This weekend, we published a report on the proposed new ski team uniforms for 2014-15. In short, the new uniforms seek to unify the look of teams on the mountain. The new uniforms are decidedly “Squaw” in that they are blue and black in color, and only have the Squaw Valley logo.
You can imagine that there has been quite a backlash from the announcement from coaches, parents and team members. There’s always been a healthy rivalry between the Alpine and Squaw teams, and people want it to stay that way.
This also drew attention to a sign that appeared in Estelle Sports this weekend:
Initially we assumed that this only meant that Estelle was having a clearance sale on the old team uniforms, with the Alpine Meadows logo. Some further investigation showed something different. Several people reported that anything with an Alpine Meadows logo was available for 60% off. This seems to fit with the idea that SVSH is indeed trying to abandon the Alpine Meadows brand for next season, preferring to use the Squaw logo with the concept of “one resort, two mountains.”
It’s not official yet, and that’s why we are Unofficial Alpine. We would love to be wrong. But if it’s what’s really happening, it will be a crushing blow to the soul of Alpine Meadows. We would love to hear your comments.
SVSH: PLEASE don’t get rid of the Alpine logo! You’re throwing out “the soul of skiing”! UA is the only place with “soul”! What happened to “The opportunity to experience these two incredible mountains, each with their own unique spirit and character, through one pass and one ticket has resonated deeply with our guests?” Is this keeping each mountain’s own “unique sprit and character”?
Keep
Skiing
Lame
That’s the sticker I display on my rig along with #FreeAlpine….and you should hear the compliments!
Sounds like another opportunity to make stickers, Mark.
A quote mean nothing to these guys…it’s like a spoonful of sugar while taking bad medicine.
“Wet Amenity” that’s another………..don’t get me started! or wait, I got an idea!
But, the quote is by Andy Wirth (AKA: Andy Worthless) when announcing the SquAlpine merger. Sorry I forgot to put that in there.
I remember that quote clearly, just like the Chapman quote. Also, the “soul of skiing” is this years marketing tag, next year they will reinvent the mountain again…………….just saying.
I hear there is video of from D8……..frosting!
Video of D8 frosting: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152117521913515
If you have any more of those, I’d be happy to take one or more off your hands.
Mark can give you my email.
Why don’t the kids have an Ambassador/Liaison with KSL so the kids points of view can be heard on development, slope management etc? I’d vote Oznorts for Mayor – he’s got more common sense than a lot of people.
And I’m glad to hear that some at IOV are heeding advice from an old political warhorse.
I tried to buy the round green logo stickers at Estelle sports after seeing your post about the uniforms, but they were sold out. I got some other alpine stickers for 60% off.
A crushing blow? I dunno. I’m less interested in words and branding than I am in actions. Or here, in INactions — leaving us the hell alone. KSL can call us the Southern Buttmunch Colony for all I care, if that means that the joeys stay at the historically Cushing-dominated site.
Alpine might lose its identity, but it will never lose its soul.
It would be a shame to lose the Alpine identity. It would be like Les 3 Vallees just turning into Les 3 Vallees and losing Courcheval, Meribel, Val Tho and Les Menuires. Each of them bring an identity to the whole experience yet they also allow for multiple target markets to essentially be targeted by a single product.
Never heard it. Even Squaw sat on its laurels and faded into obscurity until, amongst other things, VR and Hyatt at Incline noticed they lost 50,000 Brit tourists Universal Studios and Mammoth & Tahoe regional tourism then started airing ads starring Julia and Erroll internationally and in NA, and partnered a bit with international airlines via VisitCalifornia.com. It took a global financial crisis, thanks to ‘banksters’, before people woke up. A bit like KSL waking up in early Feb to s’house seasons and the need for snowmaking at places like Shirleys at least. AM, imo, needs its own in tune management or its bean counters ‘over the ridge’ need a kick up the bum.
Korporate Sized Losers
That would be funny if all things Alpine go away and you become unofficialsquaw.
Everybody that wears these fugly black and blue uniforms will look like they are on the ” lift maintenance/ operations team”. Probably could have saved a lot of money if they partnered with Carrhart.
SVSH Kreating Soulless Legacy
Lol,
… except you’re right on.
To get rid of that pesky informative Unofficialalpine, get rid of the name ‘Alpine’!. As we all know, he can’t call it unofficialsquaw. Bwhahahaha.
In view of the enduring controversy over the use of the word “Squaw” anywhere and it’s offensive connotation, why don’t they get rid of that? To eliminate Alpine and leave Squaw is beyond ridiculous and I’m surprised someone hasn’t called them on this. Don’t get me started on the real mess that’s happened to Alpine that is so much worse than branding issues. BTW I’d vote for Southern Buttmunch Colony…
Okay bradjelina lovers
And ksl haters
Frankenstein merger should have been rebranded
Wait for it
Squaw Meadows or S&M for the pain & suffering the alpine demo has had to endure
IMO Alpine guerrilla free trade / locally, ethically & Bien sur organically sourced speed suit fashion line should abscond the better looking blue on the right and retain the mountain range AM logo in white
Squaliwood needs the brighter blue so we can see them better when their team monopolizes Friday training on kanga or violates our personal space in the treats line
Re: font. Is there not a lone typographer — andrew mane? Who can transform helevetica? Help us ob1
The cadence of Alpine Squaw is so much nicer than squaw alpine
I was talking to the Loch Ness Monster and he’s never seen a KSL Exec either. Maybe they wear winter camo uniforms????
These threads seem to take on a strong anti Squaw sentiment. While I sorta get that from this being an Alpine message board, I do find it unfortunate.
1. As a parent that paid for my daughter to ski at squaw I found it a pain in the ass having her go over there this winter. We were not alone in complaining to the head of the ski team about this.
2. I can assure you that we are very unhappy with the KSL ownership. I can fairly say that since KSL has owned Squaw the experience has been far worse than the other 33 plus years we’ve been skiing there.
3. To the Alpine parent that said that squaw coaches don’t offer a personalized coaching experience we’ve experienced nothing but the opposite. So with all due respect, you don’t know what you’re talking about.
4. We are not at all happy about the stupid branding on the new uniforms and won’t be buying one.
I’d submit if we all spent time making this squaw vs. alpine and putting the problem squarely on KSL and the effort to make it one homogeneous ski experience we’d probably all be better off. I for one believe they are distinct resorts with distinct experiences and should be kept that way on all levels. I hope we can all agree that KSL sucks and we’d be better off if they packaged up shop, through Andy Worthless under the bus and moved on.
PS. I’ve told Mark personally that I think unofficialalpine is an awesome resource.
Firstly we all owe a huge thank you for UA’s stirling job.
The Design Review Committee also said they felt they were forced to spend way more time looking for facts than doing a normal job as reviewers.
I have to say its the weirdest most unintuitive ski resort plan process I’ve ever seen. It’s getting better but, at this rate, they better build a nursing home and a cemetary because we’ll be 100 years old by the time they finish this. So who’s coming to Squaw’s 150th birthday party? We’ll have ol time rap music and Wet Enemas
I don’t blame Squaw for this. I blame KSL and Andy Worth. I consider Squaw to be my 2nd mountain.
It’s either Wirth or Worthless. 🙂
KSL has done some stuff to Squaw that I don’t like either.
Seems like a lot of people complaining about the speculative loss of a logo are of the same ones who want to turn Alpine into an expensive exclusive ski area for the rich. So what’s the problem then? Worried if no one sees a sticker on your Audi they won’t know you’ve got an alpine country club?
We DON’T want Alpine Meadows to become an “expensive exclusive ski area for the rich”, we don’t like the $114 ticket prices. We liked it when kids (like me) could ski for $10 a day with the Alpine Club, when Alpine was with JMA (Homewood). We liked it when we were with JMA because we didn’t get all of the Squaw teams, and Squaw people coming to Alpine Meadows.
All of our friends are getting the Bronze pass next year because they don’t want to deal with the weekend and holiday Squaw crowds.
And what about the “unique sprit and character” to each resort, which Andy Wirth said when announcing the SquAlpine merger? (“The opportunity to experience these two incredible mountains, each with their own unique spirit and character, through one pass and one ticket has resonated deeply with our guests.”)
It’s called bait and switch… now they have screwed the Bronze Pass with Blackouts every Saturday…..WTF? Up grade they say to a “Bronze Plus”, which sounds like a feminine product. They won’t get a penny for a pass till the very last minute from me!
Remember son, Andy bumped his head!
You’re all mad!
1. You lot wanted weekend crowds shortened, wanted more expensive passes at least for weekends, and wanted fewer kids on the hill, so KSL offered the No Saturday pass and the pricier Bronze Plus. You should be jumping with glee that KSL listened.
2. Andy may have bumped his head, but what’s your excuse for not foreseeing that a no-saturday pass would try to lure you into becoming midweek warriors?
3. Squaw needs AM for bad seasons. Squaw can’t free AM especially as the clowns seem to have done nothing to snowmake staple runs like Shirleys. (Old ideas to snowmake were recently dusted off and might be on the agenda soon).
Btw, is it true that SV dusted off old ideas to run a gondola via airspace over White Wolf so they don’t need pylons on White Wolf’s soil? Made sense years ago. Less environmental impact, and WW can keep a private lift to itself for that mid mtn hotel idea.
What’s 18m/sec in mph for a gondola at Squaw.
Here are the Taiwanese gondola speeds. It turns off in Force 7 winds, earthquakes and certain events.
http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCwQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fenglish.gondola.trtc.com.tw%2Fct.asp%3FxItem%3D42051442%26CtNode%3D57351%26mp%3D122034&ei=g4RFU4nVEsyxkgXo84CwDw&usg=AFQjCNFwyQ1sPnbsGeXPo61bRSBFXkb2QQ&sig2=BnQQufAni5lWKp4IB2Li7Q&bvm=bv.64507335,d.dGI
40 mph
Is there some way this interconnect gondola can run if gusts hit a (mere) 50mph/80kmh, and how many days is Sqam hit by gusts over 50mph? I just wonder if the gondola will cure windhold or if the shuttles to AM will be the main solution to crappy seasons. (Anyone want to buy a condo?)
“The PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola will be the most wind tolerant lift at Whistler Blackcomb, able to run in winds up to 80km/hr. The 3S Gondola ensures stability since it travels along two track ropes while being pulled by a third haul rope.
Last January, in Whistler Blackcomb’s stormiest month, the Peak elevation at 2,182m/7,160ft only saw two days where winds exceeded 80kms/hour. Comparatively, at the mid-mountain elevation of 1,660m/5,450ft, wind surpassed 50km/hour only six times during the month. The PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola is located at 1,850m/6,069ft, an elevation that is less affected by the heavy winds that can occur in the high alpine.
The PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola will play a key role in transporting guests to open terrain on both mountains when alpine lifts are closed due to stormy weather.”
I recall SV’s facebook page said their manual says they have to stop AM lifts if winds reach 40 or 50 mph.
They really need sit down and work out genuine solutions (and lifting Estelles and running ABC and Yellow sound brilliant on those very very busy days. PS: Where do the lifties stay – the guys I met were camping because they work was intermittent. I bet the execs aren’t told to go home and wait for a call.
Oh, and was a resort penalised in workers payment courts recently? IOV might want to look into if 264 employee bedrooms is enough and if they can deed-restrict the title like rent-controlled premises to safeguard voting workers from any future beancounting myopic accountants. We nee lifts and lifts need lifties!
I hope the two resorts never connect via tram!
Me too.
It’s part of the marketing strategy and the real estate that was applauded on the ‘net as a great idea iirc. SV thought they’d market themselves as the largest acreage in the usa, but they sorta forgot that the utah interconnect will be bigger and snowier, the Squamish deal next to whistler is 10x bigger than Squaw’s $50m plans, and they forgot epicpass was taking over the free world. Is bigger betterer when you forgot to work on snowmaking Shirleys because 10/11 was a big year. Doh!
I’d love to see what the investors were told btw. Exhibit 1 y’honor is stuff on the freaking interwebz that everyone else knew about, including 8 mile pipes and a road over usfs land that sounds like the ’20 mile’ pipe idea to am to h’wood for water and snowmaking with mass transit, roadworks etc. Even the inter-waterboard court case and the cross-border deals sounds like its the ‘superboard’ idea to depose of little fiefdoms and empire builders.
Question: which way would you route a gondola to shield it from winds and still have it marry up with existing lifts or a base camp to efficiently disperse skiers and summer visitors? I tried to get a handle on that when visiting the model but the ksl staff had no idea about things like water capacity in mountaintop ponds and ‘stuff’ like business models, contracts, future style contracts and things. neither did some pr town people: they’re stunned by simple things like building mass and they havent bothered 3D’ing the model themselves and then running programs for light/shadows etc. so where would you run an interconnecting gondoa that can run when elewhere there’s gusts over 50mph? Is there anywhere, or will windhold forever doom SVAM?
I will forever keep you on wind hold……………………………..
If it’s still on offer, pay them $50 less so you get a bronze + for the price of the bronze. Or hold out and let them lose sleep as they sweat on whether you’ll sign up gain. 🙂
Dang, Unofficial – with ever sticker comes a free country club membership and an Audi. Sweet!
You get a free country club membership to Alpine Meadows Country Club in Louisiana, not Lake Tahoe!
Doesn’t sport team have their own mascot? team colors? logo? and home turf? Not looking for a country club here, just want to show some pride for the mountain I ride!
Seems like there are bigger issues than the logo. I’m no fan of KSL and their overpriced hot dogs but I don’t think we’ll have a good idea of what the real issues are until we have a decent snow year. A lot of the complaining the last couple of years comes down to limited snow and terrain and limited day ticket sales. KSL’s efforts to manage that was bound to piss off everybody. The real question is whether KSL is prepared to spend money to upgrade lifts and snowmaking and to run dormant lifts on busy days (and ABC in the spring) or whether all the money will go into real estate development. It is telling that there hasn’t been any on-mountain improvement since KSL took over (unless you are a fan of better signs.)
KSL/SV were caught with their pants down and were too slow to react to, for example, the influx who drive for a 3″ ‘dump’. In the age of fickle climate change you need to move quick and act fast on pre-planned scenarios. You DON”T wait to see what Unofficialalpine tells you what needs fixing!
You DON”T turn staff on and off like a tap.
You don’t cull staff and then expect them back. We got ours to ‘paint stuff’ and do little maintenance jobs but we don’t have your employment laws: incidentally wasn’t there a resort near you guys that just had to pony up underpayments from a few years ago: in some jurisdictions there are hefty penalties for misclassifying staff. I sure hope HR and mgmt know what they’re doing coz its tuff out there.
I am relieved to see that KSL say they attained 42% MIDWEEK occupancy: maybe it’d be higher if the $99/night deal was announced earlier.
Maybe KSL should hire empaths and clairvoyants to write a proper nop rather than a ‘conceptual’ wish list that changes too often as facts change. Trust me: the weather is fickle, and mgmt needs to be ready.
they need places for staff to be on hand quickly. I felt gutted when staff said they were force to camp in the snow or live in cars. This is the 21st century, not 17th century england!
Oliver Twist.
Yes, there is bigger issues and it’s in real estate. Aren’t we all fans of Big Blue? and electric car chargers? and years and years of construction? and the Wet Amenity? and on and on………
They want to appeal to the cash-spending average family of newbies, intermediates and below Squaw’s expert standard – not people who spend $400 a season and carry granola bars and beers.
Wait for timberline to resurrect itself.
Heed the final lines in this article on curbedski:
“Squaw Valley has announced it is dropping its plans for its “Timberline Twister,” a looping rollercoaster that would have been installed between the Red Dog and Far East chairs with lights to run day and night. The project was in the early stages, having not yet faced an environmental review, and Squaw claims it is using the capital to instead invest in upgrading Red Dog and the Hot Wheels chair at Alpine Meadows with high-speed six-pack lifts.”
“While submitted as an entirely separate project from the colossal base village expansion that would also somehow include a 132,000 square foot water park despite the stringent limitations on water use around Lake Tahoe, public opposition deemed it guilty by association, and decried turning the valley into an “amusement park.” Northstar proposed its own mountain coaster in 2010, but had to scuttle the project due to public outcry. ”
“Still, an adviser to the Placer County Board of Supervisors thinks Squaw will see the project proposed again in three or four years.”.
Be vigilant. Form a town with its own town planning department.
Dropping!!!!!!! Nice.
http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/opinion/10948788-113/squaw-valley-ksl-expansion
“Last week’s “Our Turn: Squaw’s true character, leadership — a positive impact on community” cries out for a response and here it is.
This item is likely the start of a Squaw Valley Real Estate/Squaw Valley Ski Holdings/KSL campaign to influence our community attitudes before the really critical Draft Environmental Impact Report about the proposed Squaw Valley Village expansion is released some time in the next few months.
Expect a well-orchestrated and well-funded PR blitz from KSL.
Most readers may not realize that all or most of the signatories to the letter (and I respect them all as individuals, athletes, and for their dedication to Squaw Valley/KSL) have some kind of linkage to Squaw Valley. So their collective opinion is predictable. Again, most readers probably don’t know this.
So, was the referenced article written and orchestrated by Squaw Valley? The answer, in my opinion, is undoubtedly yes.
Those who put the letter together still don’t get it. Most of us applaud the improvements on the mountain itself, and look for more of the same. Plus, we’re glad to see Andy back, even though we disagree with him.
It is important to understand that those of us who seriously question KSL’s effort to develop and oversize an inappropriate village at the base of our favorite mountain don’t oppose expansion of the village.
We actually urge that KSL, the distant private securities firm that owns Squaw Valley, together with Squaw Valley Ski Holdings and Squaw Valley Real Estate, get behind a revised specific village expansion project that would do three things, all of which are supported here by many of us who have been around here for a while (pre-KSL):
It would be good for the local and regional environment.
It would be good for the Squaw Valley and our nearby communities.
It would conform to the guidelines and ordinances that are in our Squaw Valley 1983 General Plan and Land Use Ordinances.
Unfortunately, the Specific Plan and Notice of Preparation for the village expansion that have been presented to us recently do not satisfy these three requirements. Read the comments on both that have been prepared and submitted to Placer County. All of these are available on the Placer County website.
I personally hope all of the signatories to the referenced letter read the Specific Plan and NOP before signing the letter and had therefore made a personal and well-considered judgment to support the present expansion proposal. If they hadn’t done so, then I hope that they do soon.
Dave Brew is a Squaw Valley homeowner.”
Thankfully the Tribune/Sierra Sun is publishing both sides.
http://snowbrains.com/incorporate-olympic-valley-campaigned-launched/?fb_action_ids=10152374271773708&fb_action_types=og.likes
Wow, the PR War is hotting up. But do Judges listen to PR people?
Oznorts for mayor! He’d have the sense to have closed Scott and run ABC instead today.
Phooey – he should be governor 🙂
It’s terrific to see the teenagers are reading and forming opinions and then speaking up.
As KSL will know, they depend on kids, like the 1700 team kids and the families and the condo buying families. Pay heed KSL.
And IOV should have kid ambassadors ventilating their views on what sort of place they want to grow up in.
Can anyone get Oznorts on Tahoe TV?
Stock up on AM gear.
I still have some old stickers from years ago I’m holding.
Still have some vintage “Drink Tahoe Red” stickers too.
http://nltra.org/docs/public/4.9.14%20BOCC%20Packet.pdf
$50,000 here, $5000 there etc : there’s gotta be $100k just for Nstar and SV’s efforts to market the nth shore. Only a cynic would be suspicious. UA should apply for this free money coz you do a better job.
i’m confused by some posts on Dr Robb’s Facebook page where businesses in TC say they lose $ when events like Ironman are held.
Does this free $ start as Tot taxes taken out of Squaw and Nstar that goes to Placer then goes to the NLTRA and then goes to SV and Nstar’s lift and lodging companies so they can run events and fill their accom?
Could a town keep the tot and use it for promoting the town’s businesses and events?
How come the grant $ looks like its benefits those who were invited to the invitation-only meeting last Friday
What would the politically astute do?
I’d look and see if anyone else was rezoning.
http://www.skialpine.com/lake-tahoe-events/season-passholder-party
Woot! We go up Summit Six, for a BBQ, music and prizes and then ski down to the Apres Party. Awesome!!!
Yup, we’ll be posting on this later today..someone is listening as it was very popular in our survey.
Great idea, but on a Monday evening? Why not the evening of the full moon on the 15th, and tax day, and Jackie Robinson day (thanks Wikipedia). Better yet, Friday the 18th to kick off the weekend??
I surely wouldn’t think KSL would do something on a non-weekend day to reduce costs and make passholders feel unappreciated… (insert cricket noises here).
I believe the intent is to reasonably control numbers of people. It will weed out the faithful from the casual Alpine lovers…I think I feel a sick day coming on for Monday.
True, but some hard-core faithful can’t make it. Every other day that week I will be there. Why didn’t hey ask me what is convenient for me? It’s all about me, right?
LOL…you crack me up frequently. 🙂
Hey SB call their wet emnity a Sporthaus – a wet facility and athlete training facility, just like KSL want, excpt its not in a 90,000 timber and glass box.
“The Village at Sugar Bowl offers an amazing, unique experience you won’t find anywhere else: http://bit.ly/1lFKCmF
A very exciting addition for Homeowners and Lodge guests is the Sporthaus, a joint athletic fitness & training facility (pictured), being completed this summer. For more info, check out http://bit.ly/1fWALr8.
To learn more about the Village experience: http://bit.ly/1oGTqNK
The Village at Sugar Bowl offers an amazing, unique experience you won’t find anywhere else: http://bit.ly/1lFKCmF A very exciting addition for Homeowners and Lodge guests is the Sporthaus, a joint athletic fitness & training facility (pictured), being completed this summer. For more info, check out http://bit.ly/1fWALr8. To learn more about the Village experience: http://bit.ly/1oGTqNK
Does this mean Squaw will be inundate with refugees from SB’s wet amenty. OMG!
everybody wants to get in on the act.
Is it true a pro-KSL prominent Squaw personality has applied to turn a conservation area into a residen tial zoning for maybe 4 McMansions.
IOV better look into it.
And if IOV is formed, is its town planning laws with retro effect to May 2013, or is it stuck with any rezoning that occurs now? I dunno. And is the Redesign Committee supposed to get involved or not?
I thought the Golana Case means the Placer rezoning and any approvals are replaced with IOV’s planning scheme with backdated effect to May 2013.
This could mean that KSL needs to go back to the drawing board n 1-2 years thanks to California’s strangling red tape.
Then, assuming KSL-friendlies are 100% appointed to the council, there is the process to go through all over again, no?
More delay. Can KSL survive Californian processes? Will they be forced to recapitalise by selling off AM, charging parking, and cutting the deal with Troy perhaps? Will they ditch Hotwheels?
This is terrble! I hope Save Our Valley can save SV from California’s red tape.
I want to apologise for inventing one man, one vote. I meant to invent “one holiday home, 2 votes” but I wasn’t well.
I am deeply sorry for inventing the bureaucracy too, and red tape. Good Lord, i wish I took out a patent on red tape, green tape and all forms of sticky messy ways to tie things up in knots.
I don’t know what the politicians were thinking, and I apologise for them too. Having elected leaders seemed like a good idea at the time, but I was drunk.
Aristotle.
RE; Conservation Land being rezoned by Macuso.
The history of the 24 acre property is it was purchased by Hidden Lake Properties in 1984 and later transferred to Ciro Mancuso. It was formerly part of a larger 72.3 acre parcel, 47 acres of which were included in the Hidden Lake Subdivision in 1987. In 2012, the 24 acre parcel was deeded by Ciro Mancuso to Mancuso Girls Trust whose spokesperson/legal representative is Julia Mancuso. It is a non-revocable trust with a life of 90 years.
The proposed development for the Mancuso property will cover about 1 acre of the 24 and includes 4 single family homes with 4 bedrooms each and a community barn and a new paved access road connecting with Tiger Tail Road. This would require rezoning the homesites from Conservation Preserve to Low Density Residential. The other 23 acres would remain Conservation Preserve. The five new buildings and new road system would basically take away the nice open space behind several homes on Tiger Tail.
Thanks KT22mike.
Btw I read a great piece by Jamie Schectman here on facebook. This link might work for those who don’t do facebook.
http://www.mtnadvisor.com/article/mountain-town-behind-the-incorporate-olympic-valley-movement/?id=384
I’m glad they’re looking at figures for 5–10 years. I hope they get the titles and restrictions and other fregional deal docts so they can present as a informed alternative to Placer rather than a bunch of psychologists and teechers.
Wasn’t it nice to give his assets away to the trust for the girls.
How does Squaw South sound to everyone?? Does the “S” in KSL stand for sleazy?? I predict Mr. Wirth will be losing his job soon – and he may have to move out of his elitist Lahonton mansion to lesser “digs” with the rest of us “dirtbags”. Or maybe he will go back to where he came from.
I applied for the CEO job at the Job Fair but they said to try Craigslist 🙂
Andy’s fine, though whoever writes these vague nop papers should be fired for confusing people. We need an index, cross referencing, reports on water and things, and decent 3D pictures. Show us the employee housing, inside and out. Show the bus routes and the limos we guests have. Put in a timetable for lifts and a gondola – relieve lift lines pleeze on weekends. Show the vision and the business modeling, eg family affordable digs to the presidential suite for the Winter Games. And show how KSL can be part of the community b- Vail does with info on grantsa for kids and paid a 2% wage increase to help out starving employees. Etc. Let’s see a real social plan, a business plan and a better mtn. It’s not hard if you have a soul and can identity with your customers!!
Listening is nice – except they mutter as they walk away from Base Camp.
Robb Gaffney shared a link.
Tahoe, please do your best to weave through and find the accurate information. There will be a lot of fluff thrown your way in the coming months. Get ready to see through it. This Mtn. Advisor interview does a good job at clarifying some of the details regarding Squaw becoming a town.
Mountain Town: Behind the Incorporate Olympic Valley Movement | Mountain Advisor
http://www.mtnadvisor.com
“Skiing has a soul. This is where it lives.” That’s Squaw Valley resort’s slogan, and it’s a fitting one for a place that has been the epicenter of so much […]
Tomlinson is worried about ‘legacy costs’. Correct me but if IOV contracts out most servces then IOV doesn’t have a huge payroll of workers to, one day, pay out redundabncy or pensions etc. Have I missed something; ie there won’t be huge legacy costs because IOV won’t have hoardes of bureaucrats.
tomlinson also says 2nd home owners – who don’t vote atm in Placer anyway – will be ‘disenfranchised’ if they can’t vote in IOV Town. Excuse me, but if they haven’t voted in Placer for the last 50 years, why are they upset if they can’t vote for the next 50 years (unless they move?).
The SOV thing makes me nervous because my HOA is in it: I don’t like crap, corporations like HP chased by the FBI and SEC and IRS for bribery of Russians, or b/shit ‘reviews’ of IOV’s figures. On the other hand I welcome an audit or genuine reviews, but I really detest athetc pretend reviews.
At least SOV say they want to meet. IOV says they want to meet. Is mediation an option? It’d be ‘without prejudce, anything said can’t be used in planning court, and maybe it’ll at least start positive debate. Just saying. But you’ll need reports, genuine figures, and a shared vision.
I didn’t complete my purchase of a pass next season and later a questionaire asked why not. I hope everyone let’s them know why not.
what happens when the next financial downturn comes.
1. SV said it’d build in 2 phases
2. I recall Hosea said Modular construction – where apartments are made off site miles away – was the way forward. Ergo there’s no half built shell;
3. A Performance bond for completion might be an idea
4. I thought KSL said they’d spread the risk with different condo management contracts with familt pricing to penthouse 1% housing.
5. Affiliation with dozens of exchange programs fills rooms: mine (3 of them) were 98% occupancy albeit there were no shows but they paid for the room.
The big problem if crap seasons. Who wants to ski squaw when the destination midweeker can ski anywhere? Snowmaking Shireleys isn’t enough. Management decisions look like Squaw is a basket case mountain, not an international destination resort. Even the toilets in the V@SV are the pits: clean them.
If AW doesn’t have time to go around and look, really look, get someone who will. Get staff who don’t devise dumb ‘policy’ like signing releases at 5pm on a Monday: the potential for a disaster are huge. Get in tune execs, not yes men.
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