A report just released by the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) details more progress on implementing the principles of its Environmental Charter during the 2011-12 season. 

Ski show entrepreneur Bernie Weichsel has been named the 2012 recipient of the New England Ski Museum’s seventh Spirit of Skiing Award for his influence in popularizing the sport. 

The award will be presented Nov. 17, 2012 at the museum’s 35^th Annual Meeting and Dinner at Wachusett Mountain Resort in Princeton, Mass. Tickets are $75. A limited number of rooms are available at the Wachusett Village Inn. Call 978-874-2000.

Weichsel, who serves as Chairman of the Board of the U.S. National Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum, located in Ishpeming, Mich., is no stranger to awards. He is the founder of BEWI Productions and, as such, has presented the BEWI Award to honor pioneers in the industry at an annual luncheon during his Ski & Snowboard Expo in Boston. Now, it’s his turn to receive a major award.

The Spirit of Skiing Award is given annually to a person “who embodies the adage put forth by ski pioneer Otto Schneibs that ‘skiing is not just a sport, it is a way of life,” according museum officials. Previous Spirit honorees include Tom Corcoran, Stein Eriksen, Herbert Schneider, SE Group, Penny Pitou, and Georg Capaul.

BEWI Productions was formed in 1979 to produce events modeled on the ski shows of the time run by Harry Leonard and Jerry Simon. He had worked at the Leonard-Simon shows while attending the Colorado School of Mines. BEWI currently produces fall consumer ski expos in Denver, Minneapolis, and Boston.

Weichsel is currently working on an initiative that will combine the Beekley Collection of Skiing Art and Literature with snowsports exhibits from several museums into a visitor attraction in Downtown Denver, Colo.

Many ski swaps across the nation begin in September and peak in November. Ski swaps can offer a convenient and inexpensive way to fill in your current ski and snowboarding equipment or accessories. 

If you have a crystal ball and it says the next two seasons will be outstanding snow years, Angel Fire, N.M. and Arapahoe Basin, Colo. have a deal for you.

One of the best reasons to visit Shanty Creek Resort this time of year is the spectacular fall color. Known for its variety of winter slopes, the resort’s 4,500 wooded acres turn brilliant shades of red, gold and yellow.

Champlain College has named Sugarbush Resort Owner and President Winthrop Smith its 2012 Distinguished Citizen, while the resort has picked Russell Kauth to head the Vermont resort’s Ski and Ride School.

The Champlain honor stems from Smith's and Sugarbush's commitment to civic engagement and philanthropy in Vermont.

Sugarbush, under Smith's leadership, has provided support for a number of cultural and civic organizations including the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, Burlington City Arts, Vermont Foodbank, Mad River Valley Rotary, Quench Art Space, Mad Marathon, and the Green Mountain Opera Festival.

Kauff, the new school chief, has spent the past 11 years “chasing an endless winter” between Vermont and Wanaka, New Zealand. He has taught at Cardona and Treble Cone, NZ. He has held numerous positions in Vermont as a staff trainer, a supervisor, and an instructor at Okemo and Stratton resorts. 

Kauff holds a PSIA Level III and a PSIA Children's Specialist 1 certification and is a USSA/USSCA Licensed Alpine Race Coach.

Photo: Win Smith, Sugarbush President 

UPDATE: 9/16: The Horsethief Canyon Fire by Snow King and the town of Jackson, Wyo. is still being fought while fuel conditions are extremely dry, but it is reported to be 42 percent contained as of Sunday morning. Total burned acreage is now at 3,353, a slight jump over the weekend.

Fall festivals at America’s ski resorts long have been the harbinger of the ski and snowboard season and vary widely in terms of offerings. Here’s a sampling.  

Vermonters who are immediate family members of deployed or about to be deployed overseas military will once again be able to receive free season passes at Jay Peak. The northern Vermont resort has been continually offering the program in 2007.

A top international snowboarding and freeskiing field is set to compete this winter during the 17^th season of the Sprint U.S. Grand Prix. The dual FIS World Cup status events include halfpipe snowboarding, slopestyle skiing and snowboarding, and halfpipe skiing.

A joint effort “to promote a cooperative business model” has been announced by Mt. Abram, near Bethel, Maine, and the Mountain Rider’s Alliance (MRA). Goal for the model project is to boost regional visitation and increase sustainability awareness.

They say, “Free is good.” Maybe that’s why the new offer Southern California’s Mountain High is making on its Freedom Pass is eye-catching: Free skiing at Sierra-at-Tahoe and Stevens Pass plus all of Mountain High.

The New York Catskills resort of Windham Mountain becomes the latest ski resort to look to Major League Baseball as a marketing partner. Windham has announced a multi-year partnership with the New York Yankees.

SnoCountry Ski Areas Association and VacationRoost today announced an affiliate partnership to provide vacation planning and booking resources on Snocountry.com. 

The partnership will provide SnoCountry’s website visitors with one-stop vacation planning services, including the ability to book the widest selection of vacation rentals, hotels, lift tickets, equipment rentals, ground transfers, rental cars, airfare and various vacation activities. Guests will be able to book these services online or with the assistance of a local customer service expert available seven days per week.  

“We are very excited to extend the marketing reach of our member resorts who participate with VacationRoost to offer visitors at SnoCountry.com this valuable resource,” said Tom Cottrill, president of SnoCountry Ski Areas Association. “Our partnership with VacationRoost further positions SnoCountry.com as the Internet’s most complete and up-to-date source for resort snow conditions, news, weather, events and activities, and now vacation services.”

VacationRoost has a deep background in online booking of specialty lodging and vacations for over 80 popular beach and ski destinations. The services will be operated on its Partner Services platform. Complete website merchandising capabilities, online booking, and full call center capabilities will be provided under the SnoCountry Vacations brand. Visitors will be able to access SnoCountry Vacations through the leaderboard widget and various ads throughout all pages on SnoCountry.com.

“We look forward to providing SnoCountry the best available vacation services to share with their customers,” said Julian Castelli, CEO at VacationRoost. 

The Little Bear Fire surrounding Ruidoso, N.M., took out nearly 250 homes and structures in June. But, it certainly scared, if largely spared, Ski Apache . The ski area, extremely popular in the West Texas market, still plans its regular Thanksgiving opening and will debut three new lifts and $15 million in improvements.

Long-time Whistler local Michelle Leroux has returned to Whistler Blackcomb as Public Relations and Communications Manager after a three-year stint running Reine Communication, her own consulting firm.

The Heartland’s newest high-speed lifts are being installed at Wisconsin’s Granite Peak Ski Area and Terry Peak Ski Area in the Black Hills of South Dakota. 

Officials at Taos Ski Valley  will spend the next three months prioritizing improvements to the resort, following a U.S. Forest Service “record of decision.”

"Magic prides itself in keeping it simple,” says Magic Mountain Ski Area President Jim Sullivan. Newly announced lift ticket prices reflect that mantra, holding steady since 2009.

The cameras have barely switched off from the London summer Olympics, but the U.S. Ski Team and NBC have announced a partnership for first-ever live coverage of the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup from Aspen and Beaver Creek, Colo.