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.”

Mark Hendrickson has moved to Colorado from Mammoth Mountain to take over the Vail Mountain Adventure Center and the overall summer guest experience. He previously ran the Mammoth summer operations.

“Mark’s experience in a variety of mountain operations roles – particularly during the summer – will be a great asset to Vail, particularly as we look to expand our summer offerings for guests of all ages and abilities,” said Paul Fillion, senior director of Vail Mountain operations.

Camelback Mountain Resort, Pa.; Mt. Bachelor, Ore.; and Mountain Creek, N.J. have been named finalist in the third annual National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) Conversion Cup Challenge.

The Challenge was created as an innovative way to pique competition among ski areas and recognize those who make significant efforts to boost skier and snowboarder conversion rates.

Matt Gebo has been named Director of Marketing and Communications at Park City Mountain Resort, responsible for all brand-marketing efforts. Gebo heads west for a return trip after a stint as marketing director at Mount Snow, Vt.

 

“Matt’s breadth of experience within the ski industry and passion for the sport made him the perfect fit for this position,” said Jenni Smith, president and general manager. Gebo succeeds Krista Parry, who became senior vice president and innovation officer for Powdr Enterprises, a division of the resort’s parent company.

A monthly report issued by the Mountain Travel Research Program (MTRiP) says the western mountain lodging industry saw an increase of 14.2 percent compared to last February. The average daily rate was up 2.6 percent. The booking pace is up a dramatic 20.4 percent for the February-July period.

“The destination winter season is pretty much ‘in the bag’ and, for the first time in several years, both the broader markets and the winter weather patterns are showing sustained momentum that have boosted the season lodging totals,” says MTRiP Director Ralf Garrison.

Tom Kelly, the long-time vice president of communications of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association and the U.S. Ski Team, will take over as Chairman of the Board of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in the spring of 2014.

Kelly will succeed Bernie Weichsel and the pair will co-chair the board for the rest of 2013 and 2014 until Kelly takes over. Kelly has been a member of the board since 1998.

Ary Quiros, 36, of East Burke, Vt., has been named president and CEO of  Q Burke Mountain Resort, LLC, owners of the Northeast Kingdom ski resort.

National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) has announced its lineup of keynote speakers at their National Convention and Tradeshow in Palm Springs, Calif., April 30-May 3 at the Westin Mission Hills Resort and Spa.

Windham Country Club in New York’s Catskill Mountains has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Windham Mountain Partners, the ownership group behind Windham Mountain, for purchase of the golf course.

Was it the snow? An improving economy? Mountain Travel Research Program (MTRiP) reports noteworthy increases and occupancy and reservations among Western U.S. resorts in January to the tune of nine percent year-over-year.

British Columbia Premier Christy Clark dubbed the second Monday in February as Family Day holiday in the Province and ski resorts jumped on board. 

“50 Years of Mountain Fun and Memories” is the theme of Skiing Heritage Week at Vail, Colo. April 8-14, 2013.

Maria Jose Norero is the new marketing director for Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort responsible for sales, marketing partnerships, advertising, social media and public relations.