8 NEWS AND VIEWS A budget pass boom; Nederland’s Eldora gambit; Kottke conclu- sions; early SIA data; and more. 16 ROUNDUP Ski area J-1 recruitment for 2025-26 is proceeding mostly as normal, but the future of the program is less certain. 20 NEW PRODUCTS Several products and services aimed at optimizing ops and enhancing guest engagement. 26 MOUNTAIN SPY The Spy asks: “I’ve never ridden a bicycle. Can I learn to mountain bike at your bike park?” 28 TECHNOLOGY Early use cases illustrate how ski areas are experimenting with AI tools in ops. 34 FOOD & BEVERAGE How to use oft-overlooked menu design to protect your margin and drive sales. 62 CLASSIFIEDS Industry job listings and equipment for sale. DEPARTMENTS
EDITOR’S NOTE Ready-ish
By mid-summer, the quiet hum of off-season operations starts to pick up. Emails go out. Pre-onboarding tasks are assigned. Purchase orders are placed. Capital projects inch closer to completion. The months between July and November are full of work that isn’t always flashy, but is essential. Most of this effort happens well out of sight of the people it’s meant for. While guests are enjoying their own summer pursuits—traveling, hiking, spending time on the water—they may not give much thought to the ski season ahead. In their minds, winter belongs to a future self. For those of us in the industry, though, that future is already here. Operators are deep into the work that will make their guests’ first turns possible. That’s the paradox of preseason: the most important work often happens when few are paying attention. And yet that’s part of what makes the transition to winter so special. Guests step off the lift on opening day and are greeted by a world that seems to have materialized overnight. They don’t see the long days cleaning clogged culverts, the careful choreography of a lift installation, or the quiet hours spent refining product offerings and marketing campaigns. They see a mountain, ready for them. From tech innovations that improve operations (“AI on the Hill,” p. 28) to critical recruitment initiatives (“Status Quo for J-1 Visas—for Now,” p. 16) and smart strategies for food and beverage (“Margins in Plain Sight,” p. 34), this issue highlights the many forms that preparation takes. Major lift installations, snowmaking upgrades, and facility renovations—a fixture of the ski area summer in recent years—also help set the stage for a better winter experience (“Construction Site,” p. 48). And as explored in “‘Our Plan is Our Power’” (p. 44), sound strategic planning turns these moving parts into a cohesive, successful business with room for growth. Sometimes the path to winter isn’t a steady march. It can be a scramble and then a slog. The Highlands, Mich., knows all about that. In “After the Ice” (p. 40), we share the story of their months-long recovery following a devastating spring ice storm. The damage was unusual, but the resourcefulness, problem-solving, and persistence will feel familiar to anyone in this industry. The weeks ahead will be a balancing act, finishing the final projects, training teams, and testing systems, while the anticipation builds in quiet ways. We all know that anticipation is part of the magic. It’s in the first snowmaking test, the hum of a freshly tuned grooming machine, the buzz of a preseason staff meeting. Guests may not see these signals, but they will feel the result: a mountain primed for winter. Whether your road to opening day is smooth or full of surprises, the work you’re doing now is quietly shaping the moments guests will remember long after the lifts stop turning. That’s the true art of readiness—building joy in the off-season so it can be discovered in an instant.
DR. LESLIE DESROSIERS, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, is a San Diego-based physical therapist with 18 years of experience in orthopedics and sports injury rehab. She founded ACL Strong, a neuromuscular training program that protects knees, prevents injuries, and elevates performance to empower active people to stay strong and resilient. » 58 TRAVIS TALBOT helps hospitality brands make their mark. As a food and beverage consultant, he is trusted by operators globally to deliver concepts that perform. Travis blends data, psychology, and behavioral science with creative execution to help brands elevate guest experiences, increase profit- ability, and secure a lasting market position. » 34 KATIE BRINTON is the senior editor at SAM, an award-winning writer, and a certified alpine ski instructor and PSIA-AASI examiner. She also holds a master’s in English Literature from Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English. Katie lives in southern Vermont with a husband, a baby, and a dog—all usually found somewhere on the snow or in the nearest body of water, season depending. » 40
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Katie Brinton, Senior Editor katie@saminfo.com
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