Vermont Business Magazine The sale of Magic Mountain Ski Area in Londonderry, Vermont to SKI MAGIC LLC officially closed Monday night, marking a critical turning point in the future sustainability and prosperity of Magic which was originally founded in 1960. The ski area, under the unified ownership and operating company of locally-based SKI MAGIC LLC, will be executing a series of capital improvement projects over the next several years designed to improve the quality, efficiency and consistency of Magic’s product and operating profile. Financial terms of the sale were not disclosed.
“Magic has been one of Vermont’s best kept secrets,” said the President of SKI MAGIC LLC Geoff Hatheway, “but it’s time to let a few more people know about this alternative, some say ‘counter-cultural’, ski experience here which hearkens back to an era when Vermont skiing originally began to take off.”
SKI MAGIC will be investing over $2 million in the next few years on snowmaking-efficiency and expansion, as well as, better lift reliability and options for all skier types. Enhanced beginner and intermediate access through new lower-mountain lift options and a better learn-to-ski environment will be undertaken to help attract young families. Magic will be working closely with the state of Vermont on expanding access to water in an environmentally sound way in order to cover 50% of its terrain consistently with man-made snow on both its east and west sides of the mountain. New low-energy, high-efficiency snow machines are already on order to help make a difference immediately this winter.
“While the late closing of the purchase puts us a bit behind the 8-ball prepping for the new season,” Geoff Hatheway continued, “we’ve already made significant progress on lift repairs, snowmaking upgrades, and trail and glade clearing. Along with our large volunteer corps and soon-to-be employees pitching in, Magic will be open come December 17th, better than ever.”
When the deal was announced in August, it was expected to close by early October.
The snow has begun to fall already and Magic is now selling season passes, discount cards, tickets, and, according to Geoff Hatheway, "There are more new pass and card options than years past, and they are all targeted to make skiing more affordable for couples, families and young adults."
Magic Mountain was originally founded by Swiss ski instructor Hans Thorner back in 1960 after he selected the site on Londonderry’s Glebe Mountain, where the many natural fall lines reminded him of the terrain found in his native Switzerland. Magic has long been known for its steep, challenging terrain not found elsewhere in southern Vermont. As one of the three big mountains in the 1960s and 70s that formed Vermont’s famed “Golden Triangle” along with Stratton and Bromley, Magic was a big part of a golden era of New England skiing.
After being sold in the 1980s and eventually combined with Bromley during the first major wave of corporate acquisition and consolidation for the ski resort business, Magic was eventually shut down for a number of years in the early 1990s during the real estate market downturn. Magic re-emerged in the 1997-98 season, but the ski area has often been under-funded and under-marketed while under divided and disparate ownership and operator structures which only served to compound its struggle to re-establish itself in the shadows of deep-pocketed corporate resorts that now dominate and control the ski industry.
About SKI MAGIC LLC
SKI MAGIC is a Vermont-based LLC with a group of investors committed to realizing the full potential of a legendary, independent ski area. SKI MAGIC will stay true to what has made Magic Mountain special: its unmatched ski terrain in southern Vermont; a “throwback” experience without soul-crushing crowds; and a laid-back, welcoming ski community culture. New capital will be targeted to fix what has held it back: more efficient snow-making coverage and more accessible, reliable lifts for all skier types, including learn-to-ski. SKI MAGIC has an initial 5-year plan to bring Magic to ongoing operating profitability which will help employees, local home owners, local businesses, and most importantly, its growing family of skiers and riders who want Magic to succeed and be their mountain adventure for generations to come.
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Source: November 22, 2016 Londonderry, VT— Magic Mountain. More information on the new, still retro, Magic Mountain can be found at its new website www.magicmtn.com. Season passes and other products are available at Magic's website magicmtn.com.