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Activists Gear Up to Protest the 2010 Olympics

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:48:28 -0500

A number of activists protest environmental, housing and other issues raised by the Olympics

Many activists are gearing up to protest the 2010 Winter Olympics coming to Vancouver and nearby Whistler ski resort. A number of issues are being protested by groups that have objections against the Olympic Games in general, on the grounds that environmental destruction, displacement of indigenous peoples, and continued support for the military-industrial complex are all negative outcomes for the Olympics.

Protests have been happening for more than a year, and as the 2010 Winter Olympics approach, it won't just be about snow sports and international competition. There will be protests and activism as well throughout Vancouver, and probably at Whistler ski resort as well.

Swift. Silent. Deep. Puts the Jackson Hole Air Force Into Perspective

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:28:22 -0500

Profile from The Ski Channel offers background on the Jackson Hole Air Force

One of the premier ski resort towns is Jackson Hole. With its ski-in/ski-out property, luxurious accommodations and backcountry access. But the back country access wasn't always there. There was a time when the ski patrol at Jackson Hole had run-ins with an underground group.

The Jackson Hole Air Force was a group of renegades, skiing in areas forbidden by the ski resort and by the U.S. Forest Service. They gained a great deal of notoriety with their antics and their wars with the ski patrol. However, when Jackson Hole ski resort was opened to back country access, the group faded away.

An award-winning documentary, Swift. Silent. Deep. revisits the Jackson Hole Air Force and puts things into perspective. You can also read a profile on the group from The Ski Channel.

Powder Ridge Ski Resort Receives $540,000 Grant

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:27:15 -0500

Middlefield, Connecticut ready to turn ski resort into all-season recreation area

The Powder Ridge ski resort in Middlefield, Connecticut, has been closed for years. However, in order to help revive the area, the state is giving Middlefield a grant. The Hartford Courant reports on the windfall for the town:

The money, which will pay for utility upgrades, will help the developer of the 250-acre site build a facility that will create 25 full-time and 200 seasonal jobs, according to Gov. M. Jodi Rell. She made the announcement at a news conference at the resort site this morning.

The hope is that the ski resort can be re-opened as a recreation area that works year round, providing jobs and offering a lure for tourism dollars.

Fortress Investment Sells Panorama Mountain Village Ski Resort

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:06:22 -0500

Whistler remains unaffected by the sale

Fortress Investment, the company that owns Intrawest, which owns a number of ski resorts, has sold off one of Intrawest's ski resorts, Panorama Mountain Village. AltAssets reports on the transaction:

The transaction will include the resort’s on-mountain and Nordic ski operations, a 50 per cent ownership stake in Greywolf Golf Course, all of Intrawest’s commercial operations and lodging units in the village, and some land available for real estate development. The transaction is expected to close in February, pending approvals.

It is important to note that another Intrawest property, Whistler ski resort, is not affected by the sale. This means that rumors surrounding a possible Vail bid for Whistler, which is hosting some Winter Olympics events, are still in force.

Ski Resort Rumors: Will Vail Buy Whistler?

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 11:49:29 -0500

Vail Resorts could be interested in buying Whistler ski resort

With the Winter Olympics set to begin soon, there isn't a whole lot of focus on the fact that Whistler ski resort owner Intrawest Holdings is set for auction. However, the company is ready for the block, and there are rumors that Vail Resorts might try an buy the company.

Vail Daily reports on the rumors surrounding the possible interest Vail Resorts has in Whistler:

Scott Bunce, chief executive officer of Epicenterspark Hospitality, a hotel and condo management company, pays attention to the lodging side of things within the ski industry. He suspects Vail Resorts' interest in Whistler Blackcomb is there — it would be a good investment, he said.

“It's all based on the price Vail Resorts can get it for,” Bunce said.

Whistler is Vail's largest competitor, he said. If Vail Resorts controlled both resorts, it could manage the marketing messages of the two and use one to promote the other, Bunce said.

Of course, Vail Resorts is refusing to comment on the matter. So far, rumors remain just that -- rumors. But Vail must be considering the option, and wondering if the cash is there to make the deal, especially since Intrawest also operates Winter Park, and owns Steamboat and other ski resorts in the U.S. and Canada.