NEIHART, Mont. — High in Montana’s Little Belt Mountains, Showdown Ski Area has quietly built a legacy that stretches back to 1936, when skiers first descended its slopes decades before chairlifts arrived.
Today, the mountain stands apart as Montana’s oldest continuously operating ski area and one of the few in the West still owned and run by a single family.
That legacy took shape in 1973 when George Willett bought the resort and began transforming it into a community hub. Over nearly 50 years, he expanded Showdown to three lifts and roughly 40 trails while helping introduce more than 250,000 local children to skiing, often at little or no cost.
As consolidation reshaped the ski industry, Showdown resisted. While many independent hills were absorbed by large corporations, the central Montana mountain remained focused on affordability and access for local families.
That commitment was tested in 2020 when Willett received a multimillion-dollar offer to sell. Instead, his daughter, Katie Boedecker, stepped in to purchase the resort, keeping it in the family and ushering in a new chapter.
Boedecker now co-owns Showdown with her daughter, Avery Patrick, forming what is believed to be the only mother-daughter ownership team in the ski industry. Willett still plays an active role, regularly advising on operations.
Patrick, who once worked entry-level jobs at the resort, rose through the ranks to become marketing director before taking on co-ownership alongside her mother.
Together, the family is looking ahead with measured growth plans, including potential lift upgrades and expanded facilities, while working to preserve what longtime visitors value most.
Guests often describe Showdown as a place that “feels like home,” where generations return to learn and ski together.
With three generations currently involved — and a fourth growing up on the mountain — the future of Showdown may remain in the family for years to come.
