First Tracks!! Online Ski Magazine

Utah’s Ski and Snowboard Season Wraps Up This Weekend at Snowbird

First Tracks!! Online Media — Fri, 24 May 2013 21:51:15 +0000

Snowbird, UT - Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort is celebrating the close of the Utah 2012-13 ski and snowboard season this weekend with live music and festivities that will culminate in a party on the Plaza Deck on Memorial Day this Monday. “Snowbird’s closing weekend celebration is a fantastic way to end the season, with guests carrying on a tradition of skiing in costumes or t-shirts and shorts,” said Dave Fields, Vice President of Resort Operations. “We’re excited to stay open for so long, and then open summer activities in just two weeks.” Offering the longest ski and snowboard season in the state, Snowbird was open for 182 days of skiing and snowboarding this season. The Little Cottonwood Canyon resort received 410 inches of snow since November 1, 2012. The Tram and Little Cloud chairlift will be open through Monday for advanced skiers and snowboarders. Resort officials are advising that all skiers and snowboarders ride the Tram down at the end of the day due to melting conditions on the lower part of the mountain, although terrain below Little Cloud’s base is now designated as backcountry skiing. Lift tickets this weekend will be priced at $65. Closing weekend festivities will [...]

Environmental Group Appeals Burnt Mountain Expansion Approval at Snowmass

First Tracks!! Online Media — Fri, 24 May 2013 21:26:21 +0000

Snowmass Village, CO - An environmental group that lost its effort to block Snowmass’ expansion of gladed terrain on Burnt Mountain has appealed that approval. The Ark Initiative, based in Wyoming, filed its appeal earlier this month in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. They argue that Aspen Skiing Co. should be barred from future lift access and grooming on the 230 acres of terrain, previously designated as out of bounds and popular with backcountry skiers, that first opened to skiers and riders this past winter following tree thinning last fall. They’re appealing to try to force the U.S. Forest Service to go back and re-examine whether or not 600 to 1,000 acres on Burnt Mountain, of which the new glades are a part, should be deemed roadless, a designation that would prevent lift access and grooming. It was upon this theory that the group initially objected to the Burnt Mountain expansion, and subsequently lost. U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg ruled last October that the 2011 Colorado Roadless Rule does not include land within designated ski area boundaries, and lifted an injunction barring Snowmass crews from thinning trees on Burnt Mountain. Snowmass’ Master Development Plan [...]

Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows Prepare Upgrades for 2013-14

First Tracks!! Online Media — Fri, 24 May 2013 21:01:33 +0000

Squaw Valley, CA - California’s Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows have announced nearly $8 million in capital improvements for the 2013-14 winter season, as part of the Tahoe-area ski resorts’ five-year, $70 million Renaissance project. This year’s investment follows the $38 million in base area and on-mountain improvements from the past two winter seasons, bringing the total investment to date to more than $46 million. The new projects for the upcoming season include significant snowmaking improvements at both resorts, new snow cats for grooming, a new Wanderlust yoga studio, a new home furnishings store named Spruce, and comprehensive room renovations at The Village at Squaw Valley, as well as new on-mountain and valley signage for increased way-finding and accessibility. “Through extensive surveying, we have heard from our guests that snowmaking and exciting vacation experiences continue to be things they are looking for at Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows,” said Andy Wirth, president and CEO of Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows. “As a result, we are continuing to work with the industry’s best experts to modernize the experience both on and off the mountains with the goal of making Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows two of the top resorts in North [...]

Snow Guns Blaze in New Zealand Ahead of Ski Season

First Tracks!! Online Media — Fri, 24 May 2013 20:44:42 +0000

Methven, New Zealand - The start of snowmaking on Thursday at Mt. Hutt in Methven and at Coronet Peak in Queenstown signals the impending opening of two of New Zealand’s most popular ski areas. Ski area staff from Coronet Peak and Mt. Hutt have been closely monitoring systems this week to ensure snowmakers were ready when temperatures dropped to optimal snowmaking levels. Mt. Hutt also received 8cm of snow overnight as a cold front passed up the country. Ski Area Manager James McKenzie said that with recent forecasts, the snowmaking team had been on standby. “As the temperatures have been dropping, the team has been checking systems and following weather predictions,” he said. “We’ve been amped, and are stoked to start firing.” Mt. Hutt’s season opening is always subject to conditions as ground and air temperatures have to be right. “Thanks to a cool autumn with two snow falls, the mountain has maintained snow coverage but we needed to establish a good base at altitudes below 1800 meters ahead of our scheduled opening day,” said McKenzie. “We’ve had eight guns making snow in the base area today with two more making snow at the top of the quad chair.” A [...]

Quebec’s Mont-Sainte-Anne Installing New Multi-Million Dollar Lift

First Tracks!! Online Media — Fri, 24 May 2013 20:04:27 +0000

Beaupré (QC), Canada – Officials at Québec’s Mont-Sainte-Anne ski area east of Québec City have announced the construction this summer of a new high-speed detachable quad to replace the triple chairlift in the mountain’s expert sector. The new Doppelmayr quad, manufactured in St-Jérôme, Québec, will replace the resort’s “Le Trip” lift that serves the steep runs at the western end of the mountain’s South Side. The investment will reduce the ride time in half, from 12 to six minutes, and its alignment will be reconfigured to provide access to the entire mountain, not just the expert area exclusively serviced by Le Trip. The new lift is currently the only installation to be announced thus far this summer in Québec. Construction is already underway, and the new quad is expected to be completed by December, in time for the resort’s 2013-14 ski and snowboard season. More Available Services

Free Skiing for Killington’s Final Weekend

First Tracks!! Online Media — Fri, 24 May 2013 19:54:15 +0000

Killington, VT - This week’s rains have washed away Killington’s plans to operate into June. Instead, the Vermont resort will offer free skiing for all this Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend. Killington officials will spin the resort’s Superstar Express Quad on Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26, conditions permitting. For Saturday, there will be several sections on Superstar that will require skiers and riders to remove their skis or boards and walk. The lift will run 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. each day for the season’s final turns. Killington is the last ski resort in the East to offer operations this season. More Available Services

New Mountain Coaster Highlights Summer at Snowbird

First Tracks!! Online Media — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:00:23 +0000

Snowbird, UT - While skiers and snowboarders are still descending its slopes, Utah’s Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort has already filled out its summer calendar with tree outdoor movies and concerts, stargazing on Hidden Peak, a new Mountain Coaster and nine weekends of Oktoberfest. “This year, we focused on creating events and activities that will delight the entire family,” said Dave Fields, Vice President of Resort Operations. “It’s the perfect place to beat the city heat.” Highlighting Snowbird’s activities this summer will be a new Mountain Coaster presently under construction at the base of the resort’s Peruvian Chairlift. Passengers (up to two people per cart) board the Mountain Coaster and are pulled to the top of the3,120-foot track, and then gravity takes over. Firmly secured to the track, the cart’s speed is controlled by the driver. The speedy descent back down 160 vertical feet includes two horizontal loops, a tree-lined straightaway and then swooping turns back to the base station. Snowbird summer activities will be open daily beginning June 8, including the Aerial Tram, Alpine Slide, Bungy Trampolines, Ropes Course, Climbing Wall, Air Jumper, and Kids’ Inflatables. The Mountain Coaster and Peruvian Chairlift and Tunnel will open in July. Snowbird [...]

Aspen to Reopen for Memorial Day Weekend Skiing

First Tracks!! Online Media — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Aspen, CO - Aspen Skiing Company announced on Monday that with the start of summer operations, the top of Aspen Mountain will be open for skiing and riding on Memorial Day Weekend, May 25-27. Heavy spring snowfall has left the top of the mountain covered in snow as the traditional summer operating season begins. With a base depth of 33 inches up top, the mountain will open with 16 runs and nearly 90 acres of mostly intermediate terrain, served by the Ajax Express chairlift. Skiing and riding this weekend will take place from the 11,212-foot summit with uploading and downloading on the Silver Queen Gondola from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The gondola will be running from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. with the last ride down at 4:30 p.m. for regular summer operations. The Ajax Express chairlift will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Open runs will include Silver Bell, Pussyfoot, Silver Dip, Blondie’s, Dipsy Doodle, Dipsy Headwall, Summit, Buckhorn, Pumphouse, Tourtelotte Park and North American. The Sundeck restaurant and Ajax Tavern will be open for dining and beverages. “We’ve received nearly four feet of snow since Aspen Mountain closed,” says Rich Burkley, vice president of mountain operations, Aspen [...]

Camelback Plans $145M Spending Spree

First Tracks!! Online Media — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:30:22 +0000

Tannersville, PA - Pennsylvania’s Camelback ski resort is planning to spend an estimated $145 million to build a new indoor water park, a 453-room hotel, and new restaurants and conference areas. The privately owned resort in the Pocono Mountains west of Stroudsburg is seeking tax breaks from local, county and school district officials to help finance the development. The requested tax relief has already been approved by all but Pocono Township, which will meet next month to consider the request. The project is expected to add nearly 1,000 full- and part-time jobs in a region where the unemployment rate hovers around nine percent. Camelback officials also assert that once built, the new facilities will also generate ancillary tax revenue estimated at $1 million annually in hotel taxes. The 800 vertical-foot ski resort already operates its outdoor Camelbeach Mountain Waterpark in summer along with a number of other warm-weather attractions. While numerous area hotels offer guests overnight accommodations througout the year, none are currently owned by the resort. Camelback hopes to have the new facilities open to welcome the public by December 2014. More Available Services

N.H. Ski Resort Lets Guests Operate Steam Locomotive

First Tracks!! Online Media — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:00:03 +0000

Lincoln, NH - If you’ve ever dreamed of getting behind the controls of a steam-powered train, New Hampshire’s Loon Mountain has an opportunity this summer for you. Loon Mountain’s J.E. Henry Railroad, with its German-built 0-4-0T engine, harkens back to the narrow gauge logging trains that ran through New Hampshire’s White Mountains more than a century ago. The engine, which Loon Mountain acquired in the 1970s, runs daily during the winter between two of the ski resort’s base areas. During a typical winter season, the train will shuttle skiers and snowboarders a total of 300 miles along its 600-foot length of track. This summer, Loon’s Guest Engineer Program will be offered one day each month from July through October: July 12, August 2, September 6 and October 4. Each session will run for six hours and include a primer on the basics of steam operation, safety, a brief history of Loon’s locomotive, a close-up look at the engine, start-up/close down procedures, and the opportunity for each participant to operate the engine. Space is limited and the program cost is $100 per person, including lunch. Participants must be at least 18 years old and dress in long pants, long-sleeved shirt, boots, [...]

Court Rules Bansko Ski Lift Illegal

First Tracks!! Online Media — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:00:12 +0000

Bansko, Bulgaria - Bulgaria’s Supreme Court has ruled that the new Plato chairlift at Bansko ski resort was constructed illegally. The five-judge panel ruled last week that construction of the lift by resort operator Yulen AD was done in a manner inconsistent with its long-term lease agreement with the Pirin National Park, within which the lift is located. The current agreements covers resort operations through 2031. The controversial 4,964-foot summit quad replaced an existing lift at the resort, but the new lift was built longer and with a wider footprint than its predecessor. As a result of last week’s ruling, environmental groups are pressing for the cancellation of Yulen’s lease agreement and financial penalties against the company. The chairlift issue is only one of several controversies afflicting Yulen’s operation of the ski area, Bulgaria’s most popular. Last month Bulgaria’s National Audit Office found that the country’s Ministry of Environment and Water failed to implement adequate control over the implementation of the lease agreement with the company, and that the agreement lacked any penalty for any breach of obligations under the contract. More Available Services

PHOTOS: U.S. Ski Team, U.S. Snowboarding Athletes Train at Mammoth

First Tracks!! Online Media — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:41:41 +0000

Mammoth Lakes, CA - The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) national slopestyle, halfpipe and alpine teams spent time this month soaking up the California rays and training on Mammoth’s famous spring corn. Athletes including Ted Ligety, Simon Dumont, Scotty Lago and many others participated in one of the final team training sessions in North America before next winter’s Olympic games in Sochi, Russia. The U.S. women’s World Cup speed team, including Leanne Smith, Stacey Cook and Laurenne Ross, in early May wrapped up their training block that was abbreviated as the athletes were fresh off an additional week-long training period in Beaver Creek, Colo. in April. Lindsey Vonn and Alice McKennis remained absent as they rehabilitate from injury, and Julia Mancuso opted to instead take some time off snow after recently testing skis in Norway with Head. Members of the men’s tech team, including Ligety along with Robby Kelley, Thomas Biesemeyer and David Chodunsky, also visited Mammoth this month for spring gate training. This month’s training camp was the first in a multi-year agreement that will see Mammoth hosting USSA for spring training through 2019. U.S. Freeskiing and U.S. Snowboarding Pro Teams will also be based at Mammoth Mountain’s [...]

CAPiTA Snowboards Buys Bankrupt Elan Snowboard Factory

First Tracks!! Online Media — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:01:42 +0000

Fürnitz, Austria - Elan’s snowboard factory in Fürnitz, Austria, the world’s largest, has been purchased out of bankruptcy by CAPiTA Snowboards. At an April 12 insolvency hearing, the CAPiTA ownership group, filing under the Austrian name C4future GmbH, was granted legal right to assume control of the factory. Facility control was obtained April 15 and the entire factory is again operational producing CAPiTA snowboards at this time under its own management. Former Elan Austria CEO and Technical Director Michael Kollman brings 18 years of manufacturing experience at the facility to the CAPiTA team as Director of Production. Fifty highly skilled factory operatives have also been retained. “This is a milestone in regard to our long held vision of vertical integration and production control,” commented CAPiTA President Blue Montgomery. “Our first commitment is ensuring our ability to deliver our 2013-14 line, consistent with our samples and on schedule, with the high quality standards that people expect of our snowboards. We’ve produced at this factory for ten years. We know the facility, technology and team very well and we’re sure of our ability to deliver our best lineup of boards to date.” In its bankruptcy filing in March, Elan officials blamed increased [...]

Canada Unveils Alpine Ski Team for 2013-14

First Tracks!! Online Media — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:50:53 +0000

Calgary (AB), Canada - Twenty-three racers with “podium potential” were named to the Canadian Alpine Ski Team last week ahead of a crucial 2013-14 season that includes a busy World Cup schedule and the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. Seventeen men and six women who are expected to contend for medals either now or in the future have been chosen to fly the flag for Canada as part of the national team. The men’s roster features six “Canadian Cowboys” who have won World Cup or world championship medals – 2011 downhill world champion Erik Guay, three-time World Cup winner Manuel Osborne-Paradis, Jan Hudec, Mike Janyk, John Kucera and young gun Ben Thomsen – as well as up-and-coming young racers such as Trevor Philp, Erik Read and Phil Brown. All-rounder Marie-Michèle Gagnon and slalom specialist Erin Mielzynski – the first Canadian since 1971 to win a World Cup slalom race – lead a young but extremely talented group of female technical racers. “We have selected athletes who have the potential to do well at the upcoming 2014 Olympic Winter Games as well as a younger generation of racers who are targeting 2018 and beyond,” said Paul Kristofic, Alpine Canada’s vice-president [...]

Solid Winter Results at U.S. Ski Resorts Tee Up Strong Summer Bookings

First Tracks!! Online Media — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:33:52 +0000

Denver, CO - The 2012-13 ski and snowboard season, up 11 percent nationally in terms of skier visits, crossed the finish line with a positive outcome for mountain lodging in both western and eastern resorts, according to the latest data released by the Mountain Travel Research Program (MTRiP). In the West, a slow start to the season was reversed with improving snow conditions and economic news throughout the winter and resulted in an aggregated 5.8 percent increase in actual occupancy and an 8.8 percent increase in total lodging revenues compared to the 2011-12 season, MTRiP officials indicate. Despite tallying 56.6 million skier days nationally this winter, according to the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), joy over the 11 percent uptick this winter was tempered by the 2011-12 season’s dismal results, which themselves reflected a sharp decline from the record setting 60.54-million mark posted in the 2010-11 season. “After a shaky start to the winter season, the new year brought better weather conditions and increasingly positive economic conditions simultaneously—a combination we haven’t enjoyed for several years,” observed Ralf Garrison, director of MTRiP. “While the shift in the Easter holiday to March this year resulted in an anticipated slow April, excellent late [...]

High Winds Blow British Skier Off the Aiguille du Midi

First Tracks!! Online Media — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:13:14 +0000

Chamonix, France - An unnamed British skier fell over 1,000 meters to his death on Saturday while trying to retreat to the Aiguille du Midi summit station in high winds. The victim and his French companion had set out on Saturday to ski the famed Vallée Blanche run from the 12,460-foot Aiguille du Midi to the Chamonix valley floor, but were forced to turn back as heavy weather accompanied by high winds gusting over 60 miles per hour blew into the region. Skiing the Vallée Blanche requires a ride up the 5,000 vertical-foot Aiguille du Midi tramway before descending a knife edge ridge on foot to reach the skiing route. Buffeted by winds, the pair contacted local rescuers, who advised that conditions were too severe to respond to their aid. Rescuers instead attempted to guide the duo back to the tramway’s summit terminal. While the French skier was able to reach shelter at the lift, the British man was blown down the Chamonix side of the mountain. Although the ski season is officially finished in Chamonix, the Aiguille du Midi tramway remains open for sightseers, and skiers and snowboarders are still permitted to ride the lift. Rescuers have since recovered the [...]

Mountain High’s Disc Golf Course is Southern California’s Highest

First Tracks!! Online Media — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:23:06 +0000

Wrightwood, CA - Get out onto the ski slopes in summer and play a round of disc golf at Southern California’s only course above 6,000 feet. Originally designed by Dave Dunnipace, owner of Innova Disc Golf, one of the country’s largest manufactures of discs, baskets, and accessories, Mountain High’s Sky High Disc Golf Course is touted as one of the best in the region thanks to its course variety and scenic views. Broken into three nine-hole courses, a full outing takes players on a 2.5-mile hike through the resort’s slopes within Angeles National Forest, where players are apt to see hawks, deer, coyotes and more. Snow-capped mountains to the west line the course and long, desert vistas stretch out to the east, providing a visual landscape of scenery. “The design of the course is brilliant. Most Southern California courses are found in regional parks but this one has all kinds of variety with long holes, short holes, uphill, downhill … you name it,” says Tom Bant, an avid disc golfer. “And it is one of the most beautiful courses I’ve ever played.” The Sky High Disc Golf course is open Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., [...]

Snö Mountain Renamed Montage Mountain Once Again

First Tracks!! Online Media — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:09:06 +0000

Scranton, PA - With the sale of Pennsylvania’s financially beleaguered Snö Mountain now finalized, its name will revert to its former moniker, Montage Mountain. The 440-acre ski area was sold to its largest creditor, DFM Realty, an affiliate of National Penn Bank of Boyertown, Penn., for $4.6 million. DFM was the high bidder for the property at a bankruptcy auction held in March. In Philadelphia on Friday, the bank sold the property unencumbered for $5.1 million to Jefferson-Werner, an urban real estate developer based in Rydal, Penn. Under a transition agreement, Jefferson-Werner spent the past two months readying the ski resort’s water park for operations this summer. The group has launched a new website to support the resort, www.montageisback.com. Facing over $24 million of debt, the Philadelphia-based owners of Snö Mountain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October. Montage Mountain was purchased from Lackawanna County in 2006 for $5.1 million, when it was renamed Snö Mountain. More Available Services

Blackcomb Skiers Killed When Boulder Falls on Tent

First Tracks!! Online Media — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:46:03 +0000

Whistler (BC), Canada - A father and daughter camped on Blackcomb Glacier as part of a backcountry skiing trip died on Saturday night when what has been described as a bear-sized boulder came crashing down onto their tent. A 10-year-old female and her 49-year-old father, both of North Vancouver, were reported overdue and missing at around 6 p.m. on Sunday after missing their scheduled check-in several hours earlier. “The report was that a father/daughter duo had gone up Blackcomb Mountain on May 11th to camp out overnight and ski tour,” advised Sgt. Knapton, operations NCO for Whistler RCMP. “They were to check in on the 12th around 1600 hours. When they failed to check in as planned we received a call.” Whistler RCMP activated local search and rescue and coordinated a search in conjunction with Whistler Blackcomb Ski Patrol. “The search ran from just after 7 p.m. until approximately 11 p.m. when it was suspended for the night due to safety reasons,” noted Sgt. Knapton. The search was reconvened at first light on Monday using multiple teams from Whistler, Squamish, Pemberton and Lions Bay, and included an air component. At approximately 11:30 on Monday morning searchers located a tent above [...]

Pennsylvania Ski Resort Loses Lawsuit Over Water

David B. Cronheim — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:12:29 +0000

Union Dale, PA - Robert Frost dryly quipped that “good fences make good neighbors.” Apparently the same cannot be said for gates. A long-simmering dispute between Pennsylvania’s Elk Mountain and neighboring Village of the Four Seasons (VOFS) boiled over in December of 2011 when, purportedly in response to Elk’s closing of a gate between VOFS and the resort, VOFS sued Elk for drawing water from a shared pond. According to a story published in the Scranton, Penn. Times-Tribune, a judge has finally ruled on the controversies and Elk Mountain came out on the short end of the stick. The lawsuit centered around an interconnected watercourse from which Elk drew water for its snowmaking system. As shown at right, Elk’s four-acre snowmaking pond is connected to a larger 10-acre pond owned in whole by the Village of Four Seasons, a residential community near the base of the resort. The two ponds are separated by a berm which has an opening in the middle that allowed water to flow into Elk’s smaller pond so that the resort could convert the water into snow. According to the article, Elk and VOFS had an agreement which allowed Elk to use water from VOFS’s pond [...]

PHOTOS: Early Snow Dusts Australia’s Snowy Mountains

First Tracks!! Online Media — Wed, 15 May 2013 01:18:47 +0000

Perisher Valley (NSW), Australia - The ski slopes in Perisher were looking frosty white this morning as some of the season’s first snows dusted Australia’s Snowy Mountains. Temperatures hung below freezing from top to bottom this morning. Snow guns are already pumping on Front Valley and Mt. Perisher, where the ski season is set to debut in just under a month on June 10. More Available Services

Ski Vermont Announces Winners of the Green Mountain Awards

First Tracks!! Online Media — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:15:56 +0000

Montpelier, VT - In honor of Green Up Day, a statewide spring tradition of environmental beautification by removing roadside debris, the Vermont Ski Areas Association (VSAA) has announced the winners of its inaugural Green Mountain Awards for Environmental Excellence at Vermont Ski Resorts. Judged by Melinda Vieux, President of Green Up Vermont, Alan Hebert of Efficiency Vermont and VSAA President Parker Riehle, resorts competed to win awards in environmental stewardship. Categories range from composting and recycling efforts, to educational programs and energy-efficient renovations. Winners of the Green Mountain Awards for Environmental Excellence include: Greenest Overall Resort in Vermont: Stowe Mountain Resort Best Green Up Day Participation Program: Smugglers’ Notch Resort Best Environmental Awareness & Education Program: Burke Mountain Resort Greenest Recycling Program: Stratton Mountain Resort Greenest Composting Program: Burke Mountain Resort Greenest Water Treatment Program: Stowe Mountain Resort Greenest Alternative Energy Program: Bolton Valley Best Efficiency Snowmaking Upgrade: Sugarbush Resort Best Efficiency Program for Facilities: Jay Peak Resort Most Sustainable Restaurant: Burke Mountain Resort Most Creative Environmental Program: Killington Resort More Available Services

Ski Museum of Maine Adds Golf Fundraiser

First Tracks!! Online Media — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:59:26 +0000

Scarborough, ME - Nonesuch River Golf Course in Scarborough will play host for the 1st Annual Ski Museum of Maine Golf Classic on Monday, June 10th. Players of all abilities are welcome, and if you don’t have a foursome yourself, sign up as an individual and organizers will partner you with other players. After the round, head to the clubhouse for lunch, a silent auction, awards and networking. Everyone who plays will receive a $10 gift card to golfsmith.com and a certificate for a Warrior golf club. There will several other giveaways during the day, including a $15,000 Hole In One Prize and prizes for the Longest Drive, Closest to the Pin and Top Teams. Registration costs $119 for an individual player or $450 for a team of four. Sign-up is available online, via mail or fax, or by calling Bo Bigelow at (207) 699-3121. Sponsorship packages are also available. More Available Services

California Senate Passes Ski Resort Safety Legislation

First Tracks!! Online Media — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:28:52 +0000

Sacramento, CA - By a vote along party lines, the California State Senate on Monday passed a bill requiring all ski resorts in the state to prepare and make public their safety plans. California Senate Bill 564, introduced by State Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel), passed on its third reading on the Senate Floor on Monday by a vote of 24-8, as six Senators did not cast a vote. It would require every ski resort in the state to prepare an annual safety plan and, upon request, make the safety plan available to the public the same day the request is received. The bill would also require a ski resort to make available to the public, within 30 days of receipt of a request, a monthly report with specified details about any fatal incidents at the resort that resulted from a recreational activity. Organizations including the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) and a number of California resorts argue that the bill’s provisions would open the door for increasing lawsuits against ski resorts. The bill would specify that its provisions do not change the existing assumption of risk doctrine as it applies to ski resorts in California. “This article does not change [...]

Grassroots Group Organizes to Fight Scale of Squaw Valley Village Expansion

First Tracks!! Online Media — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:00:03 +0000

Olympic Valley, CA - A grassroots organization has formed and begun raising funds to fight what it contends is an unnecessarily large expansion of the Village at Squaw Valley. In December 2011, Squaw Valley Real Estate, LLC, owned by KSL Capital Partners, submitted an application to Placer County seeking adoption of the “Village at Squaw Valley Specific Plan” which proposes to plan development of 101.5 acres at the west end of Squaw Valley adjacent to the existing Village area. The mixed-use phased Specific Plan would develop over 1,000 new condo units, 29,000 square feet of new retail space, and a 132,000 square-foot indoor activity center based on a water park, all phased in over a 12- to 15-year period. Also known as the “Squaw Renaissance” plan, 80% of its developable area is in already disturbed areas. A new group, The Friends of Squaw Valley (FoSV) has now launched a new website and begun raising funds to encourage project backers to scale back the scope of the Village expansion. “Friends of Squaw Valley is supportive of a successful, vibrant village in Squaw,” said member Ed Heneveld. “Our concern is that the current KSL proposal is just too massive for our small community [...]