2025 Conversion Cup Winner and Finalists
Congratulations to the 2025 Conversion Cup finalists and winner (bolded)! Read more about their programs here.
Boreal Mountain Resort, CA
By building an intentional, multi-tiered conversion funnel — anchored by the Soda Springs Family Pass and the Take 3 Ride Free (T3RF) program — Boreal has created one of the most complete beginner ecosystems in the country. These programs not only introduce newcomers to snow, but nurture them through repeated, low-pressure exposure, affordable next steps, and frictionless access to gear, lessons and terrain.
The entry point for many is the Soda Springs Family Pass, a product designed to make winter recreation approachable for families without the financial strain or pressure of structured instruction. At just $689 for two adults and two kids, the pass rovides unlimited access to skiing, snow play, and tubing with no blackout dates. It also opens the door to Planet Kids, an immersive, play-based snow experience for children aged 2 to 7, where families learn at their own pace with access to complimentary coaching, rentals and magic carpets. The numbers speak for themselves: Family Pass sales have grown over 200% in three years, with 6,000+ passes sold in FY25 and an average of 3.7 visits per household. Meanwhile, Planet Kids averages 25,000 visitors per season, giving thousands of young children and their parents a low-stress first taste of snowsports. It’s a model that values confidence over curriculum and clearly works.
What makes Boreal’s approach so compelling is that it’s both intentional and scalable. From hyper-targeted marketing that reaches diverse communities, to partnerships with organizations like Burton CHILL, SOS Outreach, and the Boys and Girls Club, Boreal has built a model that attracts, converts and retains with equity at the center. This isn’t just a lesson program, it’s a pipeline. It’s access without anxiety, and it’s working. Congratulations to Boreal for setting a new bar for what conversion can look like and for reminding us all why the journey from never-ever to lifelong skier matters so much.
Powderhorn Mountain Resort, CO
Where some programs shine in their complexity and scale, others stand out in their simplicity and heart. Powderhorn Mountain Resort is the latter. Tucked on Colorado’s Western Slope in Mesa County — where median household income trails the national average, and many families work in blue-collar or service-sector jobs — Powderhorn has made it a mission to remove the cost barrier that too often keeps locals off the slopes. Through the Bob Beverly Free Learn-to-Ski-and-Ride Program, the resort is delivering one of the most straightforward, scalable and effective conversion programs in the country.
Launched in 2018, the program honors the legacy of Bob Beverly, a Colorado Ski Hall of Famer, local legend and lifelong advocate for accessible skiing. Each winter, first-time skiers and snowboarders can participate in up to three free sessions, which include rentals, lift tickets and instruction for just a $19 refundable deposit per session. It’s an entry point that doesn’t ask participants to take a financial leap of faith just to show up. This program is powered by a clear purpose: to make skiing genuinely accessible in the community Powderhorn serves. In doing so, the resort is expanding the base of lifelong skiers in Colorado.
Those who complete the three lessons can purchase a $99 Rookie Pass for the remainder of the season. A discounted gear package is also available, removing another key barrier to progression. To ensure the experience doesn’t end after one season, participants are invited back with a $199 Sophomore Pass, establishing a rare and deliberate bridge into that critical third season — often considered the point of true conversion.
Red Lodge Mountain, MT
If the goal is to build lifelong skiers and riders, then it’s not enough to get people on snow, you have to keep them there. That’s exactly what Red Lodge set out to do with the Learn 4 Life program, a multi-lesson initiative that lays the groundwork for meaningful progression, repeat visits and long-term participation.
Launched in 2022, Learn 4 Life is built on a straightforward yet incredibly compelling value proposition: For $299, participants receive four lift tickets, rentals and lessons, and upon graduation, they’re rewarded with a free season pass, a diploma and a lunch voucher for the resort’s midmountain chalet. In an industry where lesson pricing can often feel like a barrier in itself, Learn 4 Life remains intentionally accessible. Despite inflationary pressures, the price remains unchanged, and Red Lodge has no plans to raise it.
Four seasons in, 624 guests have completed the program, and more than 50% of graduates returned to purchase a ticket product the following season. Three year conversion tracking shows noteworthy consistency: 56% conversion in year one, 35% in year two, and 38% in year three. Perhaps most impressively, 30% of participants go on to purchase a season pass, an incredible testament to the stickiness of the experience.
Honorable Mention: Ski Utah
In a state known for its legendary powder and world-class resorts, Ski Utah is using its collective voice to open doors for those who haven’t traditionally had access to snowsports. The association’s innovative Discover Winter program highlights the power of collaboration, equity-driven design and community partnerships.
Launched in 2021, Discover Winter is designed specifically to welcome ethnically diverse adults from across Utah into snowsports. While many industry programs focus on children, Ski Utah flipped the model by targeting adults first — recognizing that empowering adults to ski means they’ll be the ones to bring their families, friends and children along with them. As they put it: “Kids can’t get to the slopes without an adult to take them.”
The program offers a complete package to remove traditional barriers to entry. Participants receive four free ski or snowboard lessons at eight participating resorts, full gear kits (including pants, jackets, gloves, socks, goggles and more), and transportation from metropolitan areas to the mountain. No gear? No problem. No car? Covered. The approach is as holistic as it is welcoming.