re: Anyone familiar with Intrawest Corp (SYM: SNOW)

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SNOW is a little more diversified across North America, so regional weather should be less of a concern

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As I understand it Vail Corp. is getting into heavily into this -- buying up small places all over. That's not just for diversification; they can sell discounted season passes in the East, also good for their big Western destination resorts, and generate more predictable income streams, while getting skiers tied into their own brand. I assume Intrawest is doing something similar.

I love to ski. I hope to move to ski country when I retire. But I wouldn't touch a ski-related stock with a 10 foot pole. There's just too much dependence on things out of the resort operator's control, and no matter how much they try to diversify with real estate and summer attractions, I don't think there are enough skiers in the USA to reliably sustain growth the way bidness-people demand. It's an industry for people who love doing it, not (in the long run) for people who love to make money, IMHO.