TSV chief sees staff has begun to embrace change
This concludes a two-part feature on David Norden, who assumed the position of CEO at Taos Ski Valley in July 2016. This week, Norden looks at TSV’s future.
This summer will usher in a handful of major projects at the resort. Chairlifts 1 and 5 at the base will be replaced by a single high-speed chair running up the Chair 5 alignment. This will increase lift capacity, while eliminating an entire set of chair towers up Al’s Run. The base area will be recontoured to create a large flat space for chair loading with a bowl above it for summer concerts. The Phoenix restaurant at the base of Chair 4 will be overhauled and expanded for winter and summer activities, and the Lake Fork Creek restoration and trail creation in the base village also will continue. Not all of the changes have come without hurdles.
“Change is always hard, and especially hard where there has been little undertaken,” said Taos Ski valley CEO David Norden. “We have staff who have been here 20, 30 and even 50 years, and they have not seen a lot of change in the past few decades. And now, we are changing quite fast. That was a challenge.
“The first six months, I saw an organization that was struggling with change, but now most people are embracing it. They’ve come to understand where we are headed and the whys. I’ve seen a lot of very committed, hardworking employees and contractors. Do you have to nudge some contractors now and again? Absolutely, and there are a few who won’t be with us moving forward, but overall, it’s been phenomenal.
“We lost a lot of visitors over the past two decades because there was not much reinvestment in the area. The reinvestment is here, and we hope to get a lot of those people back. Our fastest growing market is Colorado, which says a lot because there are so many options there for skiing. That speaks about how truly awesome Taos is.”
Norden also shares a deep love of the natural world with conservation-philanthropist owner Louis Bacon. “It is really exciting for me to work with people who so strongly feel that stewardship of the land is key,” Norden said. “We are the first ski resort in the world to be certified as B-Corporation [a designation of environmental and social sustainability], which helps us focus on what we can do for Taos County and what we can do for Northern New Mexico, in terms of economic development in an environmentally sensitive way. It’s nice to work with that ethos behind us.”
So after two seasons here, does he have a favorite run at TSV?
“It’s a big mountain and I don’t think I know it well enough yet to pick one run,” Norden said, “but for me there is nothing better than getting up on Kachina Peak on a powder day. It is open and the snow quality is fantastic. I sometimes struggle in tight trees, so I especially like fairly open and steep, either lift-served or hiking.”
Looking forward, does climate change concern Norden?
“I do worry that a season like this one might be a trend, versus an off year,” he said. “We contribute to the nonprofit Protect Our Winters, have become the first Certified B Corp ski area, and are working closely with the U.S. Forest Service and The Nature Conservancy to develop a more sustainable forest here. We are improving efficiency and beefing up our snowmaking, and are looking at activities and special events, like the Wine Festival, that are not entirely reliant on snowfall.
“We have to plan on winters that come later, on weather events that are more violent. There is no question that we are in a period of change. We get good early snow and retention of the snow is good. But climate change is absolutely a concern.”
Norden made the move to Taos with his wife, along with their Bernese mountain dog, Franz Klammer.
His daughter is in college, and his son recently graduated and is beginning his professional life elsewhere. Both, though, are avid skiers and huge fans of Taos.
“This is a special place and I’ve learned more in the last 18 months than I think I did in a good part of my previous life,” Norden said. “It truly is a great place to be, so rich in culture and people. It is special and inspirational. We plan to keep it that way.”
CONDITIONS AND EVENTS
Ski Santa Fe has a 24-inch base, with 59 percent of its terrain open. It has extended its closing time to 4:30 p.m. Catch Sean Halen playing on the Totemoff’s deck Saturday, and Sunday get your grind on at the area’s third annual Rail Jam. There are divisions in men’s and women’s ski and snowboard, and under-14 divisions in skiing and boarding. Ski Santa Fe plans to close April 8.
Taos Ski Valley has a 31-inch base, having picked up 9 inches last week. Enjoy the last season passholder appreciation event at the Martini Tree on Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m., with cool prize giveaways and more. Anyone with a pass from another New Mexico ski area can bring their passes to TSV and get half-off day tickets for the remainder of the season. Details online. TSV will close April 1.
Red River reports 20-24 inches (and 57 inches this season). It closes Sunday, but will host a box riding competition Saturday, followed by a pond-skimming contest with live music at 3:30 p.m. and a torchlight parade and fireworks show.