Powdr
{{Short description|American Mountain Resort Company}}
{{use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox company
| name = POWDR
| logo = Powdr Corporation.png
| type = Private
| key_people = Justin Sibley, CEO
| num_employees =
| foundation = 1994
| founder = John Cumming
| homepage = {{URL|https://www.powdr.com/}}
}}
Powdr, stylized as POWDR, is an American privately held company that owns and operates ski resorts in the United States and Canada. It is headquartered in Park City, Utah, and was founded in 1994 by John Cumming, an early investor in the clothing company Mountain Hardwear with his father Ian.{{Cite web |title=John Cumming on Mountain Hardwear's Founding |url=https://www.outinunder.com/content/john-cumming-mountain-hardwears-founding |date=February 11, 2021 |access-date=December 23, 2022 |website=OutInUnder}}{{cite web |title=Last Chair: The Ski Utah Podcast |url=https://share.transistor.fm/s/24c7de9e |date=October 26, 2020 |website=Transistor.fm}}
History
Powdr was founded by John Cumming in 1994{{cite web |url=https://www.powdr.com/our-people |title=Our people: About our founder |website=Powdr Corp. official website |access-date=January 16, 2023}} with the purchase of the Park City Mountain Resort in Park City, Utah, about 30 miles outside of Salt Lake City. Later that year, the company bought the Alpine Meadows ski resort near Lake Tahoe, California. In August 1995, the company bought the Boreal Mountain Resort near Lake Tahoe and the Soda Springs ski area near the Donner Summit by Soda Springs, Nevada County, California. In April 2001, Powdr bought the Mount Bachelor ski area in Central Oregon.{{Cite web |last=admin |date=May 2, 2001 |title=Powdr Corp. gains ownership of Mount Bachelor |url=https://djcoregon.com/news/2001/05/02/powdr-corp-gains-ownership-of-mount-bachelor/ |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=Daily Journal of Commerce |language=en-US}} The company bought Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort in November 2003. Powdr bought the Killington and the Pico Mountain ski resorts near Killington, Vermont, from American Skiing Company in May 2007,{{Cite web |first=Patrick |last=Parkinson |title=Killington is sold to POWDR Corp. |url=https://www.parkrecord.com/news/killington-is-sold-to-powdr-corp/ |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=www.parkrecord.com |date=February 21, 2007 |language=en-US}} and in December 2019 Powdr purchased Silver Star Mountain Resort, its first mountain resort in Canada.{{Cite web |author=Powdr Corporation |title=Powdr acquires SilverStar Mountain Resort in British Columbia |url=https://www.parkrecord.com/news/powdr-acquires-silverstar-mountain-resort-in-british-columbia/ |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=www.parkrecord.com |date=December 3, 2019 |language=en-US}}
In July 2007, Powdr sold Alpine Meadows to JMA Ventures.{{Cite web |last=Rugh |first=Pete |date=April 6, 2007 |title=Powdr Corp. sells California's Alpine Meadows |url=https://skiracing.com/powdr-corp-sells-californias-alpine-meadows/ |access-date=December 23, 2022 |website=Ski Racing Media |language=en-US}}
In 2008, Powdr bought the Outside TV media venture, which it later sold in 2021 to Pocket Outdoor Media, which simultaneously renamed itself to Outside.{{Cite web |last=Roepke |first=Michele |date=February 24, 2021 |title=Powdr Corp sells Outside TV |url=https://townlift.com/2021/02/powdr-corp-sells-outside-tv/ |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=TownLift, Park City News |language=en-US}}
Powdr bought Copper Mountain in Colorado in December 2009 from Intrawest.{{Cite web |url=http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20091117/NEWS/911179997/1008%26parentprofile%3D1055 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2021-10-06 |archive-date=2012-02-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224015817/http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20091117/NEWS/911179997/1008%26parentprofile%3D1055 |website=Summit Daily |url-status=dead}} Powdr bought "World of Adventure Sports Presented by GoPro", an Emmy Award-winning TV series on December 3, 2013.{{Cite web |url=http://www.saminfo.com/news/powdr-enterprises-acquires-adventure-sports-tv-series |title=Powdr Enterprises Acquires Adventure Sports TV series |website=Ski Area Management |access-date=2013-12-03 |archive-date=2016-03-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303212443/http://www.saminfo.com/news/powdr-enterprises-acquires-adventure-sports-tv-series |url-status=dead }}
In July 2011, Powdr bought a majority share of Camp Woodward, an operator of youth summer camps established in 1970.{{Cite web |last=Kirk |first=Andrew |title=Powdr acquires Camp Woodward |url=https://www.parkrecord.com/news/powdr-acquires-camp-woodward/ |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=www.parkrecord.com |date=July 30, 2011 |language=en-US}} As of 2022, Camp Woodward destinations include Woodward Mt. Bachelor, Woodward Tahoe, Woodward West, Woodward Park City, Woodward Copper, Woodward Eldora, Woodward Pennsylvania and Woodward Killington. Woodward Sydney was planned to open in 2024 but had not yet opened as of mid-2025.{{Cite press release |url=https://www.powdr.com/news/powdr-news/woodward-sydney-urban-center |access-date=2022-12-23 |title=Woodward to open first urban center in Sydney, Australia, one of several major investments in action sports |date=November 15, 2022 |website=Powdr Corporation}}
In June 2016, Powdr bought the 55-year-old Eldora Mountain Resort near Boulder, Colorado.{{Cite web |date=June 6, 2016 |title=Powdr Acquires Eldora Mountain Resort |url=https://www.powder.com/latest-news/powdr-acquires-eldora-mountain-resort/ |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=Powder Magazine |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Chasing Icons: Powder Laps Through Eldora's Trees |url=https://www.tetongravity.com/feature/ski/ikon-trip-report-eldora |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=www.tetongravity.com}}
In December 2019, Powdr opened Woodward Park City youth sports complex.{{Cite press release |url=https://www.woodwardparkcity.com/wwpc-grand-opening-pr |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=Woodward Park City |title=Woodward Park City to open December 14, public invited to grand opening celebration: Nation's First Year-Round, Action Sports and Ski Resort to Open for 2019–20 Winter Season}}
In 2023, Powdr was awarded the contract for Stovepipe Wells Village near the entrance of Death Valley National Park.
In August 2024, Powdr announced it would sell Killington and Pico Mountain ski resorts in Vermont,{{Cite web|date=August 22, 2024|title=Local investors to buy Killington and Pico Mountain ski areas|url=https://vtdigger.org/2024/08/22/local-investors-to-buy-killington-and-pico-mountain-ski-areas/|access-date=2024-08-22|website=VTDigger|language=en-US}} Eldora in Colorado, Mt. Bachelor in Oregon and SilverStar in British Columbia.{{Cite web |last=Blevins |first=Jason |date=2024-08-22 |title=Eldora Mountain Resort listed for sale as Utah-based operator Powdr sheds ski areas |url=https://coloradosun.com/2024/08/22/eldora-mountain-resort-sale-powdr/ |access-date=2024-11-20 |website=The Colorado Sun |language=en-US}}
Lawsuits
=Non-honoring of certain passes issued by prior Killington owner=
In July 2010, a federal judge dismissed a class action lawsuit against Killington Resort over so-called 'lifetime' ski passes. Judge Christina Reiss found that the resort's current owner (Powdr) was under no legal obligation to honor previously issued investor season passes when it purchased Killington Resort in 2007.{{cite news|url=https://www.timesargus.com/articles/lifetime-ski-pass-holders-lose-lawsuit-against-killington/|title='Lifetime' Ski pass holders lose lawsuit against Killington|last=Edwards|first=Bruce|date=July 6, 2010|newspaper=The Times Argus|access-date=July 6, 2010 }}{{dead link |date=December 2022}}
=Loss of Park City lease=
When Park City Mountain Resort, a Powdr resort, mistakenly failed to renew a "sweetheart lease" for a portion of its ski terrain acreage, the company was eventually evicted from the property and, after a protracted legal fight, "reluctantly" sold its remaining area assets to Vail Resorts for approximately 180 million dollars in late 2014.{{Cite web |url=http://www.ktvz.com/news/mt-bachelors-parent-sells-big-utah-resort/28038840 |title=Mt Bachelor's parent co. Sells big Utah resort | News - Home |access-date=2014-09-13 |archive-date=2014-09-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140913075900/http://www.ktvz.com/news/mt-bachelors-parent-sells-big-utah-resort/28038840 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.law360.com/articles/540606/park-city-mountain-resort-loses-lease-after-costly-error|title=Park City Mountain Resort Loses Lease After Costly Error – Law360|access-date=2021-10-06|archive-date=2021-03-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303125629/https://www.law360.com/articles/540606/park-city-mountain-resort-loses-lease-after-costly-error|url-status=live}}
Properties
= Ski resorts =
== Western United States ==
- California
- Boreal Mountain Resort
- Soda Springs
- Colorado
- Copper Mountain
- Eldora Mountain Resort
- Oregon
- Mt. Bachelor
- Utah
- Snowbird[https://www.nsaa.org/NSAA/Media/Who_Owns_Which_Mountain_Resorts.aspx Who Owns Which Mountain Resorts] NSAA, 2023
- Woodward Park City
== Northeast United States ==
== Canada ==
- Silver Star Mountain Resort, Vernon, British Columbia
=[[Camp Woodward]] youth camp locations=
- Bend, Oregon; Mt. Bachelor, Oregon; Tahoe, California; Southern California; Snowbird, Utah; Park City, Utah, Copper Mountain, Colorado; Eldora Mountain, Colorado, Killington Mountain, Vermont, and Woodward Pennsylvania.
= Other operations =
- Sun Country Tours, Oregon
- Powderbird Helicopter Skiing, Utah
- Stovepipe Wells Village, California
=Former properties=
- Alpine Meadows, California
- Park City Mountain Resort, Utah (sale to Vail Resorts announced September 11, 2014){{Cite web|url=http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=31515553|title=Park City Mountain Resort sold to Vail Resorts for $182.5M|website=ksl.com|access-date=2014-09-11|archive-date=2014-09-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911220246/http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=31515553|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=http://news.vailresorts.com/corporate/vail-resorts-acquires-pcmr.htm|title=Vail Resorts Acquires Park City Mountain Resort in Park City, Utah |website=Vail Resorts Corporate|access-date=2014-09-11|archive-date=2014-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912000951/http://news.vailresorts.com/corporate/vail-resorts-acquires-pcmr.htm|url-status=live}}
- Lee Canyon, Nevada (sale to Mountain Capital Partners announced April 13, 2023){{Cite web|url=https://www.mcp.ski/copy-of-valle-nevado-april-4|title=Lee Canyon - April 4 |website=mcp.ski}}
- Killington Ski Resort, Vermont (sale to a small group of local investors announced Aug 22, 2024){{Cite web|url=https://www.stormskiing.com/p/powdr-to-sell-killington-pico-to |website=The Storm Skiing Journal |date=Aug 22, 2024 |title=POWDR to Sell Killington, Pico to Group of Locals; Seeks Sale of Bachelor, Eldora, Silver Star |first=Stuart |last=Winchester}}
- Pico Mountain, Vermont (sale to a small group of local investors announced Aug 22, 2024)