Last Chair: The Ski Utah Podcast

Growing up at the mouth of the Cottonwood Canyons, Chase Thomason went from deep powder kid to full-blown weather nerd after Twister hit screens. Now he’s a meteorologist at KUTV Channel 2 who still finds time to snowboard powder at Snowbird Ski Resort.In this episode of Last Chair by Ski Utah, Chase explains the science behind the Greatest Snow on Earth including snowflakes, storms and Utah’s wild lake effect magic. Recorded at the High West Whiskey Library.

Legendary resort designer Chris Cushing joins Last Chair to share stories from a lifetime spent shaping ski areas around the world, including Deer Valley’s new East Village. From learning the craft alongside his father to watching families enjoy the terrain he built, Chris offers a rare look into the art and heart behind designing the mountains we love to ski

Celebrate 50 years of Utah skiing with Ski Utah and the Last Chair Podcast presented by High West. Host Tom Kelly sits down with President and CEO Nathan Rafferty and early leader Danny Richardson to share stories about Utah powder, the Interconnect Tour, and what makes skiing in Utah truly legendary.Recorded at the Whiskey Library at High West Distillery in Park City, this episode dives into the evolution of Ski Utah, its 16 world-class resorts, and the people who built the state’s ski culture. From Deer Valley to Snowbird, hear why Utah’s mountains deliver The Greatest Snow on Earth.

What’s happening with America’s largest ski resort expansion in decades? Deer Valley Resort is upping the game with 10 new lifts, 80+ new ski runs, and the debut of the all-new Deer Valley East Village, only 40 minutes from Salt Lake City International Airport.In this episode of Last Chair presented by High West, we ride high atop Bald Mountain at Snowshoe Tommy’s Cabin with:- Steve Graff, VP of Mountain Operations, Deer Valley Resort- Garrett Lang, Deer Valley Mountain Operations- Shawn Marquardt, Doppelmayr Ski LiftsHear how the new East Village Express gondola links Park Peak via Big Dutch, get insider details on cutting-edge lift technology, and find out which new Deer Valley runs should be on your hit list this winter.

If you love skiing, take 30 minutes to listen to this conversation with Marge from family owned, Beaver Mountain. This episode of Last Chair exudes what the lifestyle of skiing is about. It’s something you simply don’t find in other sports. It’s a special place in Utah with some mighty fine skiing and riding, and the most celebrated ticket manager in the state: Marge!

From their favorite Utah ski runs to their 2002 Olympic memories, Fraser Bullock and Nathan Rafferty provide great insights about Utah's 2034 Winter Olympic Games and everything in between. 

This April, Raelene Davis will celebrate 40 years with the organization. She has served in her current role as Vice President of Marketing and Operations for 10 of those 40 years. Her face lights up with the biggest smiles as she recalls all of Ski Utah's creative marketing campaigns as well as the impressive and innovative engagement programs that she started from the ground up. Most of all, she remembers all of the people she’s met along the way.

The lifts are spinning now at Deer Valley East Village! The first major destination ski resort to be built in America in over 40 years is taking shape with the opening of the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley. How did this pairing of a Manhattan skyscraper developer and one of America’s most renowned resorts come to be? Ski Utah’s Last Chair sat down with Extell Development Founder and President Gary Barnett and Deer Valley President and COO Todd Bennett in the brand-new Grand Hyatt Deer Valley to learn more.

On this episode, Last Chair grabbed veteran UTA ski bus driver Doug Malmborg for a ride on the 972 line up to Solitude and Brighton. Malmborg shared his vast knowledge of the UTA ski bus service, plus some fascinating ski and mining history that he has gleaned growing up in the Cottonwoods.