Two of the most well known brands in ski racing, the U.S. Ski Team and NASTAR, have entered into an agreement to raise the profile of ski racing in America under which the the U.S. Ski Team will assume operational control of NASTAR. 

Tim Wolfgram has been named Solitude Mountain Resort’s new director of snow sports services. Wolfgram is a long-standing ski industry veteran and brings vast knowledge and experience in snow sports operations to the position. Deer Valley recently closed on it’s acquisition of Solitude.

Sugarbush Resort has seen significant reductions in energy and waste since last year. The resort invested in 351 Snow Logic, HKD, and Ratnik low-energy snowguns last summer to help reduce energy consumption. 

U.S. Ski Team's superstar speedskier Lindsey Vonn and golfing great Tiger Woods announced their breakup Sunday on social media. 

Deer Valley Resort has successfully closed on the purchase of Solitude Mountain Resort. Deer Valley has now begun operating Solitude in its entirety. That signals enhancements are on the way.