Bert Fischer, of Bay Village, Ohio, led early efforts to develop possibilities for disabled persons to ski. Now, the well known Midwest teacher and writer will receive the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame Pioneer of Skiing award.

No one served longer as editor of SKI Magazine in its 75-year history than Richard (Dick) Needham. He died Dec. 12 in Sarasota, Fla. from complications of open heart surgery. He was 73.

Bertie Holland, Snowsports School director at New Hampshire’s Pats Peak has been named the 2012 recipient of the Einar Aas Award for Excellence in Snowsports School Management given by the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) and the American Association of Snowboard Instructors (AASI) Eastern Division.

KSL affiliate KSL Capital Partners has acquired 24 percent of Whistler Blackcomb Holdings Inc. by purchasing 9,092,500 common shares of the corporation for $12.75 each. 

Whitetail Resort in Mercersburg, Pa. announced a number of staff promotions this week. Rodney Malcolm heads the list moving into the lift operations manager slot. He had been snow tubing manager since 2010. 

Specialty Sports Ventures (SSV), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. plans to open six new stores this holiday season in Colorado and California.

U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association President and CEO Bill Marolt has announced he will leave the organization he has led for the past 16 years in the spring of 2014.

“Come up and ski.” Unfortunately, those words that Jeff Kuller used to end many interviews will no longer be heard.

Participating in a fund called Waves For Winter will allow the Eastern Winter Sports Reps Association(EWSRA) to benefit colleagues who were severely affected by the recent Super Storm Sandy in the Mid Atlantic.

On-the-books occupancy for November 202 through April 2013 is down 3.9 percent compared to last winter, according to the monthly report just released by the Mountain Travel Research Program (MTRiP).

Betsy Brauer, an Appleton, Wisc. businesswoman and Gary Mayer, a ski resort entrepreneur in Killington, Vt. received the 27th annual BEWI Award for “their many contributions to the success of BEWI-produced Boston Ski & Snowboard Expo."

Here’s the question: Will Priceline’s acquisition of Kayak this week affect the travel side of the snowsports industry?

Joe Sargent, a co-founder of Killington in Vermont has died some 56 years after he jump-started the process that led to the opening of the famed “Beast of the East.” He died Nov. 9 in West Hartford, Ct. at age 83. Cause of death has not been released.

Avis Budget Group rental cars and Intrawest’s resorts and other properties have joined forces in a multi-year partnership for co-marketing each other’s brands.

Seattle Business magazine named Stevens Pass the winner in its Recreation Category and a member of its exclusive Green 50 List of “outstanding, sustainable organizations.”

A new component will bring fresh tracks to the Mountain Travel Symposium March 7-14, 2013 in Snowmass, Colo. It’s the MICE Exchange for professional meetings incentives, conference, and exposition planners.

Jim Spring, the man universally respected and known as “the smartest man in the specialty retail business” died this week of throat cancer. His wife and business partner, Joy, and his three children and two grandchildren survive him.

Long-time publicist, educator, and writer Mary Jo Tarallo received the Industry Achievement Award from SnowSports Industries America (SIA). It was presented by SIA Board Chair Tim Petrick at the Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

Whistler Blackcomb has been named one of Canada’s best employers for young people as chosen by the editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers and also picked up several conservationist awards.

The booking pace for winter reservations is down 3.9 percent for the next six months year-over-year, says the Mountain Travel Research Program. MTRiP tracks reservations at 260 property management companies in the west.