Municipality Approves Building Permits for Jumbo Glacier Resort

According to a report published by our friends at Unofficial Networks, Canada's Jumbo Glacier took another step closer to breaking ground. The resort municipality approved the permits for the construction of lifts, a day lodge, and a 150 room hotel.

Belleayre Expansion Overwhelmingly Supported by Local Residents

A public meeting was held yesterday evening at Belleayre's Discovery Lodge to discuss the proposed Belleayre Resort and expansion to the underlying ski facilities. Previous public meetings had been dominated by opponents of the project and environmentalists. Things were different this time, however. According to published accounts, public sentiment was strongly in favor of the project.  Signs with slogans like "Eliminate Welfare", "Opportunity Knocks Once" and "I Want a Job" were displayed on the road up to the resort. Newspaper columnists estimate the crowd was 3:1 in favor of the project.

North Korea to Build Massive Ski Resort

The Onion's Sexiest Man of the Year and staff (nice hats)

According to numerous published reports, North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jung Un has decided to build a ski resort in North Korea. No doubt spurred on by North Korea's inferiority complex vis-a-vis its former countrymen to the south of the 38th parallel who were awarded the 2018 Winter Olympics, the "Great Successor" announced the ambitious project earlier this week.

Update – California Senate Passes Ski Safety Bill

In March, guest contributor Alex Acerra penned an article noting the introduction of a ski safety bill in the California State Senate. On Monday, the State Senate passed the bill, SB564. The ski safety bill would require ski areas to create and publish a report on injury statistics and risk-management standards. The bill, introduced by Sen. Monning (D-Carmel), was passed along party lines in a 24-8 vote. SB564 must now be approved by the state Assembly.  

Previous ski safety legislation has failed to become law. Last year, Governor Jerry Brown vetoed a bill imposing reporting requirements and requiring signage or padding on ski lifts. Former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a similar bill in 2010.
It remains to be seen whether SB564 will suffer a similar fate. 

Alex Acerra is a second-year student at the University of Illinois College of Law. He is currently a legal intern for the National Ski Areas Association. He may be reached for comment at aacerra2@illinois.edu. 

Link: CNL Properties Looking to Sell All Ski Village Holdings

According to a published report, the nation's largest owner of ski resorts - CNL Lifestyle Properties - is privately marketing substantially all of its ski village holdings (though none of its ski resorts). As many of you may recall, Ski, Esq. interviewed CNL Lifestyle Property's top ski executive, Steve Rice, back in January. Clearly skiers are interested in what CNL's plans are as the two-part article has been one of the site's most popular reads.

So if you have a few spare hundred million lying around, maybe now's the time to buy?

Thanks to fellow attorney Steven M. Grossman for bringing the article to Ski, Esq.'s attention. 

Snö Mountain Sale Finalized - Will Operate Winter 2013-2014

photo credit: Montage Mountain/Jefferson-Werner

The Snö Mountain era at Montage Mountain, PA has come to an end. According to a report published on the website for Ski Area Management, the sale of Snö Mountain to a group of investors was finalized earlier this week after the group purchased the resort from Penn National Bank for a reported $5.1M.

Elk Mountain Loses Water Rights Lawsuit

Robert Frost once 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 Times-Tribune, a judge has finally ruled on the controversies and Elk Mountain came out on the short end of the stick.  Additional details and a map of the disputed lakes after the jump.

Whitedot Skis Named Official Ski Partner of The Ivy Ski Club

New York, NY – Whitedot Skis – maker of high-end performance alpine skis - has been selected as the official ski partner of the Ivy Ski Club. The news was announced at the club’s annual Captain’s Dinner in Manhattan on Tuesday before a crowd of members and invited guests.

“Whitedot Skis is owned and operated by passionate skiers, who ski every day they can,” commented a Whitedot spokesman. “What better than a partnership with a group of passionate skiers on the East Coast? We truly believe in all of our products and know that you will enjoy skiing them as much as we have designing them.”

Born out of extensive research and development in the French Alps, Whitedot skis come in a variety of lengths, cambers, and stiffnesses allowing skiers to find the perfect ski to fit their skiing style. Whitedot skis are a fantastic option for serious skiers looking to tackle challenges both on and off piste.

Ivy Ski Club members will have special access and pricing to Whitedot’s full line of 2013-2014 skis, including their new CarbonLite models, which offer significant weight reduction and added performance. Members will be able to place orders in advance of the 2013-2014 season and enjoy Whitedot skis on club trips next winter.

"The Ivy Ski Club and Whitedot share a commitment to outstanding ski experiences," commented David Cronheim, one of the club’s co-founders. "We are excited to have Whitedot as a partner and to be able to offer our members a unique opportunity to experience a truly outstanding line of skis."

About The Ivy Ski Club
Founded in 2011 by a group of passionate skiers, “The Ivy Ski Club” is a national, invitational-only ski club. The club boasts an active and engaged membership of enthusiastic skiers from across the country. Currently club members hail from 12 states, the District of Columbia and US Armed Forces. Through the club’s year round calendar of events – which includes ski trips and social events from Dixie to Vermont to the Rockies - members forge lifelong friendships and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow members and guests who love the alpine lifestyle. For winter 2013-2014, the club will maintain a lodge in Warrensburg, NY.

For more information: www.ivyskiclub.com

About Whitedot Skis
We, at Whitedot, strive to build our skis using our core values: Purity of Purpose,
Clarity of Design, Reliable Performance and
Innovative Technology. We ensure our range of skis has a very clear purpose – To make all corners of the mountain accessible to all skiers. Within this vision each ski has its own role, whether that be to take a good on-piste skier into the backcountry for the first time or give an accomplished freeride skier the tools to go that bit further with their skiing, say to charge down a powder field or master a tricky couloir.

For more information: www.whitedotusa.com, 801-576-6460.

UPDATE: TSA Puts Hold on Plan to Allow Ski Poles on Planes

The Transportation Safety Administration has announced that it will delay implementation of a rule that would expand the items permitted to be carried on a commercial airplane. In March, Ski, Esq. ran a story about the TSA's decision to permit previously-banned items on planes. The list of items that were to be permitted included small knives and ski poles, but it was the former that drew the ire of the Coalition of Flight Attendant Unions.

Link: NJ.com story about David Cronheim's Election to Hickory Board of Directors

 
NJ.com is running a story today discussing Ski, Esq. founder David Cronheim's election to the Board of Directors at Hickory Ski Center. Full text can be found at:

http://www.nj.com/messenger-gazette/index.ssf/2013/05/david_cronheim_elected_to_board_of_directors_of_hickory_ski_center.html