Selling Snow

Ep.21 - Kurt Carter of Craigieburn Valley Ski Area on How the Club-Field Model optimizes for great skiing not profit.

June 15, 2026·54 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Have you ever experienced a nut-cracker lift? If you have you definitely have stories to tell about it. Today we’re heading into the heart of New Zealand’s Southern Alps to visit a super unique ski area that like most Club Fieldsin New Zealand is power by the nut cracker. Think big alpine terrain, very few people, minimal infrastructure and affordable big mountain skiing. Forget high-speed lifts, luxury condos, and sprawling base villages. At Craigieburn Valey Ski Area,  skiers ride steep rope tows using Nutcracker, stay in a communal lodge where guests help cook and clean, and spend their days exploring some of the most challenging terrain in New Zealand. Joining us today is Kurt Carter, General Manager of Craigieburn Valley. Kurt shares the fascinating history of New Zealand's club field model, explains why Craigieburn proudly operates as a not-for-profit ski club, gives us an inside look at a ski area where community often matters just as much as skiing, and poses the question, " Could this model ever work in North America?" So let’s head out to the access tows for a conversation with Craigieburn General Manager Kurt Carter. We pulled 12 Actionable Insights from this episode to help you up your own game. Find them all at www.sellingsnow.com

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