Category Archives: Ski News

The Snow Cometh!

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By Jill Adler

Lake effect snow in September?! After a seriously rainy month, the temps have dropped and that rain turned to snow EVERYWHERE in the west this week. The reports started rolling in yesterday from Colorado to California and it was only a matter of hours before the bullwheel started turning here in Utah.

2013 was Utah’s hottest summer on record and now predictions for winter point to – dare we say it?- above-normal snow and cold. Thursday’s swift storm blew in when a stream of moisture west of Hawaii met a low pressure over Alaska. The mountains could see more than 10 inches by Friday so if you didn’t get your predictions in for all of those “guess the first snowfall” contests you better do it now.

You have until 5 p.m tonight to enter Park City Mountain Resort’s annual snow contest. Let them know when you think the first storm of at least 6″ hits the mountain (um, today?); the closest date and time wins two free lift tickets. Park City’s Washington School House Hotel is a bit more generous with their contest timeline. You have until September 30 to guess.

PCMR plans to open November 23 but if this weather keeps up you might want to bust out the costumes and ski for Halloween at Brighton or Solitude.

Ready or not; here comes winter.

Here are some things that go through my head when the first frost hits:

NO! I need to buy wheels for my snow tires.

Should I still get that bikini wax?

Damn, I wasn’t going to start my pre-season conditioning until October.

Did I get my Alta pass?

Where are my ski socks?

I guess we should put away the window AC.

And finally…Hasta la vista, Tank tops! Hola, Life is Good PJs! The super soft, long-sleeve, cotton Snowman T and flannel bottoms are my perfect inspiration for dreams of snowflakes and faceshots. Yup. Life is good.

Park City Residents Weigh In- Vailisker v PCMR

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Vail Resorts is telling Park City what they want to hear. In the wake of the eviction notice Talisker Land Holdings slapped on Park City Mountain Resort last week, Vail Resorts said in a prepared statement that they will not interfere with PCMR’s operations this season.

Kelly Ladyga, the vice president of corporate communications, has routinely opted out of commenting on the TLH lawsuit but finally spoke out.

“As we have previously stated, under the terms of our agreement with Talisker in connection with our lease of the Canyons, we have assumed oversight of the litigation between Talisker Land Holdings LLC and Park City Mountain Resort. We have an obligation to protect and preserve Talisker’s and our interest in this matter. We are concerned with the behavior that Park City Mountain Resort has demonstrated in this situation. Talisker issued Park City Mountain Resort the Notice to Quit as a necessary legal step to bring this issue to the Court and we anticipate that there will be a number of actions required to bring this dispute to closure. With that said, there is no intent by Talisker to take any action that would prevent PCMR’s ability to operate their resort during the upcoming 2013-2014 ski season. We are very cognizant of the importance of this situation to the entire Park City community and we look forward to bringing this situation and its uncertainty to a conclusion.”

Talisker claims Park City Mountain Resort missed the deadline to renew their $155,000 annual lease and backdated their letter of intent to renew, thus showing bad faith in this case.

Local attorneys speculate that PCMR will request a restraining order on the eviction. The Resort’s most recent blog post indicates they are “not going anywhere…We’ve been here for 50 years and look forward to operating this season, the next 50 seasons, and 50 more after that.” But just in case any passholders were concerned or thought they should avoid buying a PCMR pass, the resort is fully guaranteeing it. “In the unlikely event we have to shut down for all or part of the winter, you get the appropriate refund. No questions asked. And no restrictions,” the blog says.

The court of public opinion seems torn on the issue. As one reader commented: I don’t see PCMR charging us pass prices from 50 years ago so why do they expect to pay rent prices from 50 years ago? Michael R agreed: I’ve lived in Park City for 20 years. I had no idea they were paying $155k (Vail is paying $25 million to lease Canyons) and they are clearly not passing on the savings to season passholders.  But Aaron Blunt believes in the fight. “Just like everyone else on the PCMR team from Jenni Smith to the food staff at Legacy, there is passion and desire. That alone is enough to fuel what it will take to continue the stand and put Talisker/Vail in their place. My life, my mountain.”

Talisker Slides Aside; Leaves Canyons To Vail Resorts

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If the lease of Canyons Resort to Vail Associates knocked people off their feet, the news this week that Talisker Corporation (Vail’s landlord) is pulling out of Canyons altogether is sending them into the next hemisphere. Flera LLC, a subsidiary of one of Talisker’s major underwriters (the investment-management firm Värde Partners Inc.) has brought in Alvarez & Marsal to sort things out. A&M is one of world’s largest restructuring firms. “This is what they do when companies get into trouble and run,” says Shane Gadbaw, hedge fund entrepreneur and owner of Eagle Point Resort in Beaver, Utah. “It takes serious financial issues for the shareholders to get involved.”

 

Talisker made a play for The Canyons back in 2007 and closed the deal with now-defunct American Skiing Company by 2008. “After the economic slump and two weak ski seasons, the writing was on the wall,” Gadbaw says. “This is like a bankruptcy except they are not trying to get out of their responsability to bondholders. This is a more amicable.”

 

Flera issued a statement Thursday saying, “It is business as usual at Canyons, and our goal is to make this transition as seamless and effective as possible for all of our guests, residents, employees and operators.” So, Talisker is out and Flera now owns the development rights to “four million square feet of real estate at the Canyons Resort, construction of the Canyons golf course, and oversight of the Waldorf Astoria Park City Hotel.” The trouble is Summit County is left wondering who’s actually going to live up to the deal they made for those development rights at Canyons. Talisker had committed to building a golf course, a convention center, a transit plan and affordable housing and the County plans to enforce those requirements.

 

Summit County Manager Bob Jasper told The Park Record that Talisker’s Jack Bistricer personally assured him that “Talisker is solvent and that he still owns 50 percent of the resort. He is just no longer the lead developer.” Possibly. Talisker still owns the Empire Pass development in Deer Valley, the land under Park City Mountain Resort, a restaurant on Main Street and the Tuahaye development between Park City and the town of Kamas.

 

There’s a strong chance that Flera will soon instigate an orderly liquidation of assets. In which case, yet another developer could come in and finish the county’s requirements. The good news is that because the Vail deal occurred first, the transition is a relative sideshow to the resort operations. “We view this is an internal Talisker matter that does not impact our efforts or arrangements at Canyons,” says Vail representative Kelly Ladyga. Talisker will still be Vail’s beneficiary but the money they receive will go to recover for the bondholders.

 

You’re not alone in thinking that the goings-on at Canyons Resort is starting to feel like a soap opera. Tune in next time for As The Ski Area Turns.

 

 

A Snowboard Is a Snowboard Even If You’re Handicapped.

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Thomas Traviglini claims Deer Valley Resort is saying he’s not handicapped “enough”. They kicked the Connecticut guest and his friends off the mountain April 2, 2013, for riding a snowboard which he says is more like a modified monoboard for handicapped athletes. But DV President Bob Wheaton says he checked with the National Ability Centers in Winter Park, Colo., and in Utah and, nope, that’s definitely a snowboard in their book.

The bones in Traviglini’s right foot are deformed and that leg is shorter than the other. He says the only way he can ski is with a “Teleboard”, where one foot goes in front of the other on one ski so that the back foot carries little weight. The board is a modified snowboard but with telebindings mounted one in front of the other (instead of side by side) so that its ‘person’ faces downhill and uses ski poles.


Judging from these photos, it looks and skis more like a monoski than a snowboard. Monoskis are allowed at Deer Valley.

Traviglini has taken it to the court of public opinion. He stopped by Salt Lake City’s ABC 4 News yesterday for a chat. “I don’t think they should be allowed to deny a handicapped person access to the mountain,” he said. He also described a very standoffish attitude from Mountain Ops Director Chuck English who helped escort Traviglini off the hill “like a criminal”. The irony is that both English and Wheaton snowboard as well as ski.

Later, Wheaton spoke personally with Traviglini to assuage his ire and find clarity. According to a family member, DV approved Traviglini’s Teleboard last season (over the phone) and allowed him access. This year, they called Alta and skied there all day on April Fool’s. Wheaton says he’ll review the matter before making a final decision as to whether a Teleboard is a snowboard but their lift tickets have been refunded.

Let’s face it, Folks. Deer Valley owns their land and they can do anything they want with it; including banning snowboarders. Their guests love that rule so it won’t change anytime soon. If a disabled person wants to ski Deer Valley they can, they just need to use a different device? Anyway, get over it. You don’t really want to be caught in the daily mêlée down Northside or Birdseye on a board, do you? Go ride at Canyons or Park City Mountain Resort. You’ll be glad you did.

Utah Ski Resort Closing Dates

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Here they are. The ‘official’ Closing Dates- until they change. As usual, the last two resorts to close will be Alta (April 28) and Snowbird (May 27).

I hear we are going to have a seriously wet April. Better buy that Bird spring pass. J

Park City Resorts

Deer Valley Ski Resort
Anticipated Closing April 14, 2013

Deer Valley Resort official website

The Canyons Ski Resort

Anticipated Closing April 14, 2013. Don’t miss their final free-at-3p après concert on the Plaza this Saturday- The Pour Horse is a Salt Lake based quartet that produces a mixture of rock, funk and blues with a little bit of a jam band-esque feel.

The Canyons Ski Resort – Official Website 

Park City Ski Resort
Anticipated Closing April 14, 2013
Park City Mountain Resort – Official Website 

Provo Resort
Sundance Resort
Anticipated Closing April 7, 2013. Will open for summer operations April 18! Guess with a 30″ base it won’t take long to melt off.

Sundance Resort – Official Website

LCC/BCC
Alta Ski Resort
Anticipated Closing April 14, 2013, then Fri-Sun. through April 28. No uphill traffic until May.
Alta Ski Resort – Official Website

Brighton Ski Resort
Night skiing ends April 6. Anticipated Closing April 21, 2013. Take advantage of their Tax Day Relief promotion, April 15. Lift tickets $20!!
Brighton Ski Resort – Official Website

Snowbird Ski Resort
Anticipated Closing Memorial Day Weekend (May 27), 2013
Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort

Solitude Ski Resort
Anticipated Closing April 14, 2013, Lift tickets are $49 until close; free if you stay at one of Solitude’s lodging properties.
Solitude Mountain Ski Resort – Official Website 

Northern Utah Resorts
Beaver Mountain Resort
Closed

Beaver Mountain Resort – Official Website

Powder Mountain Resort
Closing April 7, 2013
Powder Mountain Resort – Official Website

Snowbasin Ski Resort
Anticipated Closing April 14, 2013
Snowbasin Ski Resort – Official Website

Wolf Mountain Ski Resort
Closed
Wolf Mountain Ski Resort – Official Website


Southern Utah Resorts
Brian Head Resort
Anticipated Closing April 14, 2013. Don’t miss the Spring Carnival on Sat., April 13, with fun events from 11a-4p.
Brian Head Resort – Official Website


Eagle Point Resort
Anticipated Closing April 7, 2013
official website

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