“What really set Chris apart was his down-to-earth demeanor. He could easily wine and dine billionaire hedge funders and then get dirty in the trenches with resort staff. I am honored to have worked under and side by side with Chris and to carry on his legacy.”– Rob Perlman, President, and COO of Steamboat Resort.
Ski Area Management reports that Chris Diamond, who was a ski industry veteran and author, passed away last week at the age of 76 years old. His career in the ski industry began in 1972 following an army tour. He became an assistant to Preston Smith, who was the founder of Killington Resort and S-K-I Ltd. In 1977, he went to Mount Snow to serve as General Manager. He then became the VP of corporate development for S-K-I Ltd in 1994.
Les Otten bought S-K-I Ltd. in 1996 and formed the American Skiing Company. Diamond went back to Mount Snow to serve as General Manager for a couple of years and then moved to Steamboat. For seventeen years, he was the President of Steamboat Resort, leading the mountain through many critical investments.
Chris’s forty-five-year career in the industry helped him earn many accolades. In 2013, he achieved an NSAA Lifetime Achievement Award and was also inducted into the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame in 2017. Diamond served as the Chairman of the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) and Colorado Ski Country USA.
My prior knowledge of Chris Diamond came from reading his Ski Inc. book a couple of years ago. The autobiography, which was released in 2016, detailed his years in the ski industry, and his observations made along the way. His follow-up book, Ski Inc. 2020, analyzed the battle between Alterra and Vail Resorts, and how mega passes will help grow the ski industry.
Andy Bigford, who was the editor of the Ski Inc. books, said the following about Chris Diamond:
“Chris never sought the limelight, but he deservedly received the highest industry awards for leading two major resorts through the most challenging of times. It wasn’t until he ‘retired’ and became an author that his keen insights and common sense musings reached a much wider audience through his award-winning Ski Inc. books. Chris would delete this and say it’s not about him, but among industry observers, he became something of a rock star. I was privileged to work with and learn from Chris on those books, and I will miss him every day.”
We here at Unofficial Networks send our thoughts and prayers to Diamond’s family and friends during this challenging time.
Image Credits: Chris Diamond
