More than 6.4 million skiers and snowboarders flocked to the slopes of Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) member resorts for the 2012-13 season. 

With excellent skiing and riding conditions for most of the 2012-13 season, New Hampshire ski areas recorded a total of 2.5 million alpine and cross country skiing, snowboarding and snowtubing visitors.

Bolton Valley is a recent winner of one of Ski Vermont’s inaugural Green Mountain Awards for Environmental Excellence. They also were awarded the National Ski Areas Association Silver Eagle Award for Excellence in Energy Conservation/Clean Energy in 2010.

Nine employees at Whitetail Resort in Mercersburg, Pa., have received scholarships totaling $5,000. It’s the 11th annual program.

A total of 4,031,621 skiers and snowboarders enjoyed Utah’s slopes during the 2012-13 season, which ended Memorial Day Weekend. It’s the sixth time in eight years the state’s skier numbers passed the four million mark.

Two Deer Valley Resort mountain operations staff members have been honored by the Intermountain Ski Areas Association (ISAA) during its annual convention held this year at the Utah Resort.

More than 5,000 pounds of winter apparel were distributed to victims of last winter’s Hurricane Sandy by Snow Sports Industries America (SIA). The ski retail trade association partnered with Kids In Distressed Situations (K.I.D.S.), a New York City charity.

Erik Forsell has been named Chief Marketing Officer for Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, responsible for all aspects of marketing, including strategy, brand, product development, pricing, distribution, and advertising.

Forsell comes to Mammoth from ASICS America where he oversaw the company’s marketing efforts in the U.S. Canada, and South America and brought the brand to it’s most successful year ever in 2012. His work was recognized with the Cannes Lions Festival and One Show Interactive awards for digital and outdoor marketing campaigns.

A final tally of mountain lodging has been released by the Mountain Travel Research Program (MTRiP) with eastern lodging properties benefitting from a solid start and finish to the season, unlike their slower-starting western counterparts.

Chris Diamond, president and COO of Colorado’s Steamboat Resort has been presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award of the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) at its annual convention in Palm Springs, Calif. last week.

Diamond is credited with playing a lead role in establishing the Yampa County Airport Commission, which oversaw a $30 million expansion and renovation of the regional airport. He also oversaw an Urban Renewal Authority for the resort base area totaling more than $20 million.

The 17 ski resorts owned by CNL Lifestyle Properties saw significant increases in revenues and skier visits over the 2012-13 season. Revenues rose 16 percent, while skier visits jumped 10.4 percent.

“We have made substantial investments in our resorts to boost snowmaking capacity, add lifts, open up new terrain and enhance base area facilities,” said Steve Rice, CNL Lifestyle Properties senior managing director. “We believe these investments, as well as the strong snowfall we’re had this year, have helped our resorts perform as well or better than the industry over the past three seasons.”

The award season is in full force at the National Ski Areas Association annual convention in Palm Springs, Calif. Golden Eagle Awards for Environmental Excellence and the National Ski Area Safety Awards took center stage. 

The Golden Eagle Awards, now in their 20th year, recognize ski area environmental programs and projects.

The name of the game today for resorts is to do everything they can to create lifelong skiers and riders. Mountain Creek, in New Jersey, has been declared winner of the 2013 NSAA Conversion Cup for doing just that.

The announcement was made during NSAA’s National Convention and Trade Show currently underway in Palm Springs, Calif. Finalists were Mt. Bachelor, Ore., last year’s winner, and Camelback in Pa.

Andy Clurman, Andy Bigford, and Alan Crolius, the core of a team that used to run Boulder-based Ski and Skiing magazines have reclaimed those titles and more in a sale of certain publishing assets of the Bonnier Mountain Group. No price was disclosed.

The three top executives and 86 employees of Active Interest Media (AIM) preside over a stable of publications that include Backpacker and Climbing, American Cowboy, Yoga Journal, Log Home Living, and Power & Motoryacht Magazines. Plans call for adding 35 employees with the acquisitions.

Skier visits at seven Vail Resorts properties rose 5.5 percent this season compared to 2011-2012 numbers, the company announced on Monday. This report is by Troy Hooper from our partners at Mountain i Journals. 

The publicly traded company (NYSE: MTN) did not break down the visits for each ski resort; it instead released the cumulative total for Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Vail in Colorado, along with Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe region that spans a section of California and Nevada.

Rice has been named managing senior director of ski/mountain lifestyle and lodging properties, responsible for leading those sectors. His previous title was managing director and he has overseen the REIT’s ski portfolio since joining the company in 2007. He previously managed East Coast properties for Intrawest.

Some 108 ski resorts across 24 states have written a letter expressing support for a “climate declaration” by Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy (BICEP).

The resorts, through the Sustainable Slopes environmental charter of the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) wrote to BICEP, saying the ski areas “stand behind your strong message to policy makers to pass meaningful energy and climate change legislation now.”

An early Easter was the likely culprit for April bookings taking a hit, but overall, lodging numbers were solidly ahead of last season in the West. That’s according to the monthly report issued by Mountain Travel Research Program (MTRiP).

“The 2012-13 winter season is finishing up solidly ahead of last year with continued momentum delivering a strong March aided by Easter week moving into March,” said Ralf Garrison, MTRiP director. The strong March was likely at the expense of April which, he said, was down “a sharp 9.8 percent.”

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming officials say the resort ended the season with approximately 502,222 visits, surpassing the previous record season of 2008. The record was set despite in-season snowfall being 100 inches below average.

“Grooming and snowmaking assisted Mother Nature this year for sure,” said Jackson President Jerry Blann. “To achieve a record in a year like this is quite an accomplishment and a tribute to the hard work by all our employees.”