Ski resort designer Chris Cushing on the Last Chair Podcast.
Ski resort designer Chris Cushing on the Last Chair Podcast.

When you look at a well-designed ski resort, it can be pretty amazing to see how everything flows together. Trails lead perfectly back to the chairlifts, chairlift loading areas have plenty of space and are plenty flat, and the dining areas are often placed right where you need them.

This is certainly no coincidence, and it isn’t just ski bums going out and cutting down some trees. There’s serious planning that goes into these resorts, and there are specific people who work to design them like professional ski resort designer Chris Cushing. Ski Utah’s Last Chair Podcast sat down with Cushing to discuss his life, career, and the ski industry.

Last Chair Podcast S7 EP3 - Chris Cushing: Resort Designer

Chris, who works with the SE Group, has worked on and led projects throughout North and South America, China, Europe, Iceland, Japan, South Korea, Turkey and Australasia. He grew up watching his father, Joe Cushing, pioneer modern ski area planning and design. He joined the SE Group (then Sno.engineering) in 1985, and has since worked on a vast number of projects.

Nolan Deck is a writer for Unofficial Networks, covering skiing and outdoor adventure. After growing up and skiing in Maine, he moved to the Denver area for college where he continues to live and work...