Reflecting on 5 Years Since COVID-19 Shut Down Ski Resorts and How it Has Shaped the Industry Today Five years ago, the ski industry came to a screeching halt as the COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented shutdowns across North America. In mid-March 2020, just as ski resorts were gearing up for the busy spring break season, operations were abruptly halted due to government mandates and growing concerns over virus transmission. For some, this is a sensitive subject, as […] Industry News Brent Thomas | March 10, 2025 0 Comments
New Zealand Ski Fields Forced to Close as Prime Minister Enforces Strict Lockdown After First Covid Case in 6-Months New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern returned the country to strict lockdown on Tuesday after the country’s first coronavirus case since February was reported in Auckland. The patient, a 58-year-old man, contracted the Delta variant of the virus. Yesterday, ski fields in New South Wales, Australia, were forced to close as a strict lockdown was enforced there. Related: Australian Ski Fields […] Industry News Kiwi Brains | August 17, 2021 2 Comments
Whistler Blackcomb, BC Linked to World’s Largest Outbreak of COVID Variant Outside Brazil A report from The Guardian claims that British Columbia is the center of the world’s largest outbreak of the P1 coronavirus variant. Whistler Blackcomb accounted for almost 200 of the Province’s 877 cases. The P1 variant is highly contagious and is more fatal among younger people. It has been traced back to Brazil. Related: Whistler Blackcomb, BC Will Not Reopen This […] Industry News SnowBrains | April 12, 2021 1 Comment
Whistler Blackcomb, BC Ordered to Close For 3-Weeks Due To COVID-19 Outbreak Whistler Blackcomb ski resort in British Columbia (BC), Canada, was ordered to temporarily close at midnight last night due to a spike in COVID-19 in the local community. The resort will remain closed until April 19th. We were just informed today by the Province of British Columbia that Whistler Blackcomb has been ordered to close as of midnight tonight. We would like […] Industry News SnowBrains | March 30, 2021 0 Comments
Italian Government Abruptly Cancels Opening Day Again, Effectively Killing Ski Season in Italy Just as ski resorts in Italy were finally about to open, the Italian government abruptly postponed opening day yet again when a coronavirus variant was detected in a large portion of recent positive cases. Resorts were preparing to open on Monday or later this week and had put in immense amounts of time and effort, as well as a financial […] Industry News SnowBrains | February 16, 2021 0 Comments
Guidelines For Backcountry Use During the Coronavirus Crisis Brought to you by SCARPA Backcountry Week If you must use the backcountry during the coronavirus crisis, we strongly implore you to follow the guidelines below. The key takeaway is: If you don’t live very near a backcountry recreation area, please do not travel to visit one – stay in your local area. If you live very close to a […] Industry News SnowBrains | February 11, 2021 1 Comment
109 COVID-19 Cases Linked to Winter Park Resort, CO Employee Housing Updated state data shows 109 reported cases in the COVID-19 outbreak among employees at Winter Park Resort in Colorado, says the Sky-Hi News. All cases were found in employee housing, and there is nothing to suggest that any guests have been infected. Only two cases are required for an outbreak to be declared. According to the CDC website: A recommended definition […] Industry News SnowBrains | February 11, 2021 0 Comments
Winter Park Resort, CO Declares COVID-19 Outbreak Among Resort Employees Winter Park Resort, CO and Grand County Public Health (GCPH) released a joint statement Monday night declaring a COVID-19 outbreak among resort employees. By reporting the outbreak, more resources can now be made available to the resort to combat the spread among workers. Through case investigations, it has been determined that these cases have not been traced back to transmission […] Industry News SnowBrains | February 10, 2021 0 Comments
New Covid-19 Rules Ban UK Citizens From Going on Ski Holidays New rules introduced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday banned all UK citizens from non-essential travel, including skiing and snowboarding. Related: Ski Resorts in France and Germany to Remain Closed Until Potentially Mid-February Anybody wishing to travel outside the UK will first have to declare why and prove that it is essential, the government announced yesterday. Skiing and snowboarding are not […] Industry News SnowBrains | January 28, 2021 0 Comments
Winter Park Resort, CO Amends Reservation System | No Reservation Required After 2pm As with most other Ikon resorts, Winter Park in Colorado began the season not requiring passholders to make reservations. But it soon became clear from lift-lines and crowds that to manage the demand of eager skiers and riders, a reservation system would be necessary. So the resort took the unpopular decision to implement one, beginning Saturday 19th December. Related: Winter […] Industry News SnowBrains | January 21, 2021 0 Comments
CDC Investigating 8 Covid-19 Cases at Sunday River Ski Area, ME | 25 Cases at Resort Since November Sunday River Ski Resort, ME has seen 25 covid-19 cases since they opened for the season in November. Maine CDC is currently investigating eight active cases, and twenty employees are currently in quarantine, reports News Center Maine. Related: Sunday River Resort, ME Offers Insight into What Winter 20/21 Will Look Like Karolyn Castaldo, a spokeswoman for the resort, says that […] SnowBrains | January 21, 2021 0 Comments
February Opening for French Ski Resorts ‘Seems Highly Improbable’ | Government Says ‘This Winter is a Write-Off’ The much-hoped-for reopening of ski resorts in France has been delayed yet again due to covid-19. The Tourism Minister told the industry that this winter would be a write-off. The government announced yesterday that ski lifts would not be allowed to open from February 1, a date given by the government for a possible easing of restrictions, and a “reopening in […] Industry News SnowBrains | January 21, 2021 0 Comments
Ski Resorts in Italy Remain Closed as Government Postpones Opening Day Again Opening day at Italian ski resorts keeps coming tantalizingly close before being ripped from eager skiers’ fingertips as the government again moves the goalposts. 18th January was supposed to be the most recent re-opening day, but the Italian government announced on Saturday that the public would have to wait – until 15th February, at least. Italian Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, announced […] Industry News SnowBrains | January 19, 2021 0 Comments
Killington Resort, VT No Longer Requiring Weekday Parking Reservations Like all of us, Killington Resort, VT, was unsure how the season would pan out. To limit capacity, they began by not requiring ticket holders to reserve their days but did require all visitors to reserve their parking spaces. Related: Killington Resort, VT Unveils Winter 20/21 Operating Plan | Late Opening and Parking Reservations Required for All We are implementing […] Industry News SnowBrains | January 15, 2021 0 Comments
Stay at Home Order Lifted for Greater Sacramento Region | What That Means for Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, CA California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday that the stay at home order restricting the Greater Sacramento Region of California would be lifted, ending a month-long shutdown. NEW: We’re seeing stabilization in ICUs & positivity rates. Greater Sacramento is coming out of the Regional Stay-at-Home & going back to purple tier effective today. We must continue to wear a mask & […] SnowBrains | January 14, 2021 2 Comments
Ontario, Canada Premier Says That Ski Hills Are the “Last Thing on My Mind” | Have We Already Seen the End of the Season? Today, Tuesday, January 12, the Government of Ontario announced a second state of emergency during the COVID-19 pandemic after new modeling has suggested daily cases will double within the next month. With this terrible news and new projections, what can we expect for the rest of the current ski season—or have we already seen the end of it? During a […] Industry News Liam Abbott | January 13, 2021 7 Comments
Schweitzer Mountain Resort, ID Cancels Night Skiing Over COVID-19 Concerns This Sunday, January 10th, Schweitzer Mountain Resort posted on their Facebook that they would be no longer be offering night skiing over the coming long weekend, citing concerns around the lack of regard for COVID-19 guidelines. In the post, President and CEO of Schweitzer Mountain Resort, Tom Chasse, describes “an overwhelming lack of compliance with our mask policies and social […] Industry News Liam Abbott | January 12, 2021 0 Comments
Pitkin County, CO (Aspen Snowmass) Bans Indoor Dining | Ski Resort to Remain Open Without Reservations During a meeting yesterday Pitkin County in Colorado, home to Aspen Snowmass ski area, voted to ban indoor dining and move into Red Level restrictions. The Board of Health decided against a ‘full shutdown’ meaning Aspen Snowmass ski area will remain open for now. Related: Pitkin County, CO (Aspen Snowmass) Meeting Today to Decide on March-Like Full Shutdown, Closing Ski […] Industry News SnowBrains | January 12, 2021 0 Comments
Italian Ski Resorts: Re-Opening Postponed Until January 18th Due to Ongoing Covid-19 Concerns Today was supposed to be the day. The day Italians were finally allowed back on their ski slopes. But eager powderhounds will now have to wait for a further 11-days – at least. When Italy, along with the majority of Europe, went into lockdown and shut their ski resorts in November to help slow the spread of covid-19, the 7th of […] Industry News SnowBrains | January 7, 2021 1 Comment
Alpine Meadows, CA Report: Sleeper Pow Day to End 2020 This report is from December 31st, 2020, at Alpine Meadows, California. Brought to you by Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows. Alpine Meadows reported 4 inches of light, dry powder on the morning of New Year’s Eve, and the Sierra winds created some deeper stashes in the higher bowls and North facing terrain that make this resort so unique. I expected “a dust on crust […] Conditions Report Galen Carrico | January 4, 2021 0 Comments