Distinctly Montana Magazine

w w w. d i s t i n c t ly m o n ta n a . c o m 47 GoPros are personal and less harmful than drones. I think these technol- ogies are great for making skiing more social. Showdown: Drones and GoPro cameras have started coming into use more in the last few years. However, here a visitor will not have the opportunity to fly drones. We may look into this technology in order to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to desired social media posts. how aBout nEw tEChnologIES for navIgatIng SKI traIlS? dISCovEry: I believe syncing with whatever devices are used is our best plan of action. I see consumers having one device for payment processing, GPS, and social networking — whether this is a watch, a phone, glasses or something else I cannot say. what aBout thE dEvEloPMEnt footPrInt? IS thErE a Plan to lIMIt or Control growth or wIll It BE allowEd to ExPand randoMly? dISCovEry: We are on a Forest Service permit so development is not an issue at this time. We certainly support planned growth and small dense building envelopes as opposed to scattered, sprawling development. Showdown: Due to the nature of our ski area, we will not need to add any new lifts given the present permit area. If we did institute a MDP that expanded our permit boundaries, yes, it would greatly enhance the ski area. Our bordering terrain is potentially good. Expansion would only be neces- sary if we start to see a high increase in overall skier visits. And, it will take quite a procedural effort with the United States Forest Service. Our goal is to expand growth at a random rate. IS Montana BECoMIng MorE of a dEStInatIon for IntErnatIonal SKI and Board EnthuSIaStS? BIg SKy: We are already marketing toward the Australian market and there is always room for growth internationally. dISCovEry: I see Montana as a destination for people looking for some- thing different; such as eco-tourists or people who are looking for adven- tures that are more authentic. I don't see us being set up to accommodate the international market right now. Perhaps in 30 years our air travel and hospitality infrastructure would be better set up for international business. Showdown: We see Montana as a highly sought destination for people in the USA, Canada, and other parts of the world. But because we don't offer lodging, we may not see so many. But local skiers at destination resorts will seek out places like Showdown. "aS thE "SNoWLINE" moVES North, WE'LL Start to gaIN SkIErS from rESortS LoCatED IN utah aND CoLoraDo," SayS rILEy poLombuS from WhItEfISh mouNtaIN.

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