September News & Happenings
The SmartCut Tiller, acquiring Schneeprophet, and introducing you to the SnowSat team.
The SmartCut Tiller on a PistenBully 600 E+ at Diamond Peak Ski Resort in Nevada. Photos: Nick McMahon.
Introducing the SmartCut Tiller
PistenBully is proud to introduce the SmartCut Tiller, the new standard tiller for our snow groomers. This tiller is a re-engineered version of the successful AlpinFlex tiller. You’ll notice a few changes, including slightly different cutter bar tooth patterns and the efficiency of a single greasing point. Most notable, however, is the perfection of the pass it leaves. The SmartCut Tiller is designed to let operators leave the best, most efficient pass possible—in any conditions and at any speed.
Photos: Nick McMahon at Diamond Peak Ski Resort in Nevada.
Kassbohrer Acquires Schneeprophet
PistenBully is acquiring the Austrian company lumiosys GmbH and its AI-driven weather and snow-depth forecasting service for ski resorts, "Schneeprophet.” This merger combines world-leading slope grooming solutions with data-based weather and snow forecasting. This product from the University of Innsbruck contributes over 20 years of snow research expertise to the Kässbohrer family. Founded in 2022 by Florian Hanzer, Michael Warscher, and Ulrich Strasser, Schneeprophet is already in use at 18 ski and cross-country areas across Austria, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany.
From left: Florian Hanzer, Ulrich Strasser, Michael Warscher (lumiosys GmbH), Alexandra Hamm (University of Innsbruck), Christian Oberwinkler, Heiko Stähle (Kässbohrer Geländefahrzeug AG)
Don't Miss The Whitespace Drop
In collaboration with Official Operator Frank Wells, we will be releasing a limited run of PistenBully x Whitespace jackets for both men and women. Make sure Fan Shop alerts are enabled for you to receive the drop announcement.
Employee Spotlight: SnowSat Team
Ava Erickson was featured as our Employee Spotlight back in March. Ava was recently promoted to the role of SnowSat Manager for PistenBully North America. We’re excited to have Ava leading the SnowSat team, so we wanted to take a moment to reintroduce her to you.
What’s your favorite PistenBully model? The PistenBully 600E+! I love that PistenBully is creating conscious products, and that machine goes hand-in-hand with SnowSat. The 600E+ is not just innovative, but focused on efficiency and conservation.
Tell us a little bit about your background. I started out working in landscaping. I enjoyed working outside, so I wanted to build a career centered on that. It spurred me to study Geography at the University of Texas in Austin. I realized I loved GIS, which became my area of focus in school, along with map-making. I started with PistenBully as a GIS Tech. SnowSat is a very unique application of GIS! Having our own GIS platform is remarkable.
What are you most excited to work on in your new role? I am looking forward to getting to know our customers on a personal level. Additionally, since I was previously the GIS Tech, I enjoy any kind of custom mapping project. We want your map to work for you, and we aren’t afraid of your crazy ideas.
Should we reach out directly to you with SnowSat questions? Always start with your Regional Manager, even for SnowSat-related questions. They will be the liaison between us, putting us in touch when necessary. They are a great resource for your ideas, questions, and troubleshooting. Our SnowSat team will be here to support you, too.
CJ Singer
CJ is one of our SnowSat Technicians. He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno. CJ assists with installation, configuration, and troubleshooting of SnowSat systems. He loves his position because he gets to be hands-on daily and work closely with ski resorts.
Bryce DuHamel
Bryce is one of our SnowSat Technicians. She has a Physics degree from the University of Nevada, Reno. In addition to supporting the technical side of SnowSat, Bryce also builds Maintain/Suite out for ski resorts. Bryce has always had a love for skiing and enjoys supporting the people who make winters so special!
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