Colorado's '96-97 ski season ended with a 3.6% increase
in skier visits, according to Penny Parker in the DENVER
POST. CO Ski Country USA President John Frew had said
before the season that CO resorts "might break the 12
million mark in skier days," but called the 11.8 million
skier visits "remarkable." The 11.8 million was an increase
of "roughly 400,000" from last season (DENVER POST, 5/29).
HIT THE SLOPES: On Wednesday, Vail Resorts Inc. Chair &
CEO Adam Aron; Booth Creek Inc. Chair George Gillett;
Intrawest CEO Corp. Joe Houssain; and American Skiing Co.
CEO Les Otten discussed the skiing industry, while focusing
on "a common goal: growing the number of skiers in the
sport," according to the POST's Penny Parker. Vail's Aron
said he's "taking the lead" in creating a 32-page ad insert
that will appear in Sports Illustrated in October, but he
must still "convince other resorts to buy ads that the
magazine may sell for 20 percent of its normal rate." Aron:
"Each resort will create its own advertising. It's not a
generic skiing-is-great promotion" (DENVER POST, 5/29).
