A barn near Intrawest resort Steamboat Springs in Colorado.

It seems things may be turning around for Intrawest’s after it’s parent company’s rough financial year.

The resort operator of Whistler/Blackcomb announced this week that it has completed refinancing its previously outstanding debt payments.

Owner Fortress Inc. missed debt payments in December that led to a threat of auction from lenders. This auction was scheduled to occur in the middle of the 2010 Olympic Games. Since that time Fortress Investment Group, Intrawest’s primary creditors, have been working with lenders to restructure the $1.4 billion borrowed in 2006 that Fortress used when purchasing Intrawest.

Continue reading ‘Intrawest turns the corner’

Many ski travelers were stranded for days.

The UK’s largest tour operator has been praised by its customers for getting them home from Europe following the eruption of the volcano in Iceland.

TUI Ski is the company which runs three of the UK’s leading ski tour operators including the country’s number one, Crystal Ski. It was hailed on Twitter and via email after last week’s air travel nightmare.

The company, which also runs Thomson Ski, First Choice Ski and Flexiski had over 2,500 skiers and boarders in Europe for the last week of the season. Working closely with all airlines with whom those customers had been due to fly back on April 17th, it decided that it was better to transport all of our customers back to their UK airport of origin by coach.

Continue reading ‘Tour operator defies volcanic ash cloud’

Vail's village in mid-winter.

Like many other ski resorts in the Rockies, Vail had a bounce-back season after the recession made for a treacherous 2008-2009.

Vail Resorts has published initial figures for the recently completed winter, which reflect a return to growth. The numbers show a marked improvement on winter 08-09, although not yet a return to levels of business as they were before the recession hit.

Skier visits for the company’s five mountain resorts (Vail, Heavenly, Breckenridge, Beaver Creek and Keystone) through to April 18th was up 2.3 percent compared to the previous winter. Similarly lift ticket revenue for the same period (including an allocated portion of season pass revenue), increased approximately 4.6 percent compared to last winter.

Continue reading ‘Vail’s numbers reveal bounceback season’

Lesley McKenna waving the flag high above Laax's superpipe at The Snozone British Halfpipe Championships.

Laax ski resort says it received over a million visitors from 38 different countries this winter, making this season one of the Swiss resort’s most successful to date.

The resort’s reputation amongst freestylers and snowboards from the UK continues to grow. Its celebrated rocksresort apartment complex also got the best “New Ski Resort” accolade from Wallpaper magazine in early 2010.

Then Jamie Nicolls from Bradford set the bar high for young snow sport enthusiasts at this year’s British Snowboarding Championship (BRITS). A haul of gold medals brought his total up to 101 – not bad for a 16-year old from Bradford.

Continue reading ‘Another million visit season for Switzerland’s Laax’

Whistler Village.

At the same time as Earth Day was celebrated across the globe, Whistler Blackcomb was named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for the second year in a row.

Whistler Blackcomb got the nod because it participates in innovative renewable energy projects and encourages its staff and guests to become environmental stewards. The company received special recognition for its involvement in the Fitzsimmons Creek Run-of-River project.

Located in the middle of the ski area underneath the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola, this hydro-powered renewable energy plant became operational earlier this year. This project, created in partnership with Innergex Renewable Energy and Ledcor Power Group, produces enough energy to match the total annual energy consumption of the ski area’s operating footprint (including lifts, mountain restaurants, and snowmaking).

Continue reading ‘Whistler nabs second straight green employer title’

A depiction of Crystal's upcoming new gondola.

Crystal Mountain, the largest ski area in Washington state, is making two key improvements for next season.

The American ski resort will add a new Doppelmayr gondola for next winter, and work began the day after the resort closed for the season last week.

The gondola’s base terminal will be where the current Mountain Market/Bumps Espresso is located and bring passengers to the top of Rainier Express and the Summit House.

Continue reading ‘Two reasons to check out Crystal Mountain next year’

Lake Wanaka ski area in New Zealand.

Lake Wanaka ski fields in New Zealand will take centre stage this summer when several international ski and snowboard events roll in for the southern hemisphere’s winter season.

Young snowboarders and skiers from across the world will descend on Wanaka in August for the 2010 FIS Snowboard & Freestyle Junior World Championships.

This is the first time an FIS World Championship will be staged in New Zealand, and also marks the first time snowboarding and freestyle skiing will share the same stage in a World Championship, the event is to be staged at all three Wanaka ski fields of Cardrona, Snow Park NZ and Treble Cone

Continue reading ‘Lake Wanaka stoked for upcoming Kiwi ski season’