You know them: the employees who go above and beyond, who work diligently to make themselves and everyone around them better, the ones who make your guests want to return again and again. They’re your Double Diamond-level people.
This year, the following outstanding groomers, snowmakers, and terrain park specialists have been nominated for a CSCUSA Double Diamond Award.
This page is updated regularly.
Andrew Quirk
Slope Maintenance Supervisor
Steamboat Ski Resort
Says Andrew’s boss about our first nominee (alphabetically speaking, that is), “I’d clone him if I could—he’s just that good!” An accomplished arborist, Andrew runs his own tree business in the summer, and he’s a certified ISA tree climber. But come winter, Mr. Quirk is all business: this year, he made the switch from graveyard shift supervisor to swing shift winch-operator-in-training, and in this, as in all things to which he’s put his capable and calloused hands, he has excelled. We hear that Andrew’s trails are standouts among the always well-groomed slopes of Steamboat and that team members put his winch trails in the Best Groomed category. (Rolex, a Black Diamond, is a standout.) A careful, conscientious, deliberate decision maker, Andrew’s best quality is his attitude. It’s a combination of can-do, will-do, and happy-to-do-so. Overnight shifts are tough (we don’t have to tell you that, do we?), but Andrew’s positivity is contagious. As team leader, Andrew fosters relationships with, keeps lines of communication open to, and watches out for his crew mates. As a trainer, he has taken newer operators under his wing, passed on years of institutional knowledge and snowcat skills, and turned his crew of rookies into a cohesive team that produces a quality product. Having, for years, honed his skills keeping the resort’s magic carpets and base area perfectly graded and looking sharp, Andrew has developed a deft and delicate blade hand—and he’s parlayed that adeptness to create flat, uniform surfaces on the slopes. In short, it’s no quirk that our Mr. Quirk is on this list.
Brandon Frans
Grooming Operator III
Arapahoe Basin
Born and raised in Branson, Missouri, Brandon began in the business in 2016 as a liftie at Keystone. When the season there ended, he followed the snow to Arapahoe Basin and swung chairs for the remainder of the spring. Brandon applied for a grooming job back at Keystone a few seasons later, and over the course of the next several years, he worked his way up the (not) proverbial rope tow to become a lead operator and then winch supervisor. But Brandon had his sights set on A-Basin, and now, he couldn’t be more stoked to be working his first full season at the Basin. He’s proud to be a member of one of the best crews in the business, and he’s brought everything he’s learned about grooming and winching to their best-in-class slope maintenance team. Each day is a new day, the wind blows in a different direction, and the snow changes from minute to minute, and whether he’s winching in the Beavers or Zuma or on the front side, Brandon stays on his toes. The best parts of his job? Seeing the East Wall in all its glory. Sunsets savored from the top of Zuma bowl. Watching mountain goats roaming in the Alpine. And then, at the end of a long day, knowing that guests will get to rip fresh corduroy in the morning. And if there’s one other thing Brandon knows, it’s that it takes teamwork and constant communication between departments and, above all, putting safety at the top of the To-Do list in order to get ‘er done at the highest level. He keeps a positive mindset, he knows that no task is too big or too small, and he does it for the guests. Because you never know if it’s their first season or their fiftieth— all that matters is that it’s their best.
Brinkley Edge
Grooming Manager
Telluride
Brinkley grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, she skied for the first time when she was eight, fell in love with the sport, and after earning a degree in physics, she hightailed it out of the Heart of Dixie to Telluride, where she planned to stay for “just one winter.” Fast forward nine years and Brinkley skis (of course), she mountain bikes and dirt bikes, she makes art and explores the desert, she’s working on her ground school certification, and Brinkley grooms. She builds trails in the winter and dozes roads in the summer, and she winches and comes in on her days off if something needs doing. Her job, which she loves, is different every night, even when she’s grooming the same runs over and over again. The snow chemistry changes, and the way the skiers move snow changes with the conditions and number of guests. And because Brinkley skis, she knows the tree glades, the way water drains, the big hazards in the middle of a run. In fact, Brinkley makes a point to ski over the turnarounds and passes that she knows aren’t (yet) up to her high standards. She knows how blade dives feel on skis and how an uneven pass can affect a carve. And because Brinkley puts her skis (and her bike tires) where her blades are, she’s learned to make the kind of corduroy that skiers and riders love. A skilled and flexible operator, Brinkley has been herding ‘cats on the graveyard shift for the past four years, and in that time, she’s challenged herself and supported her crew and solved big problems and kept a level head and given—and listened to—advice. She knows how to find the smoothest patterns and where to turn around for maximum safety and efficiency. And because her job is particular and difficult, she thinks hard about the best way to complete a project. She solicits advice from her crew, and she keeps an open mind. Brinkley shows up hours before her shift begins to grease, clean, and supply materials for her snowcats, and she’s an active participant in post-shift debriefs. With a name like “Edge,” it’s perhaps no surprise that Brinkley ended up in the ski industry. But everything that’s happened since then? That’s down to the woman behind the name.
David Mesker
Alpine Grooming Lead
Eldora
David, who was born in Saint Louis, Missouri, decided on a career in the ski industry driving snowcats for two reasons: skiing and awesome equipment. (Who doesn’t love a snowcat, amiright?) Since landing at Eldora three years ago, David has stepped up and taken over overseeing the resort’s winch program, and in that relatively short time, he’s more than proven his capability and more than approached winching mastery. His favorite part of the job? Planning how to groom the resort with maximum efficiency. His best qualities according to his crew? David is honest, dependable, and humble; he treats his mates, the machines, and the mountain with due respect. He can always be counted on to get a project, no matter how difficult, done—no matter what. And if that “what” means putting in extra work to make sure that it’s not just done but done to the highest standards, well… David is your guy. As for his crew, they appreciate that David leads by example, he never cuts corners, and he’s always willing and able to help them hone their own skills. In his spare time, he skis and mountain bikes (check and check) and, perhaps a bit more idiosyncratically, he enjoys drifting cars. [Editor’s note: stay tuned while I come up with a killer pun tying car “drifts” to snow drifts.] David prizes the fact that his job allows him to experience the mountain in a way not available to guests of the resort in Boulder’s backyard. And, every day, he brings his best in order to ensure that the skiing and riding experience at Eldora is second to none. He patches rocks and smooths out runs and lays down perfect corduroy with perfect ease. Get the drift, snow lovers?
David Shankey
Groomer III
Winter Park
With over 35 years in the business, Scituate, Massachusetts native David Shankey began his ski industry career somewhat accidentally, in Fairbanks, Alaska, where he landed after taking a snowmaking job with a Department of Defense-run ski area in the off season (in this case, the season being commercial fishing). The snowmaking system on that hill turned out to be an early 80s automated but analog pumphouse, and soon after his arrival, when it became obvious that the mostly volunteer snowcat operators also needed training, his contract was amended to include grooming. Fast forward several decades: David is in possession of a veritable ocean’s worth of knowledge from a switchback trail’s worth of ski areas spanning the globe from Alaska to New Zealand. With a background that is both broad and deep, Dave is adept at adapting to the specific challenges of his job at Winter Park. A veteran by any measure, Dave can complete difficult projects sans play-by-play instructions, and his work consistently yields high-quality results. He loves winching a run, fleet grooming in whiteout conditions, pushing big snow piles, and the camaraderie of his crew. And, not surprisingly, Dave has taken on a lead role coaching and mentoring newer operators as they develop into expert groomers in their own rights. He knows that patience, confidence, and empathy are the most important qualities in a crew member, and that patient, confident, and empathetic groomers create the best ski surface. And that keeps skiers, including Dave, coming back to Winter Park again and again.
James (Jimbob) Arnold
Slope Maintenance Foreman
Copper Mountain
Jimbob’s ski industry career began in 1980 with a six-year stint at Copper Mountain, and he still remembers the systems and equipment available back then: the snowmaking system was built by snowmaking pioneer Peter Alford, who went on to found PNP Supply LLC; the fleet consisted of 5 Hydromasters with folding compactor bars, rollers with chain drags, and Valley Engineering Powdermakers. Jimbob left Copper to follow his calling, crisscrossing the country, from Killington to Bear Mountain to Stowe to Whitetail in Pennsylvania, and finally, after a brief run with his family’s telephone company (remember telephones?), he went back to what he calls “the job I loved most” at Copper. The feeling was mutual: according to Copper, Jimbob’s greatest strengths are the positive attitude and the respect with which he approaches projects and people. A mentor with decades (and decades) in the ski industry under his belt, Jimbob leads by example, and his willingness to raise his hand for any assignment and to run any snowcat on the fleet is a concrete example to all. Jimbob does what it take to get things done. And he is a true jack of all trades. He can, it goes without saying, operate a snowcat with the agility and precision of a world champion slalom racer. He can track, load, deliver, and unload snowcats all over the mountain. He can haul gearboxes to a remote lift in the back bowl. He can help move excavators and ground heaters and generators and rebuild lift mazes and ramps and guest pits and represent the Slope Maintenance department at safety fairs. Is there nothing that Jimbob can’t do? We think not.
John Cody
Snowcat Lead
Aspen Snowmass
John is originally from Ohio, but at this point, let’s just call Aspen his home; he’s been there since 2007. (We’ll do the math for you: that’s 18 years!) He’s too modest to say so, but John is pretty good at most anything he puts his mind to. He’s been a snowcat operator, a snowcat lead, and a winchcat operator. And on the mountain, that translates to being able to run his machine efficiently in any conditions. His crew is small, and they take their time and make everything as perfect as possible—and that turns out to be pretty perfect. At least, that’s what the organizers of the Men’s and Women’s FIS World Cup think, and we think we’ll take their word for it. According to his boss, John, who is a graduate of the School of Hard Knocks majoring in Get Up and Try Again, has built numerous big air jumps, including a bunch for Kick Aspen Big Air, as well as setups for night skiing and the finals course for the 2017 World Cup, not to mention freestyle terrain parks features, race starts, and more. He leads by example and can always be counted on for helpful grooming tips and coaching.
Logan James
Lead Groomer/Lead Winch Cat Operator
Purgatory
Logan grew up near the resort where he now works, and both of his parents worked on trail crews, cutting runs in the 80s. Logan’s mom started the Purgatory kids’ ski program, and his dad went on to found an excavation company, but dad kept his boots on the mountain, skiing patrol for the next three decades’ worth of winters. As for their son and our nominee, whether by nature or by nurture, Logan realized early on that he was destined to follow in his parents footsteps. He counts himself lucky to have grown up in and around cats—snowcats, that is—and by the time he was old enough to work the mountain, he already knew the terrain inside and out, backward and forward. A quick study with a natural inclination towards heavy machinery, Logan operated snowcats at Purgatory before he finally pulled himself up into the cab of a winch cat, where he’s been reporting duty for the past 12 years. Logan takes pride in his job and in the product he delivers. He runs heavy equipment in the summer—skid steers, loaders, excavators, dozers, road graders—and he considers himself more of a “blade hand” than anything else, one who relishes the opportunity to pass his knowledge on to the next generation, just like his parents did. If you’re on the crew at Purg, you know that if Logan is learning, you’re learning, because he knows that there’s always more to learn, no matter how much time and experience you have, and he loves sharing his experiences with newer, younger operators. According to Purgatory’s slope maintenance team, Logan has helped change to game, from the way they train operators to the efficiency of their patterns. He’s the leader they look to: no nonsense, always willing to go the extra mile, a breath of wintery fresh air with a great attitude. He thinks outside the box, runs his crew like a good team captain (knowing they’re only as good as their weakest link), mentors like he means it, and most importantly of all, wants his crew to climb the ladder together. Got a problem or a task that needs doing? Logan will work with you, regardless of which department you represent, he’ll consider your side of the story and listen to your suggestions, and then he’ll get it done. Because family is family, and for this son of the southwest corner of the state, Purgatory is home.
Bradley Rainer
Slopes Maintenance Supervisor
Purgatory
Bradley started his career as a rental shop technician a stone’s throw north from his hometown of Round Lake Beach, Illinois. (Shout out to Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin for producing not just one but two Double Diamond Award nominees!) Now in his tenth season at Purgatory and with eight under belt as a snowmaker, Brad’s summers see him working on off-season snowmaking maintenance and overseeing Purg’s logging crew. (Can we call ya Purg?) Because Brad is also a certified sawyer, one with nearly two decades in arboriculture. Meanwhile, in the winter, he’s responsible for supervision of the snowmaking and grooming operations. And his experience, along with his extensive knowledge of the resort’s pumps and compressors, has proven instrumental in creating a comprehensive library of SOPs, which seems only fitting. He’s built a (metaphorical) trail to follow when big projects with big equipment and big teams and complicated logistics need doing. A critical thinker with a safety-always mindset, he plans ahead, setting his team up for success even before their boots hit the snow. As for Brad himself, he relishes it all: making snow, building and maintaining the slopes, operating familiar equipment and learning his way around new machines, getting more and more familiar every year with the terrain, what is needed and where—even troubleshooting, which comes with the kind of complex systems that underpin a resort the size of Purgatory and which he knows—as troubling as it may be—only adds to his encyclopedic trove of knowledge. All of it makes him a better snowmaker, and all of it makes him a better leader. He pushes himself and his crew to be the best, advocating for new equipment and learning new techniques and staying flexible enough to pivot and change plans in the field on the fly and generally making himself indispensable as he works the job he loves under a full moon in a starry sky.
Keston Downing
Snowmaking Supervisor/Operator
Eldora
Fort Collins native Keston Downing grew up in a family that fueled his passion for the outdoors. There were a plethora of world class ski resorts within striking distance of his home, but Eldora was (and, naturally, remains) his favorite. He started there as a member of the terrain park crew, and a few years ago, he started making snow. Having done landscaping in his youth, Keston understood what it meant to put in a hard day’s work, and that first night on the mountain—which may as well have been the moon, it was so strange and wonderful—he fell in love. With snowmaking, that is. With pushing his physical and mental limits. With the frigid night air. With the silence. He was, in his own words, in his element. For their part, Keston’s bosses and his crew understand that his leadership of the night shift crew led to several significant accomplishments this season. The resort opened 10 days earlier than usual, employee retention is way, way up, and there were no significant snowmakers injuries, thanks in large part to Keston’s insistence on a training environment that prioritized safety. With a work ethic that they call unmatched, Keston leads from the front, creating a great environment for his entire crew, including the new snowmakers that he mentors. His diligence and attention to detail translate to improved snow quality, and he’s able to balance advocating for his team while prioritizing resort goals for the year. For his part, Keston says there’s rarely a day when he’s not excited to get to the mountain and face the challenge. And that, he knows, is because of his crew. He takes care of them, they take care of each other, and together, they take care of business.
Pauly Borichevsky
Snowmaking Supervisor
Winter Park
Originally from the suburbs of Philadelphia in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Pauly moved to Utah in 1993. He got a job at Snowbird, supervising night stockers in their Mid- Gad restaurant, but who wants to work indoors when the mountains are right. there. Not Pauly, that’s who. Pauly spent the past 26 summers working as a commercial river guide in places like the Grand Canyon and Alaska and Canada, and he’s logged nearly a 10 years making snow in the Rockies. Which isn’t bad for a kid from a not-Mile High State. (In case you’re curious, PA’s highest elevation is at the tippy-top of Mount Davis, a whopping 3,213 feet above sea level. On the other hand, PA produced Wilt Chamberlain, and he’s pretty tall.) River guiding aside, Pauly’s first love is the one that brought him to our attention: snowmaking. What does he love about it? Well, the sunsets and the sunrises, for one and two. Then there are the panoramic views to be had at the tippy-top of Winter Park (elevation 12,060 feet—so a wee bit taller than either Wilt or Mount Davis). Pauly is proud of his crew and of the work they do, in the best of conditions and in the worst of conditions. Because that’s what it’s all about. The ultimate reward isn’t the sunset or the sunrise or the spectacular views: it’s knowing that, thanks to him and his crew, the season started early and started strong. Pauly knows that that means a lot to guests, so it means a lot to Pauly. (Another thing that means a lot to Pauly? Safety. For Pauly, safety is Job #1. He reduced the number of snowmobiles incidents by collaborating with grooming to establish safe travel routes on active snowmaking tails, and he held daily safety talks with his team.) Snowmaking requires solving problems, mechanical and otherwise, running logistics, working in adverse conditions, and fostering a strong team that enjoys what they do and that can make winter, among other things, happen. Pauly is good with people, and he knows that communication is key. He appreciates self-starters, so he gives his crew autonomy and plays to the individual strengths of each member. And as a snowmaker himself, he knows that it’s a demanding job, so he’s intentional about pacing the crew’s work flow in order to mitigate burnout. Not one to ask anyone to do something he hasn’t or wouldn’t do, he models the behaviors he want to see in his team members. After all, what they do is the lifeblood of the resort in winter, so being an effective and empathetic leader is critical to not just his team’s success but to the success of the resort as a whole. In fact, this season, Pauly and his crew flipped the switch on a new, high-efficiency snowmaking system (one that doubled water output and cut the run time in half), and he’s grateful to have been a part of what was a massive, yearlong project. It was a big, big deal with a big, big payoff, and Pauly from PA was a big, big part of it. Props, Pauly!
Shane Duffy
Snowmaking Foreman
Steamboat Ski Resort
Our second nominee from St. Louis (we see you, Missouri!), Shane moved to Colorado in 2009 after college, made his way to Steamboat for the 2010–11 season, and he’s been there ever since. He started at Steamboat full steam ahead, working first as a ski technician and riding every day, and then, after a few seasons, he followed friends onto the snowmaking crew. It seemed a perfect fit for a guy who loves water, frozen and un-. (Shane is a river guide in the summer, and he does all the water things, frozen and un-.) For the past 15 years, Shane has been an integral part of the snowmaking department. He’s been a snowgun runner, a foreman, and a lead, and he’s ably assisted with the installation of new snowmaking fan guns and pipelines. At Steamboat, Shane has distinguished himself as a passionate, skilled, and knowledgeable snowmaker. And that’s not all. A natural born leader, he is always available to crew members looking to learn more, and that elevates everyone in the department. Thanks to Shane’s extensive knowledge of snowmobile mechanics and riding techniques, the snowmaking team knows how operate snowmobiles safely in inclement terrain, furthering his team’s successes. Snowmakers typically operate in rough conditions, working long hours through the night when it’s dark, wet, and cold, but Shane can be relied on not just for a sunny-in-all-weather disposition but also the kind of attention to detail that ensures that Steamboat’s snow quality is not too wet and not too dry and generally just right. In short, Shane is a pleasure to work with, a powerhouse employee possessing an unparalleled work ethic and a positive attitude. Like all great snowmakers, he looks forward all summer long to the first night of snowmaking, when he can turn the system on and watch winter get made.
Steven Miedona
Snowmaking Foreman
Copper Mountain
Steven’s ski industry roots go deep. His maternal grandfather started the ski school at Wilmot Mountain in 1939 alongside U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Famer Helmut Tiechner. Meanwhile, his paternal grandpa owned and operated a ski shop in Libertyville, Illinois, in the 70s and 80s. That makes Steven a third-gen’r and, unsurprisingly, he started skiing shortly after he learned to walk at his (nearly literal) home mountain in Wilmot, Wisconsin. But it was a vacation snowcat ride at Steamboat that propelled Steven into his grandfathers’ footsteps—or is that bootsteps? He moved here, attended Colorado Mountain College, and began making snow and operating snowcats at Copper Mountain, rising to the foremanship for of their snowmaking operations when the position became available. Having shuffled over from the graveyard shift, Steven more than proved himself up for the job, and he ran an efficient and productive team that surpassed expectations. Maybe this is down to what his supervisors call an unfailingly cheerful and easygoing temperament; maybe it’s the fact that he’s a natural leader. Either way, Steven is a calm presence on the slopes, taking in information and instructions and keeping his crew tight and motivated. And, indeed, his is the kind of crew that earns the most difficult assignments: they are dependable regardless of circumstance or contingency. They get it done. And they love and respect their leader. For Copper’s part, they understand that leadership like Steven’s brings snowmakers back year after year. And leaders like Steven carry the weight of leadership with confidence. He works alongside his crew each day, he’s the first to complete trainings and turn in paperwork, and his team’s safety record speaks for itself. For Steven’s part and with Mother Nature’s permission, he strives every day, every season, produce the best surface possible for Copper’s guests. After all, skiing is in his blood.
Ayrton Lehmann
Terrain Park Day Crew Supervisor
Copper Mountain
Hailing from Wisconsin and known around the mountain as Art, he’s a six-and-counting-year veteran of the Copper Mountain slopes maintenance team. Art grew up riding on 200′ hills and in rope-tow parks, and he competed in USASA events until he was 17 years old, traveling to Copper for the Nationals every spring. Which is how and why Art fell in love with the Athlete’s Mountain. In a bid to land a job there, he enrolled in the Colorado Mountain College Ski Area Operations program, earning both a degree and the hoped for job. Now he calls the mountain his office, and with the help of what says is “the best crew a guy could ask for,” Art and his colleagues create and maintain some of the choicest terrain parks on offer. He currently manages a team of 20 and oversees over 100 features spread across a nearly double-digit number of terrain parks. Art’s greatest strength—his artistry, if you will—lies in his extensive knowledge base and, even more importantly, his ability to effectively transfer that knowledge to his team, fostering growth and proficiency across the board. When the crew knows what it needs to know, the crew succeeds, and televised events, like the Dew Tour, the Grand Prix, and the X-Games Street Style, are a showcase for his and his team’s work. With summer camps and a hiking program to maintain, Copper Woodward and Art’s season rolls right through the summer. And Art is looking forward to all of it.
Bryan Devlieg
Terrain Park Supervisor
Steamboat Ski Resort
Bryan grew up in western Michigan, building little backyard parks with his brother and demonstrating an early passion for the industry in which he’s since made a career. He moved to Colorado when he was 22 and got a job as a rental tech at Steamboat, but Bryan always knew that his destiny was on the slopes—specifically in a terrain park and, more specifically, in Steamboat’s terrain park. Eventually, Bryan landed his dream job as handily as he once landed tricks in his backyard park. Now he builds, winter and summer, and does what he’s always loved to do: dream up and then create features that riders, new and experienced alike, can sink their edges into. Bryan considers himself a role model for the next generation, and he takes pride in both the terrain parks he builds and in the inspiration he sparks in his crew, his friends, and in all of the guests lucky enough to ski and ride in Steamboat’s park. Bryan works hard, gets stuff done, and leads his team by example. So if you’re looking for him, you’ll find him alongside them, putting in the hours and keeping the stoke high. Last summer, they refreshed and rebranded Steamboat’s terrain park, using old lift towers (and several coats of paint) to build exciting new features (and keep Steamboat as sustainable as possible). And he’s far from finished: Bryan wants to see Steamboat’s name on the Terrain Park Bucket List, and thanks to his commitment to his patch of the mountain, we have no doubt that he’ll accomplish what he’s set out to do.
Cole Brantner
Terrain Park Groomer
Eldora
Our third nominee hailing from Wisconsin, Cole grew up snowboarding at Granite Peak, and while he remembers the terrain parks there well, what he really remembers are the snowcats; they were parked in a maintenance shop next to his favorite lift, and he vowed to one day “run one of those.” So he did what his fellow nominees and compatriots from the Badger State did: he packed his truck and headed for Colorado. Once here, he worked as a liftie at Arapahoe Basin while he figured out how to get into the snowcats of his childhood dreams. He started grooming trails at Keystone, moved to the terrain park there, and then, last year, he landed at Eldora, where he took on the biggest jump projects of the year. Not only that but Cole spearheaded the addition of a new jump line from start to finish, summer earthwork to snowmaking to building. The result has been, per his Eldora crew, “a huge improvement for our park” and, thanks to Cole’s creative layout and design, it’s had an equally massive impact on the riders who ride. It doesn’t hurt that Cole himself regularly rides in the park he helped build, assessing his features and soliciting community feedback. Which brings us to the heart of the matter. Cole loves his job because it gives him the opportunity to experience the mountain after hours, when it’s quiet and cold and still and it’s just him and a rake and one of his features. But the bigger more important reason that Cole loves the work he does so well is because he understands just how much joy he can generate with his imagination and his tools and his crew. So, if you’re looking for him in order to congratulate him on his well-deserved nomination, look for him in the park. He’s the guy looking for ways to make it bigger, better, faster, stronger.
Zachary Tripp
Lead Terrain Park Cat Operator
Winter Park
A local from Longmont, Zachary found himself going snowboarding every weekend, and after high school, he made it official, moving up to the mountains and throwing himself into the industry. Zach arrived at Winter Park with years of experience at Vail under his belt, logging hours as a trail operator, followed by a season in a winch cat, and culminating with four years as a park operator. His move to Winter Park saw Zach stepping into a leadership role, and he’s subsequently demonstrated tremendous skill as both a park operator and an outstanding teacher and mentor to less seasoned operators. Zach was instrumental in taking Winter Park’s terrain park program to a new level. But the thing he says he’s most proud of are the friends he’s made and all the skills he’s added to his tool belt. In his spare time, Zach reads books and plays chess, but there isn’t a board sport that he doesn’t relish. What keeps him coming back year after year? According to Zach, he loves playing in his own—life-sized—sandbox, building something from nothing alongside his friends in his equally life-sized Tonka toy. He builds the snow castles, and then he and his buds get to play in, on, and around them. Zach likes things crispy and square, and he counsels his crew to notice the little things, to be observant from all angles, so they can build the best 360-degree experience for their guests. With a good attitude and a willingness to share his knowledge, Zach is undoubtedly one of the reasons that riders keep riding at Winter Park.
