EARLY SEASON UPDATE

Transcription

EARLY SEASON UPDATE
Arizona Snowbowl—Winter Employee Newsletter
EARLY SEASON UPDATE
By J.R. Murray, General Manager
A great start to the ski season! Opening the ski area went
according to plan but not without hard work of our talented
staff. As a bonus we were able to open the Agassiz chairlift well
before our forecast date of Dec 4. The combination of 48” of
natural snowfall and cold snowmaking temperatures made for
an opening that no one can remember being so good.
With the orientation sessions and departmental training
complete our exceptional staff took over the operation on day
one, taking care of, and welcoming familiar and new faces to
the slopes. It was very impressive observing employees doing
your jobs with enthusiasm and skill. With over 275 returning
staff members we sailed through the first week of operations as
seasoned pros. Over 14,000 skiers came to Snowbowl in
November, a record for sure. As we turn to December, the postThanksgiving holiday has set in. We witness slower days and
not so many guests. This is a different type of challenge as we
enjoy and want more action. You see the adjustments made in
staffing as we predicted lower visitation for this timeframe.
Fortunately, I see storms on the horizon and Christmas holiday
coming soon.
WHAT’S INSIDE:
 Employee Recognition  FUNdamentals of Freestyle
 Job openings
 Safety Corner
 Benefits & Discounts
 Payroll Updates
 New Family of Resorts
 Events… and more!
December 2015
Snowbowl will see approximately 25% of our winter business
from December 19 to January 3; the holiday business is very
important to Snowbowl. Think about how prepared (and
rested) we will be by then. The number of new skiers, busy
days, and every department in overdrive is a part of our season
that is fun and fast. Christmas / New Years is the Superbowl of
every ski area in the country.
Humphreys Peak chairlift remains on schedule. Last weekend
we completed the cable splice and this weekend the load test
will occur; the final major milestone. Crews will be working on
final preparations for the grand opening on December 18.
Construction was also completed this past week on the
snowmaking infrastructure for the uppermost trail sections
under the new lift.
Construction season began last April with snowmaking
installation on Ridge side of mountain, followed by on-going
trail work projects around the mountain, then the Humphreys
lift, and now the snowmaking to support Humphreys. The
mountain operations staff has been busy for four straight years
with major construction projects. We are appreciative of our
owner’s commitment to fund recent and current
improvements at Snowbowl. With more big projects on the
drawing board we begin this season on a positive note and
have a bright future ahead of us. If this El Nino is for real, the
2015-16 season may be one to always remember.
Thank you to all employees and let’s keep the momentum
going!
CORE VALUES REPRESENTED!
By Kymm Bowthorpe, Human Resources Director
Every newsletter we plan to highlight some of our Core Values
and the way our employees represent them in their day-to-day
work. This issue we are featuring SERVICE EXCELLENCE &
SAFETY.
On Sunday night I was at Ski Lift Lodge late at night and
parked near the “Check In” area. Immediately upon exiting
my vehicle, I could barely stand on the 3” thick sheet of ice in
the parking lot. The ice layer encompassed about a six-vehicle
area. I notified Corwin the next day and had him take ice melt
to Ski Lift Lodge and do what he could do to minimize the
premise liability issue.
The letter below (paraphrased) was written to Terry Kenney our
Public Safety & Security Manger about his employee, Corwin
Leonard’s exemplary performance.
[Dear]Mr. KenneyMy daughter and I have been season pass holders since 2007, and
passionate Snowbowl skiers since 2005. After a couple runs
Saturday morning, my daughter, whose ankle was hurting, took a
break at Agassiz lodge, while I did a couple of laps. When we went
to the rack to find her skis, her poles were there but her skis were
missing!
We went to ski patrol and they called security and Corwin
immediately got on it. He took down all the pertinent info and he
reassured us that he would do everything in his power to find her
skis. Corwin then went and stood by the lift line near where the
lifties were scanning passes and watched everyone get on the lift,
for about an hour.
When I got home I checked my phone, and sent at 2:39 was this
text, from Corwin: “I have your daughter’s skis,” accompanied by a
voice mail. I was so elated that Corwin was able to find my
daughter’s skis! Apparently someone had taken them and was
skiing on them. How and where Corwin found them and took
possession of them I don’t know, but that’s exactly what he did.
I went up the following morning and I was immediately
recognized in Guest Services and given her skis back! I can’t tell you
how excited and relieved I was, and how thankful I am for Corwin
and your whole staff, for saving the season. Later on in the day I
saw him once again, and it was all I could do but hug him, so
happy I was.
In a world filled with people who don’t care, or do as little as
possible, or who are selfish and steal, this bit of competence, good
work, and exceeding expectations was beyond reassuring.
I often say that Arizona Snowbowl is one of my favorite places on
Earth. I know there are bigger and better mountains out there- I
have skied some of them. But few places have the soul, the
community, the good vibes that Snowbowl does. And this little bit
of magic by Corwin once again cinches my belief that we have a
great gem in our midst.
Arizona Snowbowl Employee Newsletter
Upon arrival, Corwin realized that the situation was
critical. Not only did displayed a “Danger, Hazardous Icy
Conditions” sign took it upon himself to manually chip every
last piece of ice out and shovel it to a non-pedestrian walking
area—taking him over three hours. Corwin Leonard you are
awesome and we are proud to have you in our Snowbowl
Family!
Corwin was awarded with a $50 gift card and entered into a
drawing for an end-of-the-year grand prize.
If you witness some star performance deserving
recognition, please let HR or Safety department
know. Nominations for the safest employee of the
month are accepted all season long!
2
FUNdamentals for Freestyle
By Drew Halley, Ski & Ride School Supervisor
Looking uphill from the bottom of Sunset Chair Lift it is easy to see how hard the Sunset
Terrain Parks crew has been working creating features and jumps for the local “park-rats” to
shred. Regardless of difficulty, every freestyle maneuver follows the same 4 phases:
Approach, Takeoff, Maneuver, and Landing (ATML). Here in THE Arizona Snowbowl Ski and
Ride School, we have adopted this model to analyze any non-conventional snow-sport task.
While most of the “park-rats” will tell you to just “huck it”, these four phases, detailed below,
allow more precise feedback when learning new maneuvers.
Approach
This is the in-run to the feature, during this distance before the feature it is important to
make sure that you have found the appropriate speed and approach angle.
Take-off
During the take-off, the major focus is placed on a clean “POP”. A good pop is one that keeps
the gear of the rider level and allows the rider to match the pitch of the next phase.
Maneuver
This step is the most ambiguous of the ATML model, this can be the air time during a jump, or any sort of sliding feature. During this
phase it is imperative to focus and maintain trajectory. The maneuver also requires that the rider prepares for the landing, whether
that be a straightening out during a jump, or a POP to dismount a
feature.
Landing
Once the rider has committed to returning to the snow, they need to
prepare their landing gears. Focus should be placed on maintaining
an athletic stance with a partially flexed lower body, in order to
absorb any impact.
Now that the Sunset Terrain Parks Crew has opened two terrain parks
for us all to enjoy, let’s keep in mind the ATML model as we approach
new features. Keep It Safe Snowbowl, and remember to Park
S.M.A.R.T.! Think SNOW!
For more safety tips , Terrain park clinics and events visit
www.arizonasnowhowl.com/sunsetparks
A few upcoming Terrain Park events:

Starting January 1 - Weekly Never Summer Freestyle Fridays

January 23 - Overthrow Cacti Jam

January 30-31 - Dew Downtown On-Mountain Competition

February 27 - Rail Jam

March 19 - ROME Rail Jam
Arizona Snowbowl Employee Newsletter
3
RETAIL PERKS FOR EMPLOYEES
By Taylor Nepsky, Retail Supervisor
Hello Snowbowl Employees!
It’s that time of year again, when everyone is stoked about the
upcoming snowfall, whether that means us as employees or
the general public who flock to our mountain for the holidays.
I wanted to send a message out to everyone who works here
to make you aware of the deals that are in the retail store. We
carry all sorts of items from snow essentials like outerwear,
gloves, goggles and socks, to logo items like t-shirts, drink
ware and even holiday ornaments.
Many, if not all of you are aware that the retail store exists, but
were you aware that you, as a Snowbowl employee you get
25% OFF!!! That means that new items that you would see
elsewhere at full retail can be purchased in the shop for ¾ of
the price you may see in town or online. Also, this is the
giving season and that means getting gifts for the ones you
love at a discount!
So come on in to the Arizona Snowbowl sport shop, with two
locations; one at Hart Prairie Lodge and one at Agassiz Lodge
and get everything that will make you and yours happy this
winter season!
SAFETY CORNER
By Jon Gauld, Safety & Risk Management Coordinator
Welcome back to my winter family! I hope everyone had a
great summer and I hope you are all ready for what’s shaping
up to be an awesome winter! Every year we all are scrambling
to get the Snowbowl ready for our guests, so I wanted to
touch on how important each and everyone one of you are to
our employee and guest safety.
As most of you know our Patrol team uses the acronym
L.A.S.E.R. This acronym is a really easy way to obtain
information that you will communicate to our mountain
dispatcher in order to get the proper help you need in case of
an emergency. When an injury occurs please contact our
dispatcher at ext. 105 on our mountain phone system, or call
direct to 928.214.4005.
Stay calm and use L.A.S.E.R.
Location (Where the person is exactly)
Age (What is the age of the person)
Sex (Are they male or female)
Event (What part of the body is injured)
Resources (What is needed to help the injured person)
Arizona Snowbowl Employee Newsletter
Also, please hold any witnesses to
the incident!
Please understand how important you are to this process, and
with your help we will be able to respond more quickly to
their needs. Thank you!
On another topic, I am extremely excited to announce the
addition of 3 brand new defibrillators (AEDs)! I would like to
thank our upper management team for recognizing the need
for these important life saving devices. The units are very
expensive and the team realizes that you can’t put a price tag
on a life.
The new AEDs will be located in each of our three lodges,
Agassiz, Hart Prairie and Ski Lift Lodge. Each unit will be
found in a metal case with instructions located above the
case. The units are intended both for medical professionals
and bystanders, so the instructions on how to use them are
very clear. Look for them at the lodges later this month.
Thanks for thinking about your safety and your co-workers
safety and B.A.A.H! Be Alert Accidents Hurt!
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WELCOME TO YOUR NEW FAMILY OF RESORTS
By Ksenia Hartl, Marketing Coordinator
Our Director of Sales and Marketing, Jason Stratton,
and I are glad to welcome all of you to the 2015/16
winter season!
NEW FAMILY OF RESORTS
After the merger with three partner resorts – Purgatory
(CO), Sipapu (NM) and Pajarito (NM) – our marketing
department has been hard at work consolidating,
promoting, and collaborating with our new
southwestern family of resorts. Earlier this year, in
conjunction with our sister resorts, Arizona Snowbowl
unveiled the Power Pass, the only season pass in the
country that offers unlimited skiing and riding at our
four resorts combining total of more than 3,000 acres of
terrain, 28 lifts, more than 200 trails and 13 terrain
parks.
Arizona Snowbowl employees are eligible for
unlimited winter passes at Purgatory, Sipapu
and Pajarito. Employee dependents who are
eligible for Snowbowl passes can get up to 3 free days
at each resort.
This partnership for Arizona Snowbowl not only means
extended benefits t o e mployees a nd p assholders b ut a lso
continued capital improvements totaling over $10 million
including the added snowmaking, trails and of course,
the first new chairlift in 30 years – the Humphreys
Peak Quad.
With El Nino in the forecast, you may want to make some
plans and head east to check out our sister resorts. Don’t
forget to bring us some pictures! We would love to feature
you in future newsletters!
MORE BENEFITS
Did you know your season pass benefits extends far beyond
the slopes and Snowbowl lodges? There are many vendors in
town who offer our passholders and employees great
discounts.
Who would not like a FREE California Roll at Monsoon’s, or
20% OFF at Altitudes Bar & Grill? How about 25% off initiation
fee at the Flagstaff Athletic Center or $3.50 for an Imperial
Pint at Mother Road Brewery? You can even take 25% OFF
regular priced Patagonia item at Mountain Sports or take
advantage of the 25% discount on any Spa services at
Diamond Point Spa just for showing them your season pass!
check them out this winter season and show them some
support. Find the complete list under the “Other Benefits”
at www.arizonasnowbowl.com/seasonpass
EVENTS
Summer and fall have both been rich with events for the
marketing department. From the launch of the season pass
sale in the spring, to multiple Tundra Kids events all around
the state, we have been on the road promoting
Arizona Snowbowl and our sister resorts. Thank you to
those who have stepped up and helped us with many
community and sales events – we could not have done this
without you!
We also wanted to say special thanks to our summer team of
instructors: Chris Bighorse, Jon Weber, Phillip Bouley,
Jordan Zweifel, Bridger Hershey and Maggie Weidinger for
assisting us in teaching nearly 2,000 FREE ride lessons
this summer during out Tundra Kids events! With the winter
months upon us, our department is not showing any signs of
slowing down. There are many fun events scheduled ahead!
For the most updated list of upcoming events visit
www.arizonasnowhowl.com/events
There is an extended list of vendors and we encourage you to
Arizona Snowbowl Employee Newsletter
5
PAYROLL NEWS
by
Matt
Administrator
Bruton,
Payroll
Did you know that you can now go
paperless?
All employees have the ability to
select paperless statements when they sign in to ADP.
To log in to ADP:
 Go to the ADP website: https://workforcenow.adp.com/
 Please bookmark the page for future reference. This link
is also available on our website's Employment Page, in
the "Current Employee" tab.
 When you get to the site, click on "Register Here"
 That will bring you to a page asking for your Registration
Code.
 Your Registration Code is ASRLPARTNP-86001
 Once you are logged in make sure your address and
email addresses are correct.
 Make sure your bank account information is correct for
your direct deposit.
 To select paperless, go to your pay statement
information page and select paperless!
REMINDER: Returning employees need to log in to ADP
and sign their acknowledgements for the Employee
Handbook and the Drug and Alcohol Policies.
CURRENT JOB OPENINGS
Arizona Snowbowl is currently seeking to fill the following
positions:
WINTER SEASONAL
 Volunteer Host
 Front Desk Clerk / Reservations Agent – part-time or
full-time. Prefer someone with Snowbowl experience.
This position will be located at Ski Lift Lodge.
 Children’s Ski Instructor
 Groomer – experienced only
 Terrain Park Groomer – experienced only
YEAR ROUND
 Phoenix – Outside Sales Specialist – full-time, located
in Phoenix.
If you or someone you know is interested in applying for any
of these positions, please go to:
www.arizonasnowbowl.com/?q=node/49 to fill out an
application.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Did you know Arizona Snowbowl is now on Instagram? Have
you checked our Facebook or Twitter account recently? We
bet you have not subscribed to our YouTube channel yet
either! Well, we have been launching, posting, tagging,
tweeting and hash-tagging and you could join us too!
Check out our social media for Jake’s weekly snow reports,
behind the scenes photos, construction updates, cool tips
and more and don’t forget to like it, tag and share with your
family and friends! For any personal postings related
to Arizona Snowbowl, please refer to our the Social Media
policy in the Employee Handbook.
Here is where you can find us:
/AZSnowbowl
#azsnowbowl
@AZSnowbowl
/ArizSnowbowl
HAVE SUGGESTIONS?
If you would like to write an article for the next
employee newsletter, please send your draft copy
or suggestions to: hr@arizonasnowbowl.com
Arizona Snowbowl
P.O. Box 40 Flagstaff, AZ 86002
(928) 779-1951
hr@arizonasnowbowl.com
Visit us on the web at www.arizonasnowbowl.com