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Indy Pass & Teton Gravity Research: Mountains Not For Profit
November 1 @ 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Doors will open at 6pm, the film starts at 7, followed by a Q&A with some Shames mountain originals that have supported and created Shames into the mountain community we know and love!
Tickets will be by donation at the Shames Mountain downtown office and Unbound Gear & Apparel. Keep an eye out for when they become available!
“The resurgent story of community-empowered ski and snowboard areas.
Mountains Not for Profit is a Teton Gravity Research short documentary that tells the story of four non-profit ski areas in North America, which thrive on community support and a shared passion for skiing and snowboarding. Directed by Drew Holt, the film explores how these mountains, unlike larger resorts, are empowered by volunteers, donations, and the love of the sport, preserving the soul of skiing.”
The team at Indy Pass cares deeply about all independent mountains—non-profit, co-op, and for-profit. For some independent mountains, the non-profit business model is a viable and impactful way to keep skiing alive by keeping it affordable and accessible, giving communities around North America an opportunity to get outside in the winter.
This mission is so important to us that we partnered with the storied filmmakers at Teton Gravity Research to support the making of a short film called Mountains Not for Profit. The film features Whaleback Mountain in NH, Shames Mountain in BC, Black Mountain of Maine, and Antelope Butte in WY. This short film will premiere in each of these mountains’ hometowns throughout November and will premiere digitally on 11/26.
Mountain’s Not for Profit
Following the movie presentation, we will give out Prizes and tell the story of the Shames Mountain. Our story is one of, resiliency, community and cooperation. To this day, our story is still viewed as one of the best success stories of the industry. The panel was selected to present: The Ski Corp that came before the Co-op, The Friends of Shames, The Coop Era, and The Future. Each panelist will have 5 minutes to answer a few questions prepared in advance.
Panellist:
- Panel Host: Christian Theberge, General Manager,
- Harry Murphy, previous owner of Shames Mountain Ski Corp.
- Gary Maltin, founding member of Friends of Shames.
- Kelly Gingles, Current Chair MMC-Shames Mountain.
- Erik Morgensen, Owner of Indy Pass, Interim General Manager of Black Mountain through pivot to co-op model.
Panel Questions:
The Ski Corp that came:
- Tell us about the decision to purchase and relocate Kitsumkalum assets and build Shames Mountain?
- When and why did Shames go up for Sale?
- Why did you to Sell to the Coop?
Friends of Shames:
- Why and how was Friends of created?
- How did the co-op model come about?
- Is there a key moment, where things clicked, and you truly believed this would succeed?
The Co-op Era:
- Why do you think the Coop Model has succeeded here?
- What is different between the Corp and Coop at Shames specifically?
- What did your father, a previous owner of Shames Mountain Ski Corp, see in Shames, do you think we are still realizing that vision?
The Future:
- Why do you support and believe in Mountain’s that are Not for Profit?
- What do you think the coop model offers, that corporate models are missing?
- What do you believe is the key to success in a coop model?
