Win Smith Steps Down as President of Sugarbush Today. Here’s What He Spearheaded During His Tenure.

Win Smith flaunting his moves at the Sugarbush pond skim in March 2009. Photo by Patrick Breen.

After heading the reigns at Sugarbush for 19 years, Win Smith steps down as President and COO today. Throughout his tenure, he oversaw projects that had implications for Sugarbush’s overall mountain and lodging experiences. In this piece, we’ll take a look at some of the most notable examples.

Green Mountain Express

When Win took over, he inherited a serious logistical problem on the Mount Ellen side of Sugarbush. Before 1995, the mid-mountain North Ridge Express was previously the Green Mountain Express base lift, which lived in the alignment that the current GMX lift is in today. But when Sugarbush decided to relocate the lift to North Ridge, they replaced it with the shorter, fixed-grip Green Mountain Quad which only extended to the beginning of North Ridge. This created a strange setup where initial access to the resort came through a slow lift but mid-mountain service was high-speed.

The year after his team took over, Sugarbush addressed this by replacing the Green Mountain Quad with the existing Green Mountain Express, reinstating high-speed access from the Mount Ellen base and contributing additional capacity to this area of the resort. This project was originally outlined by previous owner American Skiing Company, but Win and his team oversaw its implementation.

Clay Brook Lodge and Lincoln Peak Base Revamp

When Win took over as President and COO, Sugarbush had no upscale on-site lodging options and was finding it difficult to compete with other nearby resorts. The Clay Brook Lodge, completed in 2006, provided the first true ski-in/ski-out Sugarbush option with ski valet services and a spa area with a gym, hot tubs, and a pool. Some of the fancier suites were built with in-room hot tubs. Rooms in Clay Brook are certainly pricey, but for those looking for a no-worries, luxurious lodging experience, Sugarbush now offers it thanks to Win’s team.

In addition to the new hotel, Sugarbush revamped the entire Lincoln Peak base area, including new base facilities and a concert venue. The Gate House lodge replaced the old base cafeteria for casual dining, while Rumble’s Lodge and the Castlerock Pub provided new sit-down dining experiences. The wide courtyard in between these buildings was built with flexibility to host concerts, and it has regularly done so from Thursdays to Sundays during peak times. We have no doubt that these dining and entertainment improvements have raked in cash for the resort.

Valley House Quad

The Valley House Double was essentially a helper lift for the Super Bravo Express on busy days, and when it closed for the season due to mechanical issues in early 2015, it was unclear whether the lift would be replaced. The following season, the lift was replaced with the existing fixed-grip quad. While still a slow lift, the Valley House Quad provides higher capacity than the previous setup and comes with a loading carpet that makes getting on easier.

Village Quad

The Village Double lift was Sugarbush’s Lincoln Peak bunny hill lift, and in 2017, it was replaced with a fixed-grip quad, allowing for higher direct capacity to the bunny slopes and, for the first time, providing the opportunity for groups of more than two learning together to ride together.

Sunshine Quad

At the same time the Village lift got its redux, Sugarbush replaced its Sunny D Double, which serviced Mount Ellen’s bunny hill terrain as well as Sugarbush’s primary terrain park, with the Sunshine Quad. While Sugarbush’s terrain park still by no means offers the best experience in Vermont, the improvement has provided a more reliable, enjoyable high-capacity experience for freestyle visitors.

Unaddressed Opportunities

Win’s team carried out several projects throughout his time as President and COO, but a few notable opportunities for resort improvement still exist. Both of the resort’s signature upper mountain lifts, the Heaven’s Gate Triple and the Summit Quad, are more than three decades old and could use major investments. In addition, none of the resort’s high-speed lifts have been updated since 2002, and with the exception of the Green Mountain Express, all date back to 1995.

One complaint from locals we talked to was that the focus on entertainment at the resort has cost them business. While it’s understandable that a ski resort would want to keep visitors on the mountain as long as possible, some suggested that an improved shuttle service around the Mad River Valley could help attract crowds back to local shops, restaurants, and bars.

Conclusion

So Win’s team accomplished quite a few things during his time running Sugarbush, including the replacement of four lifts and a revamped base village. But ultimately, one of the most unique things Win did was put a face to the resort. All the locals we talked to knew him personally. In the age of mega resort companies, that’s rare.

With Alterra taking over, one might expect the personal feel of Sugarbush’s leadership to be on its way out the door. However, Win’s replacement as President and COO, John Hammond, is well known around the valley and has headed the resort’s mountain ops for years. Hopefully, he can continue to foster the same local relationship Sugarbush has come to be known for.

For more on Sugarbush, see our review here.