Selling Snow

Imagine a ski area that is a 90-minute drive from 20 million people. It sounds like a dream on the business side. But imagine, literally millions of those have never skied before, and there is a massive volume of competing entertainment options. In this episode of Selling Snow, we’re heading back to the East Coast and the hills of New Jersey. Coming off one of their all-time best snow seasons (Yes, New Jersey beat out many iconic western ski areas for snow this year), we sit down with Evan Kovach, General Manager of Mountain Creek Resort, one of the highest-volume ski areas in North America, sitting just outside New York City and serving millions of potential guests. And what’s fascinating about their model…is that it’s not built on powder days or destination travel. It’s built on the science of selling, introducing new skiers to the sport, having an epic terrain park scene, and being the alpine backyard for the New York metro area. We get into how they: Pre-sell 60–70% of their business before the season even starts Use pricing and inventory to actively shape demand Turn night skiing into a massive growth engine And most importantly… how they attract and serve the never-ever skier—the people who are choosing between skiing, the movies, or staying home Because if you want to grow your ski area in today’s market, you don’t just need more skiers… You need a better system for creating them. Now let’s head through the Lincoln tunnel and down I -80 for a chat with Evan Kovach at Mountain Creek Resort, New Jersey. We pulled 12 Actionable Insights from this episode. You can find all of them at www.sellingsnow.com

What if the future of skiing isn’t bigger, flashier, or more expensive—but actually simpler, more human, and more affordable? In this episode of Selling Snow, we sit down with Travis Baptiste and Cindy Dady from Sunlight Mountain Resort, a fiercely independent ski area in Colorado that’s quietly rewriting the playbook. While much of the industry is chasing scale, Sunlight is doubling down on community, experience, and value and it’s working. You’ll hear how they’re attracting loyal destination visitors from unexpected markets like Florida and Texas, convincing folks on the front range to go a bit further, why they’ve resisted raising prices even after major capital investments, and how their “vibe-first” philosophy is turning first-time guests into lifelong advocates. If you’re wondering how smaller or independent resorts can compete and win while updating infrastructure without raising prices, this episode is for you. Now let’s hop in the hot springs and then head up to Sunlight Mountain for a chat with CEO Cindy Dady and Marketing Manager Travis Baptiste. We pulled 12 Actionable Insights from this episode to help you up your own marketing game. Find all 12 at www.sellingsnow.com.

What if the most powerful thing you could do as a ski area… is just tell the truth? This week on Selling Snow, we head to Northern California to a truly magical place in the shadow of a massive volcano, to return to the roots of what makes skiing fun. In the Northern California region, lovingly referred to as “Almost Oregon,” we connected with Brendan Hickey and Grace Hornbea from Mt. Shasta Ski Park—an independent mountain that’s carving out its own unique lane in a world of mega passes and crowded resorts. We get into how they’ve built a brand around being approachable, affordable, and human—and why leaning into honesty, instead of hype, is actually driving stronger connections with their guests. Because at the end of the day, what people really care about, is having fun with friends, being outside in a spectacular location, and feeling something real. From turning fixed-grip chairlifts into connection time… to building tight-knit communities through twilight skiing… to showing up authentically in their content—this episode is packed with ideas and learning for ski areas that want to stand out by being themselves. Grab your crystals, watch out for bigfoot, UFO’s or Lemurians, and let’s head to Mt Shasta Ski Park in Northern California. We pulled 12 Actionable Insights from this episode you can use to up your own marketing game. Find them all at www.sellingsnow.com

If you could imagine the Vermont dream. What would it look like? imagine growing up with a Dad who in 2/3rds of a year built a new ski area from scratch and growing up on a ski hill that is the family business. Imagine after several decades the ski area fell on hard times and the family had to sell it. But… a decade later along with your 80 year old father the kids buy back the ski area and restore it to its former glory. Throw in a mug of maple syrup and some flannel and you’ve got the makings of a Hallmark movie. Today’s episode takes us to Vermont, where we sit down with Lindsay and Evan Deslauriers from Bolton Valley, Vermont, a family-owned resort with one of the most unique comeback stories in the industry. From growing up on the mountain… to losing the resort… to rebuilding it as a multi-season, community-driven business—this episode is packed with lessons on resilience, authenticity, and what it really takes to create a ski experience people keep coming back to. We get into everything from night skiing strategy and building a year-round revenue model, to building out one of the largest in-resort backcountry touring networks to why “authenticity” isn’t a marketing tactic—it’s a byproduct of culture. If you love touring, night skiing,a good down-home, authentic ski experience or are just a sucker for a great family business story, this one is for you. Put on your best flannel, take a shot of maple syrup and let’s get it with Evan and Lindsay Deslauriers of Bolton Valley. We pulled 12 actionable insights from this episode that you can use to up your own game. You can find them all at www.sellingsnow.com

How do you build a financially sustainable ski hill in a small northern market while keeping skiing accessible and affordable for locals? That’s the challenge the team behind Mount Sima in Whitehorse, Yukon has been solving by leaning into what they do best. Today’s guest is Sam Oettli, General Manager of Mount Sima. Sam has been skiing the mountain since day one before stepping into the GM role. In 2013, the society that originally built Mount Sima ran into financial trouble and ultimately folded. A new non-profit group, Friends of Mount Sima, stepped in to take over operations with a renewed vision go answer the question, how do you make the economics of a small, northern ski hill work? The answer was leaning into what the Yukon does best, cold, early winters. By investing in and positioning the mountain as an early-season training destination, Mount Sima began attracting national and international ski teams looking for reliable snow in November. That strategy brought new revenue to the hill, helped stabilize the nonprofit model, and allowed the organization to reinvest back into the mountain while keeping skiing accessible for locals. In this episode, we talk about rebuilding a ski hill after financial collapse, turning extreme northern conditions into a competitive advantage, and how a small community mountain with just one main lift has become an important training hub for elite athletes. So grab a coffee, put your handwarmers in, and let’s head north of 60 for a conversation with Sam. We pulled 12 actionable insights from this episode. Get them all at www.sellingsnow.com.

The 90’s were a magical time. Extreme Sports were becoming mainstream, and it seemed every sport had an element of going backwards… except skiing. Wanting to change that, one kid in his parents' garage quietly and quite literally reshaped the skiing world. On today’s episode of Selling Snow, we’re sitting down with Jason Leventhal, the founder of J Skis and the original creator of the twin-tip ski. Jay’s been in the ski industry for over 30 years. He’s built brands from his parents’ garage, nearly gone bankrupt more than once, sold a company to K2, and then started over again — this time putting everything he’d learned together with a radically different model. J Skis isn’t sold in shops. There are no sponsored athletes. No massive marketing budgets. Instead, it’s a direct-to-consumer brand built on scarcity, personality, art, email, and a relentless focus on fun. In this conversation, Jay breaks down why most ski brands struggle to survive, how selling less product can actually make you more money, why email still beats social media, and what small brands can do better than the biggest players in the industry. If you’re in the ski business, outdoor retail, tourism marketing - or if you’re just fascinated by how niche brands actually succeed -this is one you don’t want to miss. Now go find your favourite chair… sit in it backwards, and let’s get into it with J Levinthal, founder of J Skis. Get all 19 actionable insights from this episode HERE

Today's guests decided to open an experts-only ski area in the Midwest, tucked deep in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, with no large population base anywhere nearby. No grooming. No beginners. No rentals. No snowmaking. Just steep lines, trees, cliffs, and lake-effect powder. Mount Bohemia isn’t just unconventional by design, it’s unconventional by geography. When most people think “Midwest skiing,” they don’t think expert terrain, sustained vertical, or destination travel. And yet Bohemia has built a fiercely loyal following by leaning into exactly those contradictions. From legendary $99 season passes to reality TV, provocative marketing, and a personality that refuses to be sanitized or corporate, Mount Bohemia has figured out how to sell a remote, extreme, and entirely unique product to the exact right customers. In this episode, we’ll dig into how Bohemia pulled that off. You’ll hear how focusing on a narrow niche unlocked massive loyalty, why being willing to turn customers away strengthened the brand, and how pricing, community-driven marketing, and radical authenticity helped turn isolation into an advantage. Whether you’re in the ski industry or running any kind of business, this conversation is about the power of knowing who you are for—and having the courage to build everything around that truth. For all 13 Actionable Insights from this episode, visit this episode page on www.sellingsnow.com

From wild 80s ski bar antics to Canada’s top family resort, Michael J. Ballingall shares how Big White turned snow, staff, and locals into unforgettable experiences. Learn the secrets behind beginner programs, killer marketing, and guest-first strategies that keep visitors coming back. Hilarious, insightful, and actionable, this episode shows how to sell snow, make it fun, and have guests laughing until their cheeks hurt. For all 13 Actionable Insights from this episode, visit this episode page on www.sellingsnow.com