The new owners of Vermont's largest ski resort are investing heavily into the resort's future without corporate influence.

Killington, Vermont is now officially owned by a local group of investors, according to a social media video shared on September 30, 2024.

The group is led by Phill Gross and Michael Ferri, and is wasting little time in investing $30 million into the resort's future over the next 12-16 months. First up is replacing the iconic Superstar lift with a new six-person lift, installing 1,000 new "low-energy" snow guns across the mountain, replacing the Skyeship Gondola Cabins, and building new mountain biking trails.

Michael Ferri mentions in the video that the new ownership group intends to invest all profits over the next ten years back into Killington and Pico mountains. "It will stay here in Vermont, it will stay here at Pico, it will stay here at Killington to continue to improve the experience the skier receives," he said regarding the profits over the next decade.

Mike Solimano, Killington President & CEO, notes that the resort can return to making "local choices". He reveals that Killington will break from the POWDR Corp. designed 'Woodward' terrain parks and return to their K-Parks brand. "We're really trying to come back to our local roots," he says.

The Superstar lift, and Superstar trail, are essential to Killington's commitment to 'The Longest Season in the East'. The resort hammers the trail with snowmaking from October through April to allow for skiing into June. The trail also hosts the best women's Slalom and Giant Slalom skiers each Thanksgiving weekend at the Killington Cup. Upgrading the lift makes sense for the future of the resort.

Killington isn't known for receiving as much snow as its neighbors in northern Vermont, but there's arguably no resort in the country that can compete with its snowmaking capabilities. Adding 1,000 new low-energy snow guns will bolster this capability, and ensures that the mountain can produce a high-quality product even when Mother Nature doesn't cooperate.

Killington has yet to reveal how many new bike trails will be constructed as part of the first investment phase, but mountain bikers across the east coast will certainly be paying attention. Killington is already home to one of the best lift-served downhill mountain bike parks on the entire east coast, but there's always room for improvement, right?

Athlete and activist Alex Showerman took to the comments section to celebrate the improvements, but asked for something that talented riders have been craving for decades on the east coast. "Would the new bike trails include something like a Dirt Merchant at Whistler? Dirt Merchant style trail would really elevate the local riding scene, support key programs like KMS and make killington bike park a true North American/global destination with one of those marquee trails," she said.

POWDR Corp. intends to sell off numerous ski resort properties including Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort located near Bend, Oregon. A group of local investors from Bend are attempting to purchase the resort in a similar fashion to the Killington group led by Gross and Ferri.

It marks a strange time in the history of the ski resort industry where locals and major corporations are clashing in a very public setting. How will it shake out? Only time will tell, but we'll always side with the locals. Our tagline is "Powder to the people," after all